Redding reclaims BSB points lead with Assen opener win

Full BSB Race 1 Results at Assen

Scott Redding has grabbed the Bennetts British Superbike Championship lead with victory in the Assen opener ahead of Be Wiser Ducati team-mate Josh Brookes.

With the trio of Ducati riders charging ahead led by Redding with Brookes and Tommy Bridewell battling for position along with Buildbase Suzuki’s Luke Stapleford, Bridewell wrecked his BSB title aspirations with a crash at De Bult.

Coincidentally, Tyco BMW’s Christian Iddon crashed at the exact same corner just seconds after Bridewell. 

Despite the falls further behind him Redding held his nerve to win comfortably ahead of team-mate Brookes.

With Brookes keeping clear of Stapleford, Jason O’Halloran made the most of the battles to grab third place for McAMS Yamaha to relegate Stapleford down to fourth place by less than one-tenth of a second at the chequered flag.

Xavi Fores grabbed fifth place further back to beat a trio of BSB Showdown contenders with Danny Buchan in sixth place for FS-3 Racing Kawasaki in front of Tarran Mackenzie on the McAMS Yamaha and Peter Hickman on the Smiths Racing BMW.

Ryan Vickers triggered an early safety car for a fall on Lap 2 on his RAF Reserves & Regular Kawasaki.

Redding’s win sees him take a two-point lead in the BSB championship standings following the opening race in the Showdown, with the title fight already looking a two-rider battle with Bridewell still in joint-third with both Mackenzie and Buchan who are all 46 points behind the ex-MotoGP rider.

Assen Race 2 takes place later today at 16:30 local time.