Cash-strapped Bridewell set to miss out on Mallory Park (From This Is Wiltshire)

Cash-strapped Bridewell set to miss out on Mallory Park

4:04pm Thursday 9th July 2009

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Etchilhampton's Tommy Bridewell’s dream start to life in the ViSK British Superbike Championships has been put on hold after the rider admitted he’s almost certain not to compete at Mallory Park this weekend.

Bridewell has topped the podium in three of the four Mirror.co.uk Cup races he has competed in despite being self-funded.

But the 19-year-old revealed the funds have now run dry and he faces an uncertain future in the Superbikes with the credit-crunch hitting potential sponsors hard.

He said: “I’m almost 100 per cent sure we won’t do Mallory Park and it is just a money thing.

“We will hopefully be back at Brands Hatch and do all the rounds after that but we’ll have to see.

“It’s difficult to know what will happen now because obviously it would be good to try and get some sponsors on board but whether it happens or not just depends.

“You’re guess is good as mine as to whether we will get any money in and until that happens my dad and I are just working around the clock and putting the hours in to keep it going.

“I am putting all my wages into it at the moment and so you can’t fault me for effort at the minute.

“I would do anything to run in the paddock but we just need to recap and have a sit down and see what we have spent and see what we have got left.”

Despite his limited resources, Bridewell has still managed to make a massive impact in the two rounds he has raced.

And after taking two first places in the privateer’s cup at Knockhill, Bridewell believes he has knocked the noses of a few of his big-spending rivals out of joint.

He said: “It’s very difficult though because we are trying to run the pace of the factory bikes with the bike that we are on.

“It’s crazy because you look at the money they are spending and the money we are spending and we are beating them so it’s got to upset a few people.

“But it also makes me wonder what I could do if I had one of those bikes but I can’t grumble with how it has all gone so far.”

British Eurosport 2 has live coverage from every round of the 2009 British Superbike Championship. See the action on Sky channel 411 or Virgin Media channel 525. Next race Mallory Park on Sunday, July 19, and for updates head to uk.eurosport.yahoo.com

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