BSB Oulton Park Official Test
British Superbikes
3 May 2025
Event Overview
The British Superbikes Oulton Park Official Test was held on 23rd and 24th April 2025. The event not only had BSB and the Support series riders out on track but some of the most skilled and competitive riders in the superbike racing world. Isle of Man TT stars made up the bulk of the guest riders, getting some practice in before the start of the TT later this month.
World Superbike rider and the BSB 2019 Champion Scott Redding also made an appearance. Scott was also at the Donington Test, where he used a bright red Ducati Panigale V4 road bike, complete with a side stand and number plate! If you were wondering about the “QR” codes on the bike, these are used by a well known track day photographer. The codes are computer readable and file the images in the correct folders for the riders to preview when uploaded. This, as you can imagine, saves a lot of time for the pro photographer taking thousands of images a day trackside.
For the Oulton Park Official Test, he joined in with the rest of the BSB riders with a standard test day black-faired bike. Scott was the fastest guest rider and 25th out of 43 testing over the two days in the Superbike class.
So why do the teams test? We discussed in our last report the rider and team changes, which have been significant. Also, the motorcycle manufacturers will have refined and, in some cases, renewed their machines. This and the other test events are essential for teams and riders to meticulously refine their rides for the season ahead.
These changes need to be analysed by the teams to get the best from man and machine. The picturesque and challenging Oulton Park Circuit, renowned for its undulating layout and tight corners, provided the ideal setting for the two days of testing.
BSB Oulton Park Official Test Overview
The Oulton Park Official Test was the final of three pre-season official tests. Glenn Irwin claimed the top spot at Navarra and Donington on the Hager PBM Ducati. However, due to OMG losing the main sponsor, two of the top riders in BSB were not available for the Navarra Test. This was due to OMG not having the operating finances in place to go racing.
So can we dismiss the first two tests as they were not representative of the starting grid? I don’t think so. Having watched a lot of BSB testing over the years, not much changes come race day. The fast riders gathering data on the test days will still be the fast riders when the first race starts. Glenn Irwin will, as he was last year, still be very competitive and will be challenging for the title.
BSB Oulton Park Official Test Rider Performance
One of the riders who was not at the first tests was Bradley Ray. Originally due to ride with OMG, he is now in a single-rider team with Raceways Yamaha. Missing the opening tests hasn’t seemed to have faze Ray. Setting a time 0.091s under his own race lap record at the circuit, he was the top rider at Oulton.
It wasn’t just Ray that was close to the lap record. #2 Glenn Irwin on the Hager PBM Ducati in second place was only 0.330 seconds behind Ray. In third, #91 Leon Haslam and the Moto Rapido Ducati Racing team were 0.287 seconds behind Irwin.
Despite a minor crash at Lodge in the final session of the day, reigning champion Kyle Ryde finished fourth overall. He looks prepared to defend his title with the OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha team.
#52 Danny Kent secured the top five spot for McAMS Racing Yamaha, just ahead of the AJN Steelstock Kawasaki team, led by Max Cook.
Rookie #45 Scott Swann continued to impress on the Send My Bag Racing by IWR Honda, edging out #86 Charlie Nesbitt for eighth place. As a result, Swann became the top Honda rider on the timesheets at the end of the test.
#46 Tommy Bridewell completed the top ten for Honda Racing UK, ahead of the highly anticipated season opener.
Oulton Park Official Test combined standings:
1. Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) – 1 minute, 32.983.
2. Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) – 0.330.
3. Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) – 0.617.
4. Kyle Ryde (OMG Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) – 0.682.
5. Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) – 0.931.
6. Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) – 1.115.
7. Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) – 1.284.
8. Scott Swann (Send My Bag Racing by IWR Honda) – 1.303.
9. Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) – 1.341.
10. Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) – 1.403.
In conclusion, the British Superbikes Oulton Park Official Test provided valuable insights and data for all the participating teams. The top performers have set a high benchmark, and the lessons learned over these two days will undoubtedly influence strategies and preparations for the upcoming racing season. The adaptability and resilience displayed by the teams in overcoming various challenges showcase the competitive spirit of the championship.
Superstock
As there is so much going on at Oulton, in this report, we decided to focus only on the Superbikes. In the Superstock Kam Dixon had a massive crash, not the best crash capture but to be fair to Rob we were both shooting a fair distance from the incident. Kam walked away from this one.
Paul Jordan #22 who achieved his maiden Isle of Man TT podium with a third-place finish in the 2022 Supertwin race was out on the Alan Jackson Racing Honda Fireblade. Jordan will have the number one plate at the IoM TT for the Supertwin race where he will be riding a Aprilia RS 660.
Josh Brookes was getting some TT practice in as well as the Superbikes topping the Superstock time sheets. Brookes and Jorden will race in the RST Superbike, Milwaukee Senior and RL360 and PE Superstock TT races aboard the Alan Jackson Racing Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. In the Monster Energy Supersport races they will ride the Jackson Honda CBR600RR.
As the teams prepare for the first round at Oulton Park 3-5 May, the focus shifts to the upcoming races. All eyes will be on how these test results will translate into race-day performance. With the official season just around the corner, the excitement and anticipation continue to build in the world of British Superbikes.
Photographic Postscript
Two of us went on this assignment to capture these images. Both of us used the same camera equipment. The Nikon D500 combined with the Nikon 200-400mm f4 G VR II AF-S ED, which is an excellent motorsports setup. The D500 is a crop sensor camera, giving you a “magnification“ factor of 1.5, so you get plenty of reach to fill the frame. If that is not enough reach, throw in a Nikon 1.4 teleconverter, which works very well with the 200-400mm f4.
If you like to indulge in a bit of street photography, the paddock is open for the fans to explore. I would recommend standing back and using the reach of your telephoto lens to capture your images. This will give your pictures a more natural and less staged look. Also, it’s less obtrusive.
For the amateur photographer, Oulton Park is undoubtedly one of the best tracks to practice your motorsports photography. Most of the track is free of safety fencing, giving you unobstructed views of the action. Combine this with a continuous flow of motorcycles, and a BSB test day at Oulton is hard to beat.
Thanks to RPW Photography for the images used in this report.
All of our previous British Superbike report can be found here.
