Bridewell Claims Dramatic British Superbike Title For BeerMonster Ducati

However, he soon regrouped and as Glenn continued to lead, Tommy moved up to third at half-race distance and when Kyle Ryde ran wide on lap 15, he took over second. For the remainder of the race, the two teammates ran nose to tail but despite the pressure he was under, Glenn held firm to take the victory ahead of Tommy.
 
It meant Tommy went into the final race of the season with a 5.5-point lead from where he lined up on pole with Glenn on the second row. What followed was nothing short of sensational as positions changed frequently in the race and, with it, the championship lead which exchanged hands on no less than eight occasions.
 
The race went right down to the wire and although Glenn did all he could by taking the win, second for Tommy was enough for him to take the title with a brave pass on Kyle Ryde on the last lap.
 
Tommy Bridewell: “Everything in my life has been built towards this and I’ve dedicated every day to my late brother Ollie and to become BSB champion, so for it to finally happen has made my life complete. Full credit to Glenn, he’s brought both the best and worst out of me and he’s pushed me like no teammate has ever done before – he’s an unbelievable rider and certainly knows how to ride a bike! When Paul Bird took me on, I told him I’d give everything, so the title is dedicated to both him and Ollie and I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in the team for the opportunity. Today was tough and tense, but we got it done.”
 
Glenn Irwin: “The maths were simple today; I had to win both races and although I did that, it wasn’t quite enough so hats off to Tommy. I tried every trick in the book, especially in the last race, and positions changed regularly, sometimes in my favour and sometimes not. The most important thing though was that I gave it everything and that’s all I can ask so full respect to Tommy. You had two guys from the same team giving it everything and all for the same reason and whilst there were ups and downs along the way, you could see today the respect we have for each other. Saturday’s race was probably what cost me, but I feel in the form of my life and a 1-2 in the championship is the best possible outcome for the Birdman.”
 
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “What a day and what a weekend! Tense wouldn’t do it justice but after the 3-4 in yesterday’s race, it made things a bit simpler for the final day and Glenn knew he had no option other than to go for two wins with Tommy knowing he needed two seconds if that happened. As it turned out, that’s how the race panned out and maybe Glenn will regret not making his move a lap later but what’s great has been to see the lads fight it out on track cleanly and with great respect. To see them congratulate each other at the end shows what sportsmen they are. It’s been a surreal year, probably the strangest I’ll experience but the bottom line is we took 18 wins, finished 1-2 in the championship, and won both the team and manufacturer awards all after losing the boss. We had a few bumps along the way, but I can’t thank the team enough for their hard work every single weekend.”
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship – race two (20 laps)
1 Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
2 Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)
3 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
4 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
5 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)
6 Leon Haslam (BMW)
 
Bennetts British Superbike Championship – race three (20 laps)
1 Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
2 Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)
3 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)
4 Ryan Vickers (Yamaha)
5 Leon Haslam (BMW)
6 Christian Iddon (Ducati)
 
Final Championship standings (after 33 races)
1 Bridewell 455pts
2 Irwin 454.5
3 Ryde 422
4 Jackson 376.5
5 Haslam 369
6 O’Halloran 365.5
 

 
Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Tommy Bridewell is the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Champion with Glenn Irwin finishing runner-up.