Kyle Ryde “fortunate the red flag came out” in Donington Park BSB Race 3

Two victories and three podiums see Kyle Ryde leave the Donington Park round as the championship leader by four points.

The OMG Yamaha rider heads to Brands Hatch arguably in the form of his life, having won seven of the last eight full-distance BSB races.

Ryde, though, felt all three victories were possible at Donington last weekend.

“The first and last race, that I won, if I’d have had the bike underneath me in the sprint race I think I could’ve won all three.

“But BSB is very difficult to win any race, so to win two out of three and finish on the podium in the other, I’m proud.”

Ryde led both long races from the front, but wasn’t surprised in the difference between Race 1 and Race 3, as what was a duel between himself and Tommy Bridewell in Race 1 became a multi-rider scrap for the majority of Race 3.

“I’ve set the pace from Friday all the way through,” Ryde said. “I’ve not changed my speed and everyone’s been chasing me, so it was obvious, come Sunday afternoon, that everyone was going to make a step to keep up with me.”

Ryde was eventually able to pull away in Race 3, but Danny Kent went with him. The two Yamaha riders were primed for a late battle when the red flag came out.

“I knew that was going to be a dogfight the last couple of laps between me and Danny [Kent],” Ryde said.

“I was very fortunate that the red flag came out, I feel sorry for him a little bit because obviously he’s never won a BSB race before, and I feel like there was a pass coming at some point.”

Although Ryde and Kent were both on Yamaha R1s, their respective riding styles meant they were strong and weak in essentially opposite areas of the Donington layout: Ryde exceptional on the brakes in the last sector, and Kent able to run huge corner speed in Donington’s more flowing sections.

“It’s just how it’s been the last couple of years,” said Ryde. “I’ve been really good in the chicane and the last sector. You just have to ride to your strengths.

“I’ve had a lot of bike changes — tyres, suspension — throughout, [from] the first Donington [round] to this one.

“The race that Jason [O’Halloran] won at the start of the year was actually 10 seconds slower than what we did yesterday, so we’ve made a big step.

“Just proud of my team, myself, all my family and everyone to get me where I am.

“Hopefully we can carry this form on in two weeks’ time and see where we end up on Sunday afternoon at Brands Hatch.”