Bridewell : ‘Do I celebrate or do I go home?'

It had been an emotional ride for most of the paddock, few were not affected by the passing of team manager Paul Bird at Ducati, and every single race Tommy Bridewell began by looking at the sky as he tried to keep his promise he would win the British Superbikes title for his late brother Ollie.

That day was today and Bridewell’s buzzword to describe taking the crown on the final lap of the final race was ‘unbelievable’:

“To be able to stand here and finally say I’ve won the British Superbike Championship is unbelievable.

I think me and Glenn are such fierce rivals but the respect we’ve both got a huge amount of social media abuse because it’s easy to do that , he’s said stuff that he shouldn’t have, I’ve said stuff that I shouldn’t have, we’ve both made remarks, but we hand on our heart both know that the respect we he for each other is unbelievable”.

That rivalry came to a head in Donington where they both left after missing out on points. The race two crash saw Irwin held back by marshals, things had reached such a tipping point as they both finished that race in the gravel again.

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What was strained at PBM was good for the championship though, with the pair arriving to the Brands Hatch finale with just 7.5 points between them, on the way to the title being decided by just half a point:

“The rivalry we’ve both had this year is what’s made us both riders that we both probably couldn’t of dreamed of being , in know that he’s going to come back next year more determined and motivated than ever and I’m going to come back to try and retain my title. It’s an honour and it’s unbelievable for me to be able to say that I’m going to come back and try and retain my title - it hasn’t sunk in and it won’t sink in probably for a while.

It was rare to see the #46 not his confident, chatty self, refusing to chat on the grid to anyone before the final race for the first time ever. His concentration and determination paid off and his last lap move on Ryde into second meant Irwin’s win was not enough and the title was finally in his hands:

I’m lost for words, but what a year it’s been , thank you to the team, thank you to everyone again that supports me and hopefully it’s the first of many to come.

Celebrations had been plentiful at the BSB circuit - a beer from the crowd downed a shoey on the podium as well as all the expected laps of honour and champagne spraying - Bridwell even slipped in a celebration cup of tea maybe a sign he was already slowing down:

“I’m on the fence - do I celebrate or do I go home? I’m not sure because I hate having a hangover but I’ve got to pick the dogs up actually in the morning from the kennel, but I’m sure Annie will let me off, might charge me an extra day, mind!”

It wouldn’t be a Bridewell win if eventually the newly crowned champion didn’t slip in some notes on his favourite thing away from bikes to finish the season, his farm:

“I’m a normal person, I love getting home, being with my dogs and everything and seeing my sheep, it’s weird really because when I left I was in the motorhome, just before I got in the motorhome all my four sheep were stood at the fence looking at me and I was like ‘see you later on girlies’ and one of them was like ‘baaaaa’ and it just makes me chuckle, they’re just brilliant, so hopefully they’re alright!”