Buildbase BMW’s Ryuichi Kiyonari held off the attacks from Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes to take his second MCE British Superbike race win of the weekend at Oulton Park.
In a repeat of the first race yesterday, the Japanese rider made an overtaking move on the Bringelly rider to take the win – his 12th victory at the Cheshire track. The heavens opened this morning, but the leading riders went out on slick tyres as the track began to dry in the summer heat, but it was still damp under foot.
The mixed conditions didn’t appear to affect Kiyonari, as he took back-to-back wins at the track. Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne completed the final step of the rostrum, but will start race three from pole, as he set the quickest time on his final lap.
At first it was Brookes who got the hole-shot from Kiyonari and Byrne, with Hopkins close on their tails. But the Tyco Suzuki rider went wide at Cascades a lap later and fell back to 11th.
By lap four Easton was matching the pace of his Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki team-mate of Byrne and was up to fourth. But soon lost out on a place to Walker. Elsewhere RAF Reserves Honda’s Peter Hickman fell at Lakeside, but was declared OK at the track.
Despite having a solid start Hopkins was slipping further down the field and with ten laps remaining retired to the pits with a technical problem. But he was not the only rider to visit pit lane, Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Howie Mainwaring also retired to his garage for a wheel change.
But on lap nine Kiyonari made a move at Lodge to lead the race for the first time today, but Brookes was not going to let the Japanese rider get away that easily, and held on to the back wheel of the BMW. By lap 13 the leading trio had a 15 second advantage over Walker and Easton and the riders were neck and neck. Meanwhile Linfoot got the better of Easton to go into the top five for the first time this afternoon.
On the final lap Brookes was edging ever close to Kiyonari and tried to find a place to overtake to go back into the lead at Cascades, but the triple champ managed to hold firm to take the second win of the weekend.
The battle for fourth went to the final corner on the last lap and at Deer Leap, Linfoot made a tight move over Walker to nick fourth from the Kawasaki man and Easton. Milwaukee Yamaha’s Tommy Bridewell, Halsall Racing’s Jon Kirkham, Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Waters and Bathams BMW’s Patric Muff completed the top ten.
The veterans did not fair too badly either. Anvil Hire Tag Racing’s substitute duo of Glen Richards and Scott Smart finished inside the points in 14th and 15th respectively. Tsingtao’s Gary Mason ended race two in 17th.
