Podium double at Snetterton for Jacksdale’s British champion Kyle Ryde
Jacksdale's British Superbike champion Kyle Ryde produced two podium second place finishes in round three of this year's Championship at Snetterton at the weekend – but Bradley Ray extended his lead in the standings as he reeled off three wins.
Ryde also missed out on a third podium by just 0.0085 seconds as he finished fourth in race two.
“The perfect weekend for me this weekend would have been three seconds but I had to settle for that fourth place being just a second behind Braddo over 16 laps,” he said.
“I had big improvements with the bike though and the speed was almost half a second quicker for me every lap.
“So thanks to the guys for making my bike a lot better for the last race and we have learnt a lot this weekend about myself and the bike.”
Ray leads Ryde by 20 points at the top of the standings.
At Snetterton Ray claimed the Omologato Pole Position ahead of Ryde, on the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha, while Rory Skinner completed the front row.
Ray then won the opening race at Snetterton with Ryde and Tommy Bridewell making it a podium of title-winners.
At the start of the race, Ray launched into the lead ahead of Ryde and Skinner.
Bridewell made a move on Skinner ahead of him; the Cheshire Mouldings Ducati rider instantly repaid the pass, but it wasn’t until a lap later the Honda Racing UK contender could make it stick.
Ryde came home 5.380 seconds behind Ray.
Ray carried that winning momentum into the second race as the battle for second went all the way to the chequered flag.
Ray led into Riches for the first time, as Ryde went for a move down the inside into Wilson for the first time but the defending champion had to scrub off speed and ran wide, to rejoin behind his Yamaha rival.
Ryde and Bridewell were trading positions, with the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha rider leading the Honda Racing UK contender as they then reeled in Skinner ahead of them.
As the trio crossed the line to start the penultimate lap they were inseparable and Skinner ran slightly wide at Wilson, which gave Ryde the opportunity he needed to move ahead.
The Cheshire Mouldings Ducati rider fought straight back though a corner later at Palmer to regain the position.
It went down to the wire as Ryde went for a move on Skinner at Murrays and then it was the drag to the finish line.
Skinner was narrowly able to regain the place on the exit of the corner to take second, but behind Bridewell beat Ryde to third by just 0.008s.
Ray completed his winning hat-trick as Ryde returned to the podium whilst Leon Haslam, celebrated third place after a titanic race-long battle with Bridewell and Skinner.
The Championship now moves on to round four at Knockhill on 4th-6th July and Ryde added: “Last year there wasn't the best as I wasn't very well, so it wasn't a great weekend for me.
“But the speed was there in the dry and we know what to do for the wet this time. So whatever the conditions there this year we should be good.”