Hydrex Honda’s Stuart Easton took his second win of the season in the MCE British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park this afternoon after outsmarting and beating 2009 champion Leon Camier in a wheel to wheel battle.

As the race was restarted after Karl Harris’s big crash and for the remaining 12 laps it was James Ellison of Airwaves Yamaha who led into the first corner followed by Easton. Simon Andrews of MSS Kawasaki had a great start to be running in fourth behind Easton’s team mate Tommy Hill who was in third.

It wasn’t long until Easton took the lead while Camier was down the order working his way back up through the field. Andrews moved up to third on the second lap and looked to be holding off the challenges from Hill, but still it was Camier on the move and by lap three was up to fifth before moving ahead of Hill.

Lap four saw Camier take a run around the outside of the left-hand Island Bend to make his attack on Andrews at Shell Oils corner on the inside to move up a place to third.  A move he replicated a lap later to take second off team-mate Ellison, but not easily.

At this point Andrews had fallen behind Hill in fifth leading a group of eight riders and Easton had taken the lead. It was now a battle between four riders and two teams, Hydrex Honda and Airwaves Yamaha.  Hill had dropped off slightly in fourth, but the three front runners who were side by side trying different lines to attack at each and every corner.

At one point Ellison ran too close to Camier causing him to lose some time, but it wasn’t long till he returned to position by Camier’s back wheel.  It was lap ten that the pressure built even more with Camier taking the lead at Lodge Corner for the first time, leaving Ellison to temporarily battle with Easton.  

Ellison dived up the inside of the Easton but ran wide allowing Easton to keep a tighter line and regain second to pursue Camier.  In the final lap the lead changed a couple of times between Camier and Easton, but it was Easton who took to the front and held it a couple of corners to the finish line.

It was at the same time that team mate Hill, who had been holding steadily in fourth, took his moment to clinch the final step of the podium in third ahead of Ellison.  The top four riders finished within three tenths of one another while Sylvain Guintoli of Worx Crescent Suzuki finished in fifth 13 seconds behind, and just ahead of Andrews.

Alastair Seeley of Relentless Suzuki crashed out on lap nine, but fortunately walked away after he had been battling mid-pack in amongst a group of eight riders.  He was mostly challenged by a regular rider in the category and a fellow Irishman John Laverty of Buildbase Kawasaki.  James Hillier also of Buildbase Kawasaki suffered disappointment in his first race with him having to retire to the pits after gaining a few places up to 21st.

It was more Cup trophies for Gary Mason of Quay Garage who finished first in 13th overall, Peter Hickman of Ultimate Racing in 14th taking second and Tommy Bridewell of Team NB in 15th taking the final podium spot.

MCE British Superbike race one - conditions dry

1 Stuart Easton Hydrex Honda 19.21.434
2 Leon Camier Airwaves Yamaha 0.208
3 Tommy Hill Hydrex Honda 0.222
4 James Ellison Airwaves Yamaha 0.331
5 Sylvain Guintoli Worx Suzuki 13.129
6 Simon Andrews MSS Kawasaki 13.526
7 Julien Da Costa MSS Kawasaki 13.599
8 Ian Lowry Relentless Suzuki 13.837
9 Chris Walker Motorpoint Yamaha 14.771
10 John Laverty Buildbase Kawasaki 14.815