Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne made up for his earlier crash to take the MCE British Superbike win at his home track of Brands Hatch.
The reigning champ extends his lead by 21 points in the championship after he was able to fend off the charges of Milwaukee Yamaha’s James Ellison for all of the eighteen laps. The Cumbrian rider, who came away with no points in race one, but was not going to let the same thing happen again and rode hard to stop Byrne breaking away. On the penultimate lap Ellison tried to make a move at Stirling’s, but Byrne was too strong and shut the door on the Englishman’s advances.
Samsung Honda’s Alex Lowes claimed his second podium of the weekend, and clinched the final spot on the rostrum in third. He was hot on the heels of Byrne and Ellison in the opening stages, but with four laps remaining Lowes fell off the pace and let the leading two riders battle it out for a win between them.
Lowes did find himself embroiled with race one winner, Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Brookes for third in the opening three laps, with Brookes making a move on the Derby lad coming out of the Clark Curve, but it did not work and soon Brookes fell off the leading trio and finished two seconds behind Lowes.
Samsung Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari had another lonely race as he crossed the line in fourth, two seconds behind Brookes with Buildbase BMW’s crossing the line in fifth, followed closely by team-mate Jon Kirkham. The two riders now both have 100 points in the overall championship standings.
Tyco Suzuki’s PJ Jacobsen was as high as fifth, but on lap fifteen the BMW boys were too strong and the New Yorker dropped back to eighth. GBmoto’s Dan Linfoot and Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Keith Farmer rounded off the top ten.
Not every rider made it to the chequered flag. Quattro Plant’s Chris Walker had a technical problem on the Cooper Straight and had to retire, and was joined by MH Kawasaki riders Michael Howarth and Howie Mainwaring Smart.
Halsall Racing’s Lee Costello crashed at Sheene Curve and was taken to the medical centre, and four laps later Padgett’s rider Jakub Smrz fell at the same spot, but was unhurt.
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