‘Full house’ Scott Redding powers to Assen double to take BSB lead

Scott Redding laid down the gauntlet to his BSB Title Showdown rivals with a comprehensive double victory at Assen to firmly establish himself as the new leader of the overall standings.

A perfect weekend for the ex-MotoGP rider – who steps up to WorldSBK next season – Redding topped each practice session, qualified on pole position and won both races with a sizeable margin back.

It means Redding leaves Assen with a 14-point lead over Josh Brookes, who could only manage a run to fourth position in race two, leaving him with only five races to make back the advantage ahead of Donington Park, where Redding reeled off three wins earlier in the year.

Tommy Bridewell collected second place but is now a full 51 points behind after crashing in race one, leaving him further adrift now than he was at any other stage in the season.

Danny Buchan sits just four points shy of him after securing another podium for FS-3 Kawasaki in third position, followed by Brookes.

Luke Stapleford – who started on the front row in race one - completed a breakthrough weekend with a run to fifth place on the Buildbase Suzuki, heading off the challenge of Xavi Fores, Jason O’Halloran and Peter Hickman, whose Title Showdown aspirations got off to a meagre start in eighth.

Dan Linfoot and Bradley Ray completed the top ten, ahead of Hector Barbera, Andrew Irwin and Tarran Mackenzie, the Scot seeing his burgeoning Showdown hopes hampered by a lowly run to 13th.Claudio Corti and Glenn Irwin completed the top 15, the latter managing Tyco BMW’s only point of the day after Christian Iddon suffered a double DNF.