Photo Gallery: British Superbikes - R7, Oulton Park #1

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Tom Sykes was long overdue a victory in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship having come close on several occasions and the Rizla Suzuki set the record straight with a dominant seventh round performance at Oulton Park where he completed the daily double.

He had been on the pace throughout the weekend, missing out on pole by barely a quarter of a second, but with his team Sykes had worked hard to ensure that his bike was perfectly set for the two 18 laps races at the Cheshire circuit.

Sykes made the running on the first lap of the opener which began in the damp but soon dried but was taken by James Ellison aboard the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda who headed the pack for the first third when the Rizla Suzuki rider made the decisive move at Hizzy’s chicane.

He was able to extend his advantage, taking his first ever Superbike victory by almost five seconds ahead of Ellison who was matching his best result while series leader Shane Byrne took third place on his Airwaves Ducati at the expense of HM Plant Honda rider Leon Haslam.

“I was both delighted and relieved,” explained Sykes as he received the winner’s trophy, adding: “It was a tough race as there was a lot to think about with the track conditions.

“With about ten laps to go I started to think, “This is it!” so I had to work hard and keep concentrating keeping the bike on line and bringing it back OK. I wasn’t able to really enjoy winning the first race because I knew that I had to go out there and do it all again.”

Sykes was ready to take on all challengers in the second race and he had moved ahead of Haslam by the end of the second lap, but then was having to head off the fierce challenges coming in from Cal Crutchlow who was eager to make amends for an error in the first race which dropped him HM Plant Honda to sixth.

The Coventry rider tried everything he knew to find a way through, but Sykes had all of the answers as he gave the Suzuki team their first winning double in the series since John Reynolds success at the Cheshire circuit in 2004.

Sykes took the victory by inches, or officially 0.097secs, and he enthused: “This is something else, something special – a bit like waiting for the Number 10 but to come along – a long wait and then two come together.

“I think I’ll celebrate with a brew and a piece of cake and I might even get some fast food on the way home and a lie in in the morning. Then I’ll start thinking about my World Superbike debut at Brands Hatch next month.”

Byrne again had to settle for third, ahead of Haslam, but the champion of 2003 was not complaining as he extended to 312-213 points his lead over Crutchlow in the title stakes. “I tried as hard as I could to get second place from Cal and got ahead on the last lap but made a mistake and had to take third, but I’m not complaining having increased my lead.”

Sykes moved third in the standings 176-174 ahead of Haslam.

John Laverty continued his domination of the Daily Star Cup with a winning double aboard his Buildbase NW200 Ducati, heading off Martin Jessopp, on the Riders Honda, in the opening race and then Gary Mason aboard the Quay Garage Honda next time out.

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