Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne clinched a narrow MCE British Superbike race two win at Knockhill this afternoon, but the rider had to contend with challenges from race one victor, Buildbase BMW’s Ryuichi Kiyonari.
The Japanese rider made a few small mistakes which Byrne took advantage of and managed to edge on ahead at the chequered flag. But it is not all bad for the BMW lad as he set a new lap record on his penultimate rotation - a 48.253 and is now firmly in Showdown contention, sitting fourth in the overall standings. Byrne extends his lead to 79 points.
GBmoto Kawasaki’s Chris Walker fought hard to shake off the charges of Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes to snatch the final step of the rostrum - which is not a bad feat considering he has a broken little finger. Milwaukee Yamaha's Josh Brookes and Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Stuart Easton completed the top five.
Byrne had a near perfect start from pole and got the hole-shot going into the first corner followed by Kiyo and Brookes. On lap one WD40’s Barry Burrell and Buildbase BMW’s James Westmoreland collided at the Taylor’s Hairpin, both bringing their race two ambitions to a premature end.
By lap four Kiyonari had the unenviable task of trying to close the gap on Byrne and a lap later the duelling triple champs managed to pull away from Walker and Brookes. Elsewhere while all the action was happening at the front, Gearlink Kawasaki’s Ben Wilson retired to the pits with a technical issue.
With 20 laps remaining Kiyo and Byrne were neck and neck with the Brit having the slight edge over the Japanese rider, and they extended their advantage to three seconds over Walker.
But on lap 20 Kiyo made his first move on Byrne going into Hislops, and it stuck and the BMW man ploughed on ahead, but it was not to last as a lap later he made a mistake going into the Hairpin and Byrne was able to take back the lead.
Further down the track GBmoto’s James Ellison was locked in a battle with fellow Kawasaki rider, Quattro Plant’s Dan Linfoot for a sixth place finish, and by lap 15 the North Yorkshireman started to push away from the Kendal lad to hang on to his sixth place.
But after trying to out manoeuvre Linfoot, Ellison had to fend off Milwaukee Yamaha’s Tommy Bridewell, and on the final lap the Devizes swearbox overtook Ellison to bag seventh, followed by Ellison, Cooper and Rutter, who rounded up the top ten.
