Tommy Bridewell will return to the Bennetts British Superbike championship this weekend at ༒Brands Hatch after securing a deal witꦉh Moto Rapido Ducati.

The former BSB race winner left the Movuno.com Halsall Racing Suzu🦂ki squad midway throꦐugh the Snetterton round last month but will return to action at the Kent circuit with the Winchester-based Ducati squad.

Moto Rapido Ducati split with Taylor Mackenzie, who has returned to the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 series - where he clinched the 2016 title - in a deal wi🍸th Bathams BMW, and Bridewell’s switch will mark his debut on Ducati machinery.

Bridewell is relishing the opportunity⭕, having spent the past week testing ahead of the Suzuka 8 Hours, and is hopeful of being on the pace from the fi♉rst practice session.

“I am happy to be back racing this weekend, especially at Brands Hatch,” Bridewell said. “Ducati is the oꦰnly manufacturer I haven’t raced with so this wil🌄l be a completely new venture and experience for me.

“Yes we are starting straight off with free practice but it doesn’t worry 🌠me at all, I am feeling optimistic and hopefully I can click straight away with the Ducati and can be competitive from the outset.

“From the research I have done, the Ducati seems to have similar characteristics to the Yamaha I used to ra🌜ce and that still is one of the best bikes I have ever raced in BSB, so I am hoping that we can just get stuck in with free practice and build from there. It’s going to be an interesting weekend for u꧒s that’s for sure.”

Team boss Stev♍e Moore says Bridewell was the ‘obvious choice’ since splitting from Mackenzie but is already bracing for a tricky race weekend as his new rider becomes🍸 familiar with the Panigale R.

“It’s been a busy ten days since Knockhill but w♊e met with Tommy and worked out a deal,” Moore said. “It was the obvious choice for good reason; riders like Tommy don’t get left oꦦn the shelf for long so I’m happy to have secured him.

“Now we have a massive cha💯llenge ahead at Brands Hatch thi🉐s weekend. As no testing is possible, the sensible and maybe smart thing to do would be to miss this round and start a proper test program - even just a few days testing to sort the basics. 

“But instead we have decided to go racing against established riders an♒d teams with thousands of miles under their belts and well set🎃 up bikes, but where better to test than at a live race weekend?

“Tommy has never ridden a Ducati or twin cylinder Superbike so we have a busy few first sessions. I can’t wait to see what happens.ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ”