Recapping the BSB action from Assen – SBK/SS

BSB 2025

Round Nine – Assen

Superbike Race One

Scott Redding claimed the opening Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend at Assen, taking victory in a red-flagged contest that awarded only half points after the race failed to reach two-thirds distance. The win marked Redding’s third of the season and also the 150th for the PBM team in BSB.

At the initial start, Redding grabbed the holeshot, only for Kyle Ryde to briefly edge ahead into turn two. The 2019 champion quickly reclaimed the advantage, however, and began to edge clear while chaos unfolded behind.

By lap two, Christian Iddon had moved into second and was making inroads on the leader, but a mistake at turn one on lap six saw him run wide and tumble down the order. Leon Haslam inherited second place, fending off Max Cook, Danny Kent, and Bradley Ray, with Ryde circulating in eighth. Cook’s promising run ended with a crash at turn 12, and Ray’s title charge took a significant hit moments later when he, too, went down while chasing Haslam.

The race was then stopped due to deteriorating conditions, with a six-lap restart planned. Cook was ruled out, but Ray’s Raceways Yamaha squad worked frantically to repair his bike in time to line up from the back of the grid. Any hopes of a comeback were dashed, however, when worsening conditions forced officials to red flag the race again on the warm-up lap, bringing proceedings to an end.

Redding was declared the winner ahead of Haslam, while Kent bounced back from his Donington crash to secure third. Charlie Nesbitt crossed the line fourth for MasterMac Honda, with Iddon recovering to fifth after his earlier off-track excursion.

Ryde salvaged sixth, but with Ray crashing out, he extended his championship lead to 35 points heading into Sunday’s two races.

Dutch rider Jaimie van Sikkelerus delighted the home crowd with a career-best seventh for TAG Honda, ahead of John McPhee. Luke Hedger celebrated a top-ten finish for Whitecliffe CDH Racing Honda in ninth, while Glenn Irwin completed the top ten.

Superbike Race One Results

Superbike Race Two

Christian Iddon powered to his first victory of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season on Sunday morning at Assen, mastering the tricky wet conditions on his AJN Steelstock Kawasaki to hold off Rory Skinner and Bradley Ray in a tense second race.

Iddon launched from the line with confidence, leading the field from Ray, Max Cook, and Charlie Nesbitt on the opening lap. Behind them, Skinner had it all to do after starting from 18th on the Cheshire Mouldings Ducati following his troubles in Saturday’s race. Undeterred, the Scot carved through the pack and was up to third by lap five.

At the front, Iddon remained composed despite pressure from Ray, who was eager to bounce back after his crash yesterday. Skinner, meanwhile, continued his charge and snatched second from Ray at the Assen chicane on lap ten. From there, the leading trio traded lap times as the gap ebbed and flowed, but Iddon held firm to claim a long-awaited win at the chequered flag.

Skinner’s runner-up finish put him level with Leon Haslam for third in the championship standings. Haslam had been in podium contention but faded to fifth in the closing stages. Ray completed the podium in third, clawing back ten valuable points on title rival Kyle Ryde, who salvaged eighth with a late push after struggling in 11th for much of the race.

Tommy Bridewell put in a strong late charge to take fourth for Honda Racing UK, just ahead of Haslam and Nesbitt. Fraser Rogers delivered another solid ride to finish seventh for TAG Honda. Ryde grabbed eighth on the final lap from Storm Stacey, while John McPhee completed the top ten.

Superbike Race Two Results

Superbike Race Three

Scott Redding capped off a stellar weekend at Assen with his second victory in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, edging out Leon Haslam and Kyle Ryde in a thrilling late-race showdown. The win marked a double success for the Hager PBM Ducati rider and further tightened the fight at the sharp end of the standings.

The race began with a fierce battle as Ryde, Christian Iddon, and Haslam traded blows in the opening laps. But as a sudden shower hit on lap four, officials threw the red flag. After a short delay, the skies cleared and the race was restarted in dry conditions.

Ryde grabbed the holeshot on the Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha, chased by Storm Stacey, Haslam, and Iddon. But the AJN Steelstock Kawasaki rider, fresh from victory earlier in the day, crashed out unhurt on the opening lap of the restart.

Up front, Haslam slotted into second as the leading group began to pull clear, with Ryde, Haslam, Stacey, Tommy Bridewell, and Redding forming the breakaway. Championship challenger Bradley Ray sat just behind the group on his Raceways Yamaha. Bridewell eventually moved past Stacey, with Ray also making a move before losing out late in the race to the Bathams AJN Racing BMW of Christian Iddon, who relegated him to sixth at the flag.

The decisive action came in the final two laps. Ryde held the lead, but Redding struck back on the 70th anniversary special-liveried Hager PBM Ducati. Haslam countered to snatch the advantage as the trio began the final lap nose-to-tail.

