JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison dominated the opening MCE British Superbike race of the year and fought off the charge from title rival, PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne to take the first BSB victory at Donington Park this afternoon.
Ellison led from the start and after a few laps the leading Kawasaki’s pulled away and the fight for the number one step of the rostrum was on. But in the end the Kendal rider was just too strong for Byrne, and Ellison on the softer tyre option clinched his first win of the year.
But it is not all bad for the four-time champion, as Byrne will start race two from pole and set a new lap record in the process – a 1’29.512. Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes had to fight hard for his third place finish from Honda Racing newbie Dan Linfoot, with that fight going right down to the wire. RAF Reserves BMW’s Peter Hickman completed the top five.
Pole setter Buildbase BMW’s Ryuichi Kiyonari looked like he was having technical problems and after getting swallowed up by the leading riders seemed to have lost the incredible race-pace that he had in earlier sessions and finished well outside the top ten.
Ellison got the hole-shot in the first of 20 laps after an aggressive but powerful start, only for Byrne to fight straight back. But then a lap later the yellow flags and safety car appeared after a crash involving SBK’s Rhalf Lo Turco, who fell at the Melbourne Loop. The Brazilian was taken to the medical centre for further assessment.
Before the yellow flags Be Wiser Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan was making waves on Linfoot for fourth, with PBM’s Stuart Easton slotting into the provisional third position. The safety car was out for two laps, and Byrne powered on ahead, but Ellison soon fought back at Hollywood to regain the lead on the fifth rotation.
Further up the field Buchan overtook Easton to go into third, only for the wee Scot to regain his position. Buchan went slightly wide allowing Linfoot to slip into fourth and both bikes touched each other at Goddards on lap nine - which made the tall Essex lad go wide and Hickman was able to take advantage of his mistake, to go fifth, but at the Hairpin Buchan had the pace to snatch back at the Louth rider.
At the half way stage Byrne and Ellison had a four second advantage over the rest of the grid, but the fight for third intensified with Linfoot getting the power on the straight to edge ahead of Easton. But Buchan crashed out at the Esses while battling for a top five position and after a big high-side was able to walk away.
With Buchan out of contention it paved the way for title fighters Brookes and Kiyonari to get closer to the leading pack, but Kiyo looked like he was losing pace, and Bridewell pushed on ahead of the Japanese rider, who fell back to eighth with six laps left on the Leicestershire circuit.
With only five laps remaining, Easton went wide and way on to the grass whilst trying to overtake Linfoot for third, but the Scottish rider fell back to 12th. Hickman certainty reaped the benefits of Easton’s error to soar up to fourth, but things were not going too well for triple-champ Kiyo, as Halsall Suzuki’s Christian Iddon went up to seventh, and with three laps to go Kiyo was sucked back to 11th.
On the penultimate lap there were a few mini-battle happening out on track. Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty was locked in a fight with Be Wiser Kawasaki’s Chris Walker and further up the field it was a Honda versus Yamaha scrap between Linfoot and Brookes. The Australian was not giving up on the fight for the third step on the rostrum and on the final lap out braked Linfoot at Coppice, and at the line Brookes got third followed by Linfoot, Hickman and Bridewell.
Iddon bagged seventh ahead of Walker, Laverty, Cooper and Easton. Buildbase BMW’s duo Lee Jackson and Kiyonari fell out of the top ten and had to settle for 13th and 14th respectively, with Kiyo dropping back behind his team-mate at the flag. Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey was the final point’s finisher.
There were a few incidences out on track. Honda Racing’s Jenny Tinmouth crashed coming out at Goddards on lap five, putting an end to her race one ambitions. Tinmouth was not the only rider to crash, as a lap later Smiths BMW’s Billy McConnell high-sided at Coppice, while in eighth position and was taken to the medical centre.
Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Howie Mainwaring lost the front at Goddards with ten laps remaining too. There were some notable retirements – Moto Rapido Ducati’s Jakub Smrz retired to his garage after completing 13 laps, and so did BSB debutant, Team WD-40’s Taylor Mackenzie, with what appeared to be technical difficulties.
Three laps later local lad, Mackenzie was joined by his team-mate Jack Kennedy who also made his way back to the pits with a handful of laps remaining. JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Westmoreland did not have a great maiden race with his new team, and two laps from the end of the first race of the year retired to his garage.
