Defending champion Kyle Ryde delivered a faultless victory in the third Bennetts British Superbike Championship race at Cadwell Park to take the standings lead by two points ahead of the four-race weekend at Donington Park for the Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha team.
Ryde had finished second in race two earlier in the day, but the reigning champion fought back to claim the Pirelli King of the Mountain trophy and victory in race three, whilst his title rival Bradley Ray relinquished the lead in the standings following a difficult Bank Holiday Monday.
Honda Racing UK returned to winning ways with 2023 champion Tommy Bridewell earlier in the day, as he became the seventh different race winner in the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship.
As Bridewell scored his first win of the season, Ryde snatched second on the final lap at the Hairpin from Andrew Irwin, to slash Ray’s points’ advantage to 12 ahead of race three as the Raceways Yamaha rider crashed out on lap two from the lead at Mansfield.
Bridewell had the lead with Andrew Irwin and Ryde in close contention. It was intense between the leading trio, but Bridewell was determined and had the edge until the chequered flag.
However, it wasn’t until the final lap when the Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha rider could make his move with a decisive move at the Hairpin to take second.
The battle for fourth was raging too; Leon Haslam was able to fight his way to the front of the pack and the Moto Rapido Ducati Racing rider held off the charge from Max Cook, Storm Stacey, Christian Iddon and Charlie Nesbitt.
At the start of the third race, Andrew Irwin had fired himself into the lead, but Ryde was instantly on the attack with a decisive move at Park on the brakes to lead for Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha.
Ryde was shadowed by Irwin until the closing stages when he pulled the pin to bridge a gap, with the Honda Racing UK rider taking second ahead of teammate Bridewell.
Christian Iddon emerged ahead in the battle for fourth on the AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, holding off his teammate Max Cook and Storm Stacey.
Meanwhile Leon Haslam was also in that pack but with a solid seventh he has climbed to third in the standings ahead of his home round at Donington Park in two weeks’ time.