Redding seized the lead once more at turn one and held firm under relentless pressure, crossing the line just ahead of Haslam and Ryde. The double win marked a milestone weekend for Redding, while Ryde’s podium extended his championship lead to 31 points over Ray heading into the Oulton Park penultimate round.

Behind the leading trio, Bridewell took fourth for Honda Racing UK, with Stacey in fifth and Ray in sixth. Charlie Nesbitt finished seventh, Rory Skinner eighth, Fraser Rogers ninth, and Glenn Irwin rounded out the top ten.

Superbike Race Three Results

Scott Redding

“In the first race this morning, I felt like a right goon riding round back there! With this livery, you’re supposed to deliver when you’ve got special things like this; it fired me up. I had a bad tyre and nothing I could do, so I was thinking ‘do I risk just throwing it down the road for a couple of positions, not really worth it to be honest’.

“And then I came in and I didn’t even bank a lap time for the next race, so I thought I was 13th but turned out to be 15th, so I thought, come on, wind me up some more baby. I got off to the first start of the race and I had it between my teeth, but had a bit more control than Donington, so I learnt my lesson last time out, and I was firing up overtakes, which has been my weaker point.

“I’ve been a little bit nicer to these guys, but I had to turn the wick up to come up through, and I moved up, and they started putting their hands up, safety is always first, and then I had a nice reset and start eighth on the grid, so the luck started to change for me.

“Then we went out for that second restart, and my start wasn’t too bad. I don’t remember the start of races; it’s just chaos, but I just needed to move up. I got to Leon, Kyle was holding a good enough pace that I couldn’t reel him fast enough, so I couldn’t take a breather. I thought I might have a little bit in the pocket, but he was just hitting markers as he always does and keeps it clean, and Leon was just defending from me.

“I was kind of waiting to pounce on Kyle, and I knew I needed to get in to that mix, and then with a few laps to go, the sparks flew, and we were throwing everything at each other, but it was super clean, tidy racing. You know I love racing like that, where it is hard, you get so much adrenaline, but it’s clean and fair, there were no dirty moves, and we respected each other, and we put on a show out there. To have that anniversary for Hager and to win and race with these boys has been amazing.”

British Superbike Points

Supersport Race One (Sprint)

Jack Kennedy claimed his first victory since Knockhill in July, snatching the win in this morning’s delayed Sprint race by just 0.288s after a dramatic late shuffle at the front.

The race opened with MMB Racing Ducati’s Eugene McManus storming into the lead on the first lap, but his advantage was short-lived. Oliver Barr, who had shown strong pace all weekend on the Binch Pro Ducati, wasted no time moving ahead on lap two.

Behind the leaders, the chasing pack of Luke Stapleford, Kennedy, and Rhys Irwin were all eager to hit the front as McManus began to fade. By lap seven, defending champion Kennedy pounced, edging past to take control of the race.

The lead, however, was far from settled. On the penultimate lap, Stapleford forced his way into P1, looking set to deny Kennedy a long-awaited win. But the Irishman wasn’t done, launching a decisive late move to snatch the spot back and hold it to the flag.

Kennedy crossed the line first, with Stapleford second on track. But post-race, Stapleford was penalised one position for exceeding track limits, elevating Barr to second place and relegating Stapleford to the final podium spot.

Rhys Irwin finished a close fourth, while Fenton Seabright rounded out the top five.

Supersport Race One (Sprint) Results

Supersport Race Two

Luke Stapleford produced a stunning late charge to claim victory in today’s Feature race, edging out Joe Talbot by just 0.044 seconds at the flag.

The drama began immediately as Moto Rapido Ducati’s Ben Currie blasted through from the third row to grab the holeshot into Turn One. Polesitter Stapleford slotted into second, while front-row starters Jack Kennedy and Eugene McManus were shuffled all the way back to ninth and 10th.

Stapleford held second in the early laps before slipping to fifth as Talbot stormed forward, taking the lead on lap four and quickly opening a gap of nearly three seconds. With Talbot seemingly in control, Stapleford set about clawing his way back, steadily carving through the pack to reclaim second by lap 10.

From there, the chase was on. With five laps to go, Talbot’s lead still stood at 2.2 seconds, but Stapleford dug deep, closing relentlessly until the gap was just 0.144s as they began the final lap.

Both riders were on the limit, sliding through the corners as Stapleford shadowed Talbot’s every move. At the crucial moment, the championship contender found just enough room to squeeze past, snatching the win by the narrowest of margins.

Talbot had to settle for second, 2.417s clear of Oliver Barr in third, with Fenton Seabright and Rhys Irwin completing the top five.

Supersport Race Two Results

British Supersport Championship Points

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