Photo Gallery: British Superbikes - R11, Silverstone #1

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Airwaves Ducati's Shane 'Shakey' Byrne has won his second Bennetts British Superbike Championship title after finishing third in an incident-packed first race at Silverstone this morning. However it was his team-mate Leon Camier that took the opening race win of the day.

The opening lap was going to set the scene for the rest of the race, with the pack piling in to Copse for the first time, with the HM Plant Hondas formation flying at the front with Leon Haslam getting the best start off the line.

However within the first lap the drama began, when Karl Harris missed his braking point at Becketts and dropped himself towards the back of the chasing riders. Championship leader Byrne was only eighth, which was enough to secure him the title, but with team-mate Camier close behind he soon moved ahead at Abbey to be the first of the Airwaves Ducatis.

Haslam was still the race leader with Tom Sykes moving ahead of Crutchlow to shadow the leading HM Plant Honda. However the pair were set to reignite the rivalry from Oulton Park earlier in the year when Sykes attempted to pass at Woodcote, with the pair colliding heavily and the pair ending up in the gravel trap. Haslam appeared to sustain an injury to his left leg in the collision but was able to remount at the very back of the field and work his way through to 12th by the end of the race. Sykes was also able to rejoin the race to finish 13th. The incident is currently under investigation.

This gifted the race lead to Crutchlow who was able to hold the lead until the ninth lap when Camier made his move with a dive down the inside into Priory. Camier then went on to take his third win of the season.

Camier said after the race: "I didn't seem to be where I wanted to be in practice and qualifying but we worked hard and managed to get everything together for the races today. I didn't get the best start but I just went out there and kept my head down and everyone seemed to be getting knocked out of the race. I am happy with that and congratulations to Shane. I want to have another race like that in the second one."

There was more drama at Woodcote on lap five when James Ellison and Michael Laverty tangled with both crashing out of the race. Ellison lost the front of the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda and the bike clipped the Relentless Suzuki by TAS machine which saw them both have to pick their bikes up and rejoin.

Ellison said: "I felt really comfortable on the bike and got a good start, but I got pushed wide and lost a couple of places. I then got elevated up again when a couple of riders crashed out and I was within chance of a race win so I was pushing to catch Cal (Crutchlow). Then coming into the chicane, I went down a gear too early and it just spat me off and that was that."

This then elevated Byrne to third, whilst Michael Rutter then moved to fourth on the North West 200 Ducati after having to take avoiding action when he was running behind Ellison and Laverty.

Gary Mason then went on to take his best finish of the season, with an impressive sixth place ahead of Tristan Palmer on the TENA for Men Honda and SMT Honda's Jason O'Halloran.

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