Tom Sykes’ dream start to his World Superbike campaign at Brands Hatch was dashed with just eight laps gone in race one this lunchtime as a mechanical failure forced his retirement.
The Rizla Suzuki man had got a great start and had just passed Yamaha’s Troy Corser on the brakes into Druids for third place. He came down through Graham Hill but put his hand up along the Cooper Straight as a holed radiator, caused by a stone from Max Biaggi’s Ducati, meant his bike could no longer continue.
Xerox Ducati’s Troy Bayliss got away first and looked to be making a break early, putting half a second into Corser on lap one. Sykes was closing on Noriyuki Haga halfway through lap two but Ten Kate Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari had his sights set on the rear Pirelli of Bayliss and was moving on up. Haga lost the front at Surtees on lap six but re-mounted to finish in 19th.
By lap ten, Kiyo had begun to show Bayliss his front wheel, twice into the fast Hawthorne Bend and once into Graham Hill Bend, just to show the afable Aussie he meant business.
Lap 13 saw Kiyo put a move on Bayliss through Graham Hill but he ran wide and Bayliss was back in the lead at Surtees. The leading scrap was allowing Biaggi to close and he was lapping half a second quicker than the two men in front.
Kiyo once again showed Bayliss at wheel at Graham Hill on lap 21, but then passed Bayliss into the 120mph Hawthorne Bend, to the delight of the crowd watching on screens around the circuit.
By the end of lap 23 Biaggi was riding pillion with Bayliss who was just one tenth behind the Japanese. Kiyo kept his lead for the line with the top three covered by just 0.180s.
Chris Walker was 15th and Tristan Palmer retired.
Bayliss said: “When I was in second, I thought I had done a good job and Kiyonari, he deserved the win. When I looked around and seen that max was quite a way back but I couldn’t believe how fast he was going”.
“I really had to lift up my pace again, which bought me back to the front. Then there was another chance where thought I could have had a win, but congratulations to both riders and we will see what happens in the second race”.
Kiyonari said: “Yes fantastic week, first win in World Superbike, second time at Brands Hatch. More satisfaction winning World Superbike race. Been feeling very good this weekend, I hope to win second race”.
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