Samsung Suzuki's John Hopkins has taken his debut British Superbike victory in the second race at Oulton Park this afternoon after Michael Laverty's challenge ended with a second trip across the grass at Hizzy's in one race demoted him to fifth.
It was a race of two halves after Josh Brookes turned his Relentless Suzuki into a Tomahawk missile, losing the front into Brittens and the GSX-R1000 clipped a kerb and launched itself ten feet into the air and over the head of Stuart Easton.
After the safety car came in, Hopkins held a watching brief, going past Easton into Old Hall and then Laverty into Island on the penultimate lap before the Swan Yamaha man went grass-cutting, giving second back to Easton while HM Plant Honda's Shane Byrne bagged third.
The WFR Honda Evo bike of Alex Lowes was giving the full Superbike a run for their money early on, sitting in second at one point before slipping back down the order.
It looked to be a Brookes and Ratboy production before the Aussie made a mistake which allowed Easton to take the lead while Byrne tried to pinch fifth from a fast-moving Rutter but he clipped the kerb at Hizzy's and went onto the grass.
Race-one winner Ryuichi Kiyonari looked poised to repeat his earlier triumph but couldn't quite find the pace to get to the front before Brookes' crash brought out the pace car.
Easton got a great start when the car came in with Hopkins in second and Laverty third while Rutter was still in with a shot. Kiyo went past the Midlander into Brittens to take fourth and set off after the top three.
Laverty then passed Hopkins on lap 14 and Easton on lap 15 while Hopper eyed up the Hawick man and made his move at Island before doing the same to Laverty.
The Irishman managed to claw back to fifth after his off-track excursion with Rutter sixth, Jon Kirkham seventh, Peter Hickman eighth, Loris Baz ninth and Gary Mason tenth.
Alex Lowes was the clear Evo winner with Scott Smart taking his second podium of the weekend and Barry Burrell in third.
