Airwaves Yamaha's Leon Camier has taken the first British Superbike race win at Snetterton this afternoon, making it a 50-point lead over team-mate James Ellison in the series standings after fighthing his way back from eighth on the first lap.
The race was red-flagged at the start of lap four when spilt oil caused several bikes to go down at Sear corner including Worx Suzuki's Michael Rutter. HM Plant Honda's Glen Richards has already gone grass-tracking at the first turn and came out behind the pace car dead last.
After the restart, Camier got an appalling start as Hydrex Honda's Stuart Easton once again got away at the front, followed by Ellison, Motorpoint Yamaha's Chris Walker and the Relentless Suzuki of Ian Lowry.
As Camier started to make his way through the field, going past Rutter and setting the fastest lap, Ellison was trying to find a way past Easton but the Scotsman's power-to-weight ratio on the Revett Straight made a pass difficult.
Lap four saw the Kendal man finally make his way past Easton on the brakes into the Esses but the Hydrex Honda was back in front into the Esses and lap later as Camier also went past Lowry.
Early runner Simon Andrews was struggling to keep with the leaders and slowly dropped off the leading six while Camier made a move into fourth as he passed Walker, again into the Esses.
By the time lap eight came around, Ellison and Easton were swapping paint and exchanged places through the Esses once again before Ellison went underneath the Honda into the Bombhole but Easton was back up the inside through the fast right of Coram Curve. HM Plant Honda's Josh Brookes was sitting in third place, waiting to pick up the pieces.
On lap nine, Camier caught his team-mate and team boss Colin Wright would have lost some hair as the pair bounced off each other going through the Esses. Richards, after making the re-start, pulled out and the end of the ninth circuit.
Camier made a move on Ellison at Sear on lap ten and went after Easton, who had made a break but didn't manage to catch and pass the Honda until lap 13 as they rounded Coram Curve. As they scrapped for the lead, Brookes passed Ellison but towed him back up to the leaders.
A mistake by Easton on lap 14 gave Camier the break he needed and he went on to win by 1.5s with Brookes taking his second podium of the season in third and Ellison fourth.
Lowry got the better of Walker for fifth, while Rutter was seventh, Harris eighth and Julien Da Costa beat team-mate Simon Andrews for ninth.
It was an emotional return to the podium for Tommy Bridewell who won the Superbike Cup race ahead of Peter Hickman and Matt Bond, who also made his first podium visit of the season. Bridewell was riding the same bike his late brother rode before his death at Mallory Park in 2007. Cup leader Gary Mason retired on lap seven.
