The OMG GRILLA Yamaha team are eager to head to Norfolk this weekend, as Snetterton hosts Round 5 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

Following a weekend of disruption with weather and illness North of the border, the OMG GRILLA Yamaha team are prepared for a return to full force once again this weekend as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship heads to Thetford’s Snetterton circuit.

Lying fifth in the 2024 standings, Kyle Ryde targets a podium return after an illness, mixed weather conditions and a knee injury hampered the Nottinghamshire rider’s Scottish weekend last time out. A circuit that has proved tough in the past, the number 77 rider heads to Snetterton having returned to full fitness and is motivated to score three strong results and close the 31-point gap to the top of the standings.

Team-mate Ryan Vickers is excited to get back on his R1 after a sickness bug ruled the Norfolk rider out of Sunday’s action in Scotland. A home round for the 25-year-old, Vickers comes off the back of a crash in Saturday’s opening race at Knockhill and is determined to get his season back on track in front of his local crowd. Still to achieve a podium finish at the Norfolk venue, the Yamaha rider came close last year and will be aiming to add his home circuit to the list of podium finishes across his BSB career so far.

Being a circuit that can play into the hands of the R1’s strengths, the 2.9-mile Snetterton circuit has proved fruitful for Yamaha in recent seasons, with the Iwata Superbike claiming six victories and a handful of podiums since 2020, as well as holding the lap record set in 2021.

The weekend’s action kicks off on Friday with the opening Free Practice sessions. Qualifying takes place on Saturday at 13:20. Race 1 will get underway at 16:00 across 16 laps before the Sprint Race and final feature Race conclude Sunday’s action.

Kyle Ryde
OMG GRILLA Yamaha
Championship: 5th (110 points)
“I’m looking forward to hopefully a normal weekend at Snetterton! I was unfortunate to be struck with illness in Knockhill and then the crash in Qualifying, which resulted in a twisted knee, and really wet conditions made the rest of the weekend quite a challenge. Snetterton is a track that I enjoy riding on my R1. As always, I’m targeting three strong results to try and reduce the gap to the front of the standings.”

Ryan Vickers
OMG GRILLA Yamaha
Championship: 8th (68 points)
“Snetterton is always a great round for me, I have a lot of friends and family come to watch who can’t normally get to other rounds across the country, so it does have a homely feel to it. The track is five minutes from my house so it feels like home. Snetterton is a great track for both me and the bike. We had a bit of bad luck in qualifying last year but demonstrated strong pace over the weekend so I’ll work hard with the team to turn that around, get our season back on track and hopefully take my first podium at Snetterton in front of the home fans. I can’t wait to get going and see everyone trackside come Practice 1 on Friday!”

Alan Gardner
OMG GRILLA Yamaha, Team Owner

“Since Knockhill, we’ve been eager to get back on track at Snetterton. We know we have two strong bikes and two strong riders and are confident that the layout of the circuit can play into their hands. For Ryan, it’s a circuit he knows very well, having grown up down the road and his hunger is higher than ever after the unfortunate few rounds he’s had. For Kyle, he’ll also be out to prove a point after the bad luck that hit him in Scotland. He produced three brave rides there but will be targeting the podium in Norfolk this weekend.”

Paul Curran
OMG GRILLA Yamaha, Team Principal

“It’s time to head to Snetterton for Round 5 and as a team, we’re looking forward to it. We were hit with some rotten luck in Scotland with illnesses and Kyle’s injury, but we pushed through it, and it will make this weekend feel much better if the results come. We know the R1 can work well around Snetterton and both riders have achieved strong results there in the past, so we’re optimistic of what we can achieve with our two packages this weekend.”