Be Wiser Ducati’s Shane Byrne is now the new MCE British Superbike championship leader, after fending off the challenges of Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot, to take the race two win at Snetterton this afternoon.
The multiple-champ had a double podium success rate at the track today, as he added his top step win, to the earlier third place finish in race two. Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty ended the race in third, after out-pacing JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam and Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran.
With his solid points haul Byrne now has a four point advantage over Haslam in the overall standings, as he rode his way to bag his eighth BSB race win at the Snetterton track.
Initially it was Byrne who got the hole-shot from pole followed by title challengers, Haslam and Laverty, only for Linfoot deciding to join the party to slide into second at Coram on only the second lap.
On the seventh lap of sixteen Byrne was able to pull away from the battling trio of Linfoot, Haslam and Laverty and had a 0.5 second advantage with eight laps remaining.
On lap eleven race one winner O’Halloran joined the mix for the final podium spot. Meanwhile further down the grid JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison retired with a technical problem as did Smiths BMW’s Howie Mainwaring.
At the front, Linfoot found some extra pace to match Byrne and the pair pulled away from the other riders and etched out a four second gap over the dicing threesome of Laverty, Haslam and O’Halloran. But then Honda Racing’s Jenny Tinmouth crashed at Nelson and fluid was on the track.
The race was red flagged and a result was declared, with Byrne, Linfoot finishing P1 and P2, with Laverty snatching third from Haslam and O’Halloran. Tyco BMW’s Christian Iddon is riding with a nasty finger injury and will have surgery tomorrow to replace the tip of his finger, and he rode bravely to finish sixth, followed by new dad, Be Wiser Ducati’s Glenn Irwin.
JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Peter Hickman crashed on the oil from Tinmouth’s bike, but because the red flags were out when he fell his eighth result stood. Buchan, Bridewell, Cooper, Dixon, Mossey, McConnell and Jackson were the last of the point finishers.
Some of the riders opted for the harder rear tyre compound, which included Haslam, Mossey, Cooper and the Tyco BMW duo of Laverty and Iddon.
ePayMe Yamaha’s substitute rider, Broc Parkes was a non starter. The Australian, who is deputising for the injured John Hopkins was caught up in a crash in the first race and the bike was too damaged to make it out for the final race this afternoon.
