Leon Haslam put one hand on the Bennetts British Superbike championship trophy as he survived a crash-ridden second race today while his nearest rival Jake Dixon watched from the pits.
The JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider came through from fifth to first as he beat former champ Josh Brookes, but the title chase could be over for RAF Regular and Reserves’ Dixon after his bike gave up the ghost just after the half-way point in today’s second 18-lap scrap.
Peter Hickman grabbed the early lead as he took advantage of his pole position start, but Dixon fired off the second row of the grid to move into second before Buildbase Suzuki’s Richard Cooper slotted in just ahead.
And just after Michael Laverty crashed out, disaster struck for Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot when he clipped the back of Haslam at the chicane heading onto the second lap before Glenn Irwin ran over his leg with nowhere to go.
After his big off yesterday, it was bad luck once again for Moto Rapido Ducati’s Tommy Bridewell as he got caught in the downed Fireblade and went off track.
Linfoot was swept off to the medical centre as the safety car was deployed, but when action was restarted at the beginning of lap five it was more disaster for Taz Mackenzie as he high-sided coming through the chicane, narrowly avoiding another accident as Silicone Engineering’s Dean Harrison missed the upright McAMS rider by inches.
Smith’s Racing’s Hickman had attempted to pull a lead as the safety went in, but Dixon limited his damage to just over half a second as Cooper, Brookes and Haslam joined him in a five-rider train which began to break away from the pack.
Cooper fell back into the clutches of Haslam in fifth before Haslam nudged the former Superstock champ back, while the top three began to break away from the series leader, who had already lowered the lap record giving chase.
But Dixon’s championship challenge looked like it could be close to over as he suddenly sat up while running in second, pulling into the pits on lap 10 and putting paid to his race.
Meanwhile, Brookes laid a pass on Hickman at Duikersloot to hit the front, while Haslam closed the gap on the TT star and made a move for second just a lap later.
And with two laps to go, Haslam slid up the inside of the Australian at the first turn to take over the lead, which proved an unstoppable move as the race one winner held on to complete his clean sweep 0.138s clear of Brookes, with Hickman less than a second off victory.
Glenn Irwin crossed the line in a lone fourth while Cooper fended off Andrew Irwin, Brad Ray and Anvil Hire TAG Racing’s James Ellison to take fifth.
Another battle ensued just behind as FS-3 Racing Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan snatched ninth a mere 0.136s clear of Tyco BMW’s Christian Iddon.
