Scott Redding delivered an incredible Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three win at Oulton Park for the Hager PBM Ducati team after an intense ten-way battle for the victory ahead of Bradley Ray and Leon Haslam.
Bradley Ray knew he needed to outscore Kyle Ryde before the title chase heads to Brands Hatch for the season finale, and he instantly hit the front of the pack at the start, ahead of his closest championship rival with Leon Haslam into third place.
A lap later and Ryde had seized the advantage with a move at Old Hall, but Ray instantly fought back and regained the position into Island.
The leading trio initially had begun to break the pack but Redding was closing, and behind him a freight train of riders were also ready to join the battle including Christian Iddon, Storm Stacey, Tommy Bridewell, Max Cook, Glenn Irwin and Charlie Nesbitt all in pursuit.
Ray was holding the lead despite the mounting pressure from Ryde, Haslam and Redding as the order continued to change with the Moto Rapido Ducati Racing rider moving into second place at Lakeside on the seventh lap.
A lap later and Haslam grabbed the lead with a move at Old Hall and as he moved ahead, Ryde also saw his opportunity to move forward and a pass at Hizzys put him ahead of his main title rival, pushing Ray into third.
The lead changed again on lap nine, when Ryde made another committed pass into Hizzys. The Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha rider was defending hard, but Haslam was determined and a lap later the lead changed again as he fired ahead at Lakeside.
Ryde was fighting back, making a move back into the lead at Hizzys again, whilst Ray knew he needed to close down his fierce rival and he crucially moved into second place at Knickerbrook on the same lap.
On lap 11, Ray was back at the front of the pack and he was pushing to add to his earlier win in race two, but two laps later Haslam regained the advantage at Old Hall as Redding moved into a podium position on the Hager PBM Ducati.
Redding was into second place by lap 14 as he dived ahead of Ray at Lodge before seizing the lead a lap later at Hizzys.
Redding was pushing for the victory with Haslam holding second as Stacey then was third as he began battling with Ray for the final podium position. The Raceways Yamaha rider moved back ahead for third place with three laps to go and then it would come down to the last corner on the final lap to decide the podium positions.
Redding would ultimately emerge on top to claim his fifth race win of the season, but Haslam hit a false neutral into Lodge for the final time and ran wide, as Ray stormed through into second on the run to the line.
Haslam was trying to regain the ground as Stacey made a final bid for the last podium position on the run to the chequered flag, but the Moto Rapido Ducati Racing rider had the edge by just 0.026s.
Ryde claimed fifth place ahead of Glenn Irwin and Iddon, with Cook, Bridewell and Charlie Nesbitt completing the top ten.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Race 3 result:
- Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati)
- Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) +0.462s
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) +0.700s
- Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing BMW) +0.726s
- Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +2.251s
- Glenn Irwin (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) +2.408s
- Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) +2.532s
- Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) +2.615s
- Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +2.846s
- Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +3.775s
For the full race result please click here
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
- Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha) 445
- Bradley Ray (Raceways Yamaha) 415
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) 344
- Christian Iddon (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) 272
- Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) 272
- Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Ducati) 268
- Scott Redding (Hager PBM Ducati) 237.5
- Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) 217
- Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki) 212
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda) 204