Relentless Suzuki's Josh Brookes has taken his first British Superbike race win of the year this afternoon at Brands Hatch, taking advantage of mixed conditions to cross the line two seconds ahead of Michael Rutter who just crept ahead of Gary Mason with only a lap to go.
But there was some controversy as HM Plant Honda's Shane Byrne decided to mix it up with the second and third place men even though he was a lap down and may receieve some attention from the stewards later on.
As the lights went out, PBM Kawasaki World Superbike man Joan Lascorz fought with John Hopkins and Byrne for the holeshot with Brookes coming through from the fourth row to sit in fourth place while Lascorz finished lap one in the lead.
Byrne took the lead around the outside at Druids on lap two while Brookes tried to make second his own with a move on Hopkins at Surtees. Lascorz dropped back as his tyres didn't suit the drying track and he eventually pulled in.
As Brookes took the lead, Byrne rolled down pitlane just after his team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari and changed tyre to slicks while Gary Mason quietly carved through the field to take second place away from Hopkins who was also struggling on intermediates.
Brookes then cleared off to the tune of half a second a lap as Tommy Hill came in to change tyres and Chris Walker passed Graeme Gowland for fourth. The veteran wasn't being left to his own devices however, as slick-shod Rutter came through to demote him.
Rutter then set off after Mason, catching him halfway through the final lap but Byrne was also in the mix which messed up Mason's race as he thought he was in the race. Hopkins ended in fourth with Walker keeping fifth for his best result of the year.
James Westmoreland crept past Gowland for sixth while Michael Laverty dropped to eighth, just ahead of Jon Kirkham and and Glen Richards. Hill finished in 19th place, one place behind Broc Parkes.
Results:
12 Josh BROOKES Suzuki - Relentless Suzuki by TAS 15 22:53.718 95.65 1:28.595 14
2 6 Michael RUTTER Ducati - Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati 15 22:55.790 2.072 2.072 95.50 1:27.394 13
3 101 Gary MASON Kawasaki - MSS Colchester Kawasaki 15 22:56.040 2.322 0.250 95.48 1:28.468 11
4 21 John HOPKINS Suzuki - Samsung Crescent Racing 15 22:59.740 6.022 3.700 95.23 1:28.563 12
5 9 Chris WALKER Kawasaki - Pr1mo Racing 15 23:01.829 8.111 2.089 95.08 1:28.597 12
6 27 James WESTMORELAND Yamaha - Motorpoint Yamaha 15 23:04.501 10.783 2.672 94.90 1:28.872 13
7 81 E Graeme GOWLAND Honda - Team WFR 15 23:05.344 11.626 0.843 94.84 1:29.411 14
8 7 Michael LAVERTY Yamaha - Swan Yamaha 15 23:12.567 18.849 7.223 94.35 1:29.158 9
9 10 Jon KIRKHAM Suzuki - Samsung Crescent Racing 15 23:16.447 22.729 3.880 94.09 1:28.746 13
10 45 E Glen RICHARDS Honda - Team WFR 15 23:19.945 26.227 3.498 93.85 1:29.457 11
115 Ian LOWRY BMW - Buildbase BMW Motorrad 15 23:44.366 50.648 24.421 92.24 1:30.575 9
12 24 E Patric MUFF Honda - Tyco Honda 15 23:44.590 50.872 0.224 92.23 1:30.182 13
13 55 E Dan KNEEN Kawasaki - Marks Bloom Racing 15 23:44.832 51.114 0.242 92.21 1:30.300 13
14 98 E Jake ZEMKE Honda - Team WFR 15 23:46.732 53.014 1.900 92.09 1:30.637 14
15 77 E Barry BURRELL BMW - Buildbase BMW Motorrad 15 23:51.894 58.176 5.162 91.76 1:31.061 11
16 67 Shane BYRNE Honda - HM Plant Honda 14 22:55.124 1 lap 1 lap 89.18 1:27.217 11
171 Ryuichi KIYONARI Honda - HM Plant Honda 14 23:30.106 1 lap 34.982 86.97 1:27.260 14
18 23 Broc PARKES Kawasaki - Kawasaki WSB Team 14 23:37.803 1 lap 7.697 86.49 1:27.844 14
19 33 Tommy HILL Yamaha - Swan Yamaha 14 23:57.793 1 lap 19.990 85.29 1:26.459 14
20 64 E Aaron ZANOTTI BMW - Quattro Plant Spike Racing 14 24:10.051 1 lap 12.258 84.57 1:35.025 14
21 22 Alex LOWES Kawasaki - MSS Colchester Kawasaki 13 23:08.718 2 laps 1 lap 82.00 1:27.762 13
22 14 E Glenn ALLERTON BMW - Doodson Motorsport 13 23:18.247 2 laps 9.529 81.44 1:34.234 9
23 40 Martin JESSOPP Ducati - Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati 13 23:21.476 2 laps 3.229 81.25 1:28.231 13
24 16 James ELLISON Honda - Team SorryMate.com 13 23:46.854 2 laps 25.378 79.81 1:28.087 9
25 60 Peter HICKMAN Honda - Tyco Honda 13 23:47.661 2 laps 0.807 79.76 1:27.585 12
26 88 E Scott SMART Ducati - Moto Rapido Ducati 13 24:06.407 2 laps 18.746 78.73 1:30.537 13
NOT CLASSIFIED
DNF 17 Joan LASCORZ Kawasaki - Kawasaki WSB Team 12 22:42.475 3 laps 1 lap 77.15 1:26.943 11
DNF 56 E Hudson KENNAUGH Aprilia - Splitlath Motorsport 6 13:33.931 9 laps 6 laps 64.57 1:39.404 4
DNF 100 Karl HARRIS Aprilia - Splitlath Motorsport 2 5:22.539 13 laps 4 laps 54.31 1:44.855 2
DNF 78 E Matteo MOSSA Suzuki - 777RR Motorsport 2 5:31.480 13 laps 8.341 52.85 1:48.327 2
Grid for race two
Hill (pole), Lascorz, Byrne, Kiyonari
Rutter, Hickman, Lowes, Parkes
Championship points:
Byrne 214
Hopkins 195
Hill 165
Brookes 136
Kiyonari 121
Rutter 108
