Championship leader Kyle Ryde made a commanding start to the final British Superbike Championship (BSB) round at Brands Hatch, posting the fastest time in the pre-qualifying session on Friday. The reigning champion’s lap of 1:24.611 places him at the front of the grid ahead of Saturday’s crucial qualifying sessions and Race One.
Ryde Leads the Charge in British Superbikes Brands Hatch Pre-Qualifying
Ryde, riding for Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing, established a significant lead over his rivals, finishing 0.134 seconds ahead of Max Cook (AJN Steelstock bimota). Danny Kent secured third place for Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha, just 0.180 seconds behind Ryde. Crucially for the championship, Ryde’s closest challenger, Scott Redding, finished fourth for Hager PBM Ducati, 0.197 seconds adrift, according to Superbike News.
With 105 points still available this weekend, Ryde currently holds a 53-point advantage over Redding. He is also on the cusp of making history, aiming to become the first BSB champion to successfully defend his title with a different manufacturer, and the first rider to win three consecutive titles since Niall Mackenzie achieved the feat in 1998.
Key Riders Advance to Q2 as Schedule Confirmed
The pre-qualifying session determined the riders who automatically progress to Saturday’s Q2 session. The top twelve included Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha), local hero Bradley Ray (McAMS Yamaha), Ryan Vickers (Honda Racing UK), Christian Iddon (Sencat Racing Yamaha), Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Racing), Joe Talbot (AJN Steelstock bimota), Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing Ducati), and Lee Jackson (DAO Racing Honda).
However, Glenn Irwin, riding the second Nitrous Coin Ducati, narrowly missed out on an automatic Q2 spot, finishing 13th and just 0.035 seconds shy of progression, as reported by Crash.net. Josh Brookes and Jason O’Halloran also found themselves outside the top twelve, placing 14th and 15th respectively.
Friday’s action saw a wet start to the day, with Ryde strategically choosing to sit out the initial Free Practice 1 session. The track conditions improved significantly for pre-qualifying, allowing for faster lap times. The schedule for Saturday’s race day includes Q1 at midday, followed by Q2 at 12:22, with Race One of the weekend set to commence at 16:05.
Ryde Confident After Strong Opening Day
Reflecting on his performance, Kyle Ryde expressed his measured approach. “I didn’t want to risk anything in Free Practice 1, knowing it was going to improve this afternoon and in Pre-Qualifying the track was at its best,” Ryde stated. He added confidence in his machine, noting, “Obviously the bike worked well here in the summer, we were on pole position, so we didn’t need to change much.” Ryde highlighted the pressure of the day, but affirmed his focus: “We have a big job on this weekend, and that is what I am focused on.”
Meanwhile, Charlie Nesbitt has returned to the BSB paddock, riding for Bathams AJN Racing Ducati this weekend after an earlier departure from TAG Racing. Ryde currently holds the BSB pole record at Brands Hatch, set at 1’23.954s during Q2 in 2026.
