Moto Rapido Ducati retains Bridewell, Oxford Products as title sponsor

Tommy Bridewell will return to action with Moto Rapido Ducati for the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship, while the team secures Oxford Products as title sponsor for next season.

Bridewell made a mid-season switch to Moto Rapido last year and instantly found success with four podiums, just missing out on the BSB Showdown, but secured the Riders’ Cup to deliver the team’s best-ever results in the series.

Next year Bridewell will be equipped with the new Ducati Panigale V4R running under the Oxford title sponsorship which leaves the 30-year-old naturally relishing next season’s opportunity.

“I am just so excited to have this opportunity to stay with the team and to ride the new Ducati in our new Oxford colours,” Bridewell said. “I joined the team halfway through last season, but the way we ended the season, and how well we gelled working together, it felt like it had been longer.

“I have never felt so comfortable and going into the new season with this consistency and confidence with the people around me is a big thing.

“There is a huge amount of expectation with a new bike and I can’t wait to get testing. We are realistic that we have work ahead of us, that is always to be expected with a new bike, but it’s an exciting time and I couldn’t be happier to be in this position.

“I was so nervous before riding a Ducati for the first time last year at Brands Hatch and then the season went from strength to strength and we were fighting for podiums. We want to carry that success into the new season and of course our expectations have changed, so we want to continue this momentum we have and build on an even better 2019.”

Team owner Steve Moore, who ended 2018 assessing the feasibility of running the team next season given the high costs involved for a privately-run squad, is delighted to sign-up Oxford Products along with Bridewell and feels his team is ready for ‘a serious bid for this championship.”

“This is a great partnership for the Moto Rapido Racing team,” Moore said. “Everyone at Oxford Products is clearly passionate about motorcycles and especially racing, so we quickly felt this would be a great match.

“I’m, of course, very excited for next season with the new Ducati V4R, and with Oxford taking the title sponsorship we are now able to finally re-sign Tommy, our most successful rider ever. Now the V4R development begins. It is time to make a serious bid for this championship now as Oxford Racing Ducati.”

“We are extremely excited to be partnering up with Moto Rapido in 2019; as you can see, the whole company is behind the team,” Oxford’s managing director Andrew Hammond said. “We look forward to extending Oxford’s race heritage in what is undoubtedly the world’s best domestic motorcycle race series.”