Win at Thruxton edges Jacksdale star Kyle Ryde closer to British Superbikes top spot

He now sits just 24 points adrift of leader Honda Racing's Tommy Bridewell with the next round at Cadwell Park over August Bank Holiday.

On his opening race win, he said: “I have always been strong in the last sector on any bike.

“But over the last couple of years I have not been in a place where I have been able to show it. It's nice to finally be able to figure out how to ride round Thruxton.

“Taking pole position and the win in a long race is something I never thought I'd be able to do this weekend.”

Ryde held off Jason O'Halloran by just 0.011s in qualifying in a high-speed battle for pole position ahead of the opening race.

Ryde had set the benchmark at the midway point of the session and the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing rider held the edge, despite O’Halloran coming close to stealing the position in the final minutes of Qualifying two.

Ryde then delivered an incredible hard-fought victory in a thrilling dogfight, which went down to the wire with seven riders involved in a high-speed duel for supremacy.

The lead changed seven times on the final lap with Bridewell holding the edge as the last lap got underway, but the Honda Racing UK rider was instantly under attack and both Ryde and Danny Kent moved ahead.

A defiant Bridewell fought back in determined style with a move on both of his Yamaha rivals to move from third to second with a decisive move around the outside.

Bridewell led the freight train out of Goodwood but as they approached Church, Ryde struck back with a big move to push to the front, before Billy McConnell swooped into the lead, before Ryan Vickers then led the pack.

Into the Club Chicane for the final time, Ryde won the battle on the brakes as he launched back ahead as Andrew Irwin dramatically crashed out of seventh place as the Honda Racing UK Fireblade cartwheeled out of contention.

Ryde held the edge to the line as Vickers dived into second to make it an OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing one-two with O’Halloran able to carve into third, which pushed Bridewell into fourth place.

Vickers stormed from his 15th place grid position to take the victory in a dramatic second race as the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing continued their winning form, Ryde coming home in eighth.

Vickers then stormed to a double victory, holding off the chasing Kent and McConnell to celebrate his seventh win of the season in race three with Ryde back in fourth place.

At the start of the final race, Kent launched to the front of the field ahead of Bridewell and McConnell and on the opening lap the lead changed three times with the trio all having a spell before the reigning champion held the edge. Charlie Nesbitt equalled his best result of the year in fifth.