Kyle Ryde and the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing team returned to Snetterton for the third round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship, the Yamaha rider aiming for the top step at the Norfolk circuit.
Saturday saw the official opening of the brand-new OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing VIP Hospitality area, and we welcomed new and returning guests to enjoy their weekend with us in the sunshine, with fantastic viewing inside Coram Bend.
Track temperature soared during Friday’s free practice sessions, with lap times coming down as the day progressed. Across the two 40-minute sessions, Ryde held on to second throughout, trailing former-teammate Bradley Ray by just +0.273s, with the Ducati of Rory Skinner completing the top three after a positive start.
With temperatures reaching 30-degress by early afternoon, Saturday’s Qualifying session was another scorcher. Kyle again set a blistering lap time on his second flyer of the session, putting him in straight up to P1, but the friendly rivalry between both riders would see Brad Ray push hard, taking the top spot by an impressive 0.550s.
Midway through the session, Kyle returned to the garage for the team to make a few adjustments to setup, before heading back out for a final push. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to grab the opportunity to improve to improve his 1:47.120 lap time, but showed his intentions with a purple final sector (fastest of the session) on his last flying lap.
Saturday:
Race One – 16 Laps
With a track temperature was over 44-degrees, this was a session that would certainly test the new Pirelli tyres to their limits.
Capitalising on his front row start, Kyle would make a great start to retain P2 into Turn One, closely followed by Skinner and Bridewell.
On lap 4, Bridewell began making ground on Kyle, but the Yamaha rider’s consistent lap times proved too much for the former Champion’s Honda, and he dropped back over the course of the race. Despite being able to close the gap with Brad Ray, Kyle would cross the line P2, more than 10 seconds ahead of the 3rd place Bridewell.
Sunday:
Race Two – 12 lap Sprint Race
Following some much-needed rain overnight, Sunday would dawn cooler, albeit with the same clear blue skies ensuring another beautiful day for the tens of thousands of fans flocking to the track.
Kyle would start the Sprint Race P2, making a great start to immediately challenge Brad for P1. A great move on the leader inside into Wilson meant the defending champion had to scrub off speed and run wide, only to rejoin behind his Yamaha rival, giving Skinner the advantage & leaving Kyle P3.
On lap 3, Kyle lined up a move on Skinner only to have his pocket picked by Bridewell behind, pushing him back to P4 on the exit of Murrays, but he would have none of it, regaining the place on the run up the start-finish straight and into Turn One.
By lap 8, Kyle was closing in on Skinner, with Tommy close behind.
Kyle would again show his intentions to Skinner on Lap 10, by trying to slide up the inside. He’d manage a bike length alongside, until the Ducati rider’s expert defense of his line would see the move not stick.
Come the penultimate lap, Kyle finally took the place when Skinner ran wide. Skinner came back, and this brought Bridewell back into the mix, creating a great battle for P2.
Then, coming into Murrays for the last time, Kyle got alongside Skinner, but the Scotsman resolutely held on to second. In the melee, Bridewell would manage to get the drag on Kyle, snatching third from the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing rider by 0.008 of a second!
Race Three – 16 laps
Finally, the air temperature had cooled, although it had brought a strong headwind with it, and we knew we were in for another great race.
Kyle would start the final race of the weekend P3, making another strong start to ensure he was in the mix from the off.
Heading into Lap two, Kyle would make a brave move on Skinner at Wilsons, this time making it stick to snatch P2.
Skinner then dropped back into the clutches of Bridewell and Haslam, creating an epic battle that would last for the majority of the race, meaning he was able to forge on alone.
Throughout the remainder of the race, Kyle would make up ground lap-on-lap and the reeling in Ray & increasing his lead on the group battling behind. By the close he was just 1.678 off the race leader, with a gulf of 14.439 ahead of P3.
OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing head to the next round at Knockhill P2 in the Teams’ Standings, with reigning Champion Kyle Ryde P2 in the Riders’.
Quotes
Alan Gardner – Team Owner, OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing
“That’s what I like to call a solid weekend! Kyle rode fantastically in all 3 races, and although missing out on a podium in Race 2 by 0.008 was frustrating, he put on a fantastic performance. There’s a long way to go & we’re still very much in the mix!
“I’d also like to add how immensely proud of Nitrous Competitions co-owner David Williams we all are-qualifying for & finishing his first ever Pirelli National Superstock race. Having a title sponsor so deeply involved in both the team & the sport is a great feeling for all of us.”
Paul Curran – Team Principal, OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing
“This weekend has been another positive one for the team, and we’re taking home a good haul of points. This time last year we were around the same position points wise, so we’re feeling confident in that title defence! Kyle’s performance in the final race more than halved the gap to Brad Ray, and he pulled out a spectacular lead on the pack battling behind. It was great to see David Williams finish his first Pirelli National Superstock weekend so positively, especially as he’s only been racing for a couple of years now.”
Kyle Ryde – #1 Rider, OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing
“It’s been a very good weekend – we had a really good Friday in practice, and qualifying was good. with a solid second place behind Brad. I just didn’t have the speed to keep up with him.
“Coming into Sunday, I don’t think the Sprint Race wasn’t my best race – I should’ve come second really. I felt like I had a few issues with the bike, and I didn’t feel comfortable and made a meal coming out of the last corner, so I ended up coming fourth. We looked at the data and made a big change for the final race.
“We chucked everything at it, as well as the kitchen sink, and were catching Brad up half way through the last race, so big improvements. We actually ended up 8 seconds quicker than Saturday afternoon’s race, so a big shout out to Shaz, all the mechanics and the Bitubo guys – it was a good job!”
Kyle Ryde and the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing team returned to Snetterton for the third round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship, the Yamaha rider aiming for the top step at the Norfolk circuit.Saturday
Official Kyle Ryde website of the 2024 Bennetts British Superbike Champion