Tommy Bridewell had hi🌃gh emotions and sickness to deal with on his way to second in the opening BSB race at Brands Hatch.

The rꦺeigning champion was looking for a podium finish, which he achieved and dedicated to his late brother Ollie, on the 17th anniversary of his death at Mallory Park.

Clearly disappointed with qualifying fifth - a huge save was needed which saw him unable to improve on his best effort in the closing stages, the Honda Racing UK rider wasted no time in moving ahead, but 💙race winner Ryan Vickers alreadꦦy held an early lead.

• 202✃4 British Superbikes: Brands Hatch - Race Results (1)
• 2024 Br🍷itish Superbikes: Brands Hatch - Qualifying Results

Bridewell was also feeling under the we🐽ather with a sickness bug:

“On a day like today is always tough, you probably don’t realise, you know weirdly. I wake up yesterday and I fꦛeel fine, ♊then I wake up today and it’s, it’s tough.

I didn’t feel at the races today until the race started, then I started 𒈔to feel like I knew what I was doing, so I felt okay on the bike, there’s some real clear areas where we’re weak and, to be honest, Ryan done t💖he right thing to be fair. The Honda and the Yamaha is in some areas quite similar, but if you can escape, you can let the bike ride how it wants to be ridden, so Ryan done a cracking job out front - disappeared!"

Bridewell had tried to dig in and catc🌺h the 𒉰Yamaha man, as had Glenn Irwin before him but it was all in vain:

“I had 🎃a dig at trying to catch him and a few laps I thought ‘he’s not pulling away anymore’ and I’m not making ﷽excuses but I’ve been real rough the past couple of days and it was all of my energy to get through the 20 laps.

So when I started battling back, with Glenn, then Christian come past me - I could see where their bikes were visibly so much faster in a straight, but I was so much faster in braking and in and around the corners, so I knew, with the right amount of laps to go, if I could get back in front of them guys I would be able to just gap them enough through the corners, to you know, not get passed &nbꩲsp;down the straight".

The #1 rider was also happy to be part of a team 2-3 on the podium, 💯with Andrew Irwin:

"So the plan worked and then honestly real ch🥃uffed to come over the line and see my teammate in third, so really chuffed for Andrew as well because I’ve seen the progress he’s been making of recent, and I think obviously I should  definitely be worried for sure!

He’s such a nice kid, he des♊erves the success h💙e’s getting and it’s nice to see him growing as well”.

Their positions in the race , with Gle💫nn Irwin fourth, sees the Ducati rider and Bridewell once again inseparable in the overall standings, with 189 points each.