This weekend saw the OMG Nitrous Competition Racing squad headed to Donington Park for Round Two of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. As local-boy Kyle Ryde’s favourite track, spirits were high not only for the team, but for the legion of “Youth” fans who came to watch their hero take on his home round.
This weekend would also see Nitrous Competitions Joint-Owner David Williams tackle his first ever Pirelli National Superstock round, on his freshly prepared Yamaha R1. The team at OMG Racing’s base at PCR Performance in Cannock had worked hard over the previous 10 days to build a bike capable of taking David, who’s only raced in No Limits for the previous two seasons, to full competitiveness in the fearsomely fought series.
Friday:
The Bennetts British Superbike Championship’s first Leicestershire race weekend this year saw a return to the normal format of Friday providing the two ‘Free Practice’ sessions required, not only for the all important track time the team needs for any required performance changes, but to decide which Qualifying session Kyle would join on Saturday.
Working on different setups during both FP1 and FP2, Kyle and the team made one last very minor change in FP2 and he was a happy rider, setting down an impressive 1:27.507 during the final minutes, giving him P4 in the day’s combined times, and seeing him well clear into the all important Q2 the following day.
This would also be the inaugural run for David Williams on his freshly built R1. The first Superstock Free Practice session would be needed for fine tuning of riding position, and saw the man that saved the team getting to grips with what he described as “the best bike he’s ever ridden.” Once comfortable and beginning to understand how it ticked, his lap times would come steadily down throughout both sessions, ready for Saturday’s Qualifying.
Saturday:
The sun took its time to appear, with the team over at the huge Nitrous Competitions stand on the inside of Redgate Corner feeling the notorious Donington Park wind until lunchtime. Despite this, thousands of you took the time to check out the massive selection of cars & bikes available to win right now over on their website, with one visitor bagging himself an 800bhp Audi RS6!
Lunchtime would see thousands of riders, team personnel & fans join the friends & families of Owen Jenner & Shane Richardson, the two riders who tragically lost their lives at Oulton Park two-weeks before, take to the track. Tributes came from a number of BSB stalwarts, including Duncan Vincent, led by MSV Owner Jonathan Palmer & Series Director Stuart Higgs. It was an emotional time for all, with a heart-warming show of support shown by the whole community, as the crowds stretched across the considerable width of Donington Park’s main straight, from the start line all the way past the pitlane exit, with the sun breaking through during Stuart Higgs’ poignant speech, lifting the moods of many.
Come the afternoon as racing restarted, the track was abuzz with some seriously impressive lap times. Kyle wasted no time in setting a fast lap, setting an all time fastest ever BSB lap with a 1.26.395 on his second flying lap of the Bandero Cafe Qualifying session, choosing to come back to the box and see what his rivals would do.
Irwin would ride hard to close the gap, ending up just behind the OMG Nitrous Competitions rider by 0.081, before former OMG Racing rider Bradley Ray would pip Kyle’s record lap by just 0.028 of a second on the Raceways Yamaha R1, built for him by OMG racing for what would’ve been his return to the championship with us, meaning Kyle would start the afternoon race P2.
For David Williams on the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing R1 Superstock bike, things would unfortunately not go quite as smoothly. Despite lap times quickly moving towards where he needed to be, he was robbed of the chance to join the grid before it had even started. A red flag on Lap 4 of the Pirelli National Superstock Championship Qualifying session would see both David & another rider not allowed to continue, as series officials deemed their pace not quite enough to be able to race withing the pack, following the events at Oulton Park.
Despite this, David has taken the events in his stride, and as an experienced racer in his own right, has booked a number of track sessions pre-Snetterton, in order to become more accustomed to the bike, and aims to be back out & challenge for points during the year.
Race One – 20 laps:
A blistering start from Kyle would see him exchanging places with Glenn Irwin’s Ducati twice in the opening few corners, before eventually taking the lead on Lap 4.
On Lap 8 Irwin took the lead into Redgate, but just a few corners later he was pushed back to third behind the Yamahas of Bradley Ray & Kyle.
The next few laps would see Kyle drop back, ensuring his tyres were ready for his trademark late assault in the blistering heat, before he dropped the hammer on Lap 10, setting the Fastest Lap of the race, and a new lap record in the process.
Come Lap 14, the trio would be side-by-side as they approached Goddards, with Ray taking the lead. Irwin fought hard to hold onto second from Ryde, but on Lap 18, Kyle would make his move at the Melbourne loop, this time making it stick.
Kyle brought it home P2, +1.744s behind his former teammate, starting Race Two in Pole Position.
Sunday:
Race Two – 12 lap Sprint Race:
Ray would take the holeshot & hit the front of the pack on the opening lap ahead of Kyle Ryde and Irwin, with Irwin then moving into second on Lap 2.
As lap times tumbled, all 3 riders would use their experience & race craft to hold positions, defending well but pushing hard.
Ray held the lead, before Irwin made a move to get ahead on the brakes at the Fogarty Esses, but overran, giving Kyle the perfect opportunity to get ahead & chase down the sister bike of Ray.
Kyle would take P2 at the close, finishing just over a second behind Ray, with Irwin 0.8 behind.
Race Three – 20 laps:
Starting P5 on the grid, Kyle would make a strong start, making up a position straight off the bat for P4. Battling with Haslam and McPhee, he dropped back to P6 at the end of Lap 2, but took P5 back half a lap later.
This battle would give the Top 3 the opportunity to break away from the pack, with an almost unassailable gap for Haslam & Kyle to make up to catch them.
At the half way point, Kyle would be sat in P5, with Haslam pulling out a gap in front on his Ducati, and it was at this point Kyle would start to close the gap as the former battled with Rory Skinner. Unfortunately, a Long Lap Penalty for Kyle in the closing stages would means he would be unable to capitalise on this, although the 4+ second gap he’d pulled on Josh Brookes meant he was able to ensure no more places were lost.
He would cross the line P5, disappointed but bagging a solid points haul, which is all important at these earl stages of the season.
OMG Nitrous Competition Racing leave Donington Park with both rider & team third in the Championship Standings, putting us in good stead for the next round at Norfolk’s Snetterton 300 circuit, kicking off on Friday, 20th June.
Kyle Ryde – #1 Rider, OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing: “For me it was a good weekend, and we came away with a solid set of points. I felt like I missed the chance to win a race on Saturday, a couple of mistakes on my part meant I just couldn’t catch Brad. Sunday was good, when I’d got my head around tyres & speed. There was some super-fast racing, which is great for everyone, and I was happy to come away with P2 in the Sprint Race. I wasn’t at my best in the Feature Race & was struggling to stop the bike a little bit, which led to fatigue and caused a couple of silly mistakes and the long lap, so P5 was all I could manage. Over all I’m happy though, I felt I rode well all weekend and we bagged a big chunk of points. We’re a good squad together, and come Snet in a few weeks I’ll be back on that top step.”
This weekend saw the OMG Nitrous Competition Racing squad headed to Donington Park for Round Two of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. As local-boy Kyle Ryde’s favourite track, spirits were high not only for the
Official Kyle Ryde website of the 2024 Bennetts British Superbike Champion