Kyle Ryde heads to round three of the 2023 British Superbike Championship eyeing up a return to winning ways as he looks to give his title campaign a boost on familiar territory at Donington Park.
Ryde has enjoyed a positive start to the season, beginning his campaign with a win at Silverstone, while a podium last time out at Oulton Park keeps him in range of series leader Glenn Irwin, just 18 points adrift.
A winner at Donington Park twelve months ago, it would go on to prove the peak of a 2022 BSB campaign that showed flashes of his race-winning potential amid dips in form.
It was a trend Ryde erred towards at the Silverstone opener, but a reversal of fortunes next time out at Oulton Park that saw him end the weekend on a high note after a compromised qualifying gives him confidence that he is maturing into a more completed racer.
“The opening two rounds have been very good, very positive and very solid which is exactly what I wanted to do to start the year. The last thing I wanted to do was to have a couple of good races and then a couple of bad races.
“My worst result has been seventh and that was with an issue so I think we are in a good place for the whole year, especially going from Silverstone to Oulton Park; I was fast at both and to get a podium at both tracks was a big step for me.
“I had a terrible qualifying at Oulton Park, which was my own fault as I just wasn’t brave enough on the right tyres. I dug deep all weekend, I didn’t really panic and then got faster as the weekend went on and the last race showed what we could have done at the start, it was just a shame about qualifying. That third place was definitely like a win – it actually felt better than the win at Silverstone!
“Donington Park was great for the Yamaha last year; Jason won one, I won one and it has always been good there. It is my favourite track, so it is a great place to go and try to claw some points back and show them what I am made of. I have been training well, the team and everything outside of racing is good, so I feel in a good place. I want to have a couple of strong races this weekend for my friend Lee [Johnston].”
CLICK HERE to view the latest 2023 BSB Championship standings
