Ryan Vickers saw his BSB Brands Hatch Saturday get off to the worst of starts, when in qualifying, while following eventual polesitter Kyle Ryde around for a fast lap, he slipped off and down the timesheets.
The recovery for the Honda rider was swift, reacting quickly to get his bike back upright and round to the pits, with the Honda Racing UK garage getting his slightly bent and worse for wear bike back out for a hard earned, late third.
Vickers made the most of the front row start to be first to turn one, before Ryde quickly fired back, but his qualifying turnaround allowed him to run at the front of the race in the lead group, despite a return of the chatter which blighted his early rounds, as revealed in the post race interviews with British Superbikes:
“We just struggled a bit with vibration here. Like I was just saying in the car, I always need a lot of input into the bike. As soon as I release the brake, I need to pick the gas up. If I have a point where I’m in between, I get really bad chatter and the front folds.
So, it makes it difficult on the back section of the track. But, we’re making good time up where we need to be, and, to be honest, at the start of that race I just sat in behind Kyle and when he passed me, I thought it’s going to be really, really difficult.”
Vickers added that he was also mindful that, especially when Scott Redding arrived, he was in a race that would play a part in deciding the title, with both contenders eventually the riders to join him on the Race 1 podium:
“I actually got in a really, really good rhythm and was able to sit there really comfortable at times, wanting to pass, but I just lose a little bit on acceleration every time.
So, it makes it difficult to make that much of a lunge, and especially on someone who’s fighting for a championship, there has to be a little bit of respect there".
As a Yamaha rider before his departure to WSBK, Vickers had a strong record at Brands Hatch, picking up a triple in 2024 on the first visit to Kent, before adding another three podiums in the Showdown return from that season. On the first visit this season the number seven managed a best of fifth, showing good progress on the way to the final round, as Vickers explained to close the interview:
“Brands has been a tough track for me this year, even though it’s been one of my favourite tracks and best tracks previous years, on the Yamaha.
So, nice to bring home a podium here. Got a lot of fans and sponsors over the road there, so it’s nice to give them something to celebrate, and look forward to race 2 and 3 tomorrow”.