Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea shared the victories in a dramatic, incident packed eleventh round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park in which Ryuchi Kiyonari, twice second, moved closer to retaining his crown.
The Japanese rider is now 41 points clear of his HM Plant Honda team-mate Rea with only two rounds remaining but he had mixed emotions at the end of the day: “Happy with lead, but wanted to win here – this is the only circuit where I have not won.”
Haslam and Rea both experienced bitter-sweet times on the challenging Lincolnshire circuit.
The Airwaves Ducati rider, who had claimed pole start at record breaking pace, knew that nothing short of victories would suffice if he was to keep his title bid on track and he rode hard in the opener, reeling in first Tom Sykes, aboard the Stobart Vent-Axia Motorsport Honda, and then taking the lead from Rea at half distance at Park.
Haslam was clear, but for Rea there was soon more drama as he was involved in a tangle with Bike Animal Honda rider Leon Camier – they both fell, but Rea wrestled his bike upright and rejoined, running eighth,only to tip off on the penultimate lap.
The victory went to Haslam ahead of Kiyonari, Sykes, Shane Byrne, Cal Crutchlow, Tommy Hill and Gregorio Lavilla who had recovered strongly from a 20 second penalty for a jump start.
Rea was all out to make amends in the second race, powering clear, with Kiyonari, Sykes and Haslam adrift. The Ducati rider was pushing on hard, and twice he ran wide at Park losing ground, but hitting back.
There was half a second between Rea and Kiyonari when the Audi Safety Car intervened at half distance as marshals were scrambled to the aid of the luckless Camier who had crashed heavily after cresting the Mountain. The Bike Animal Honda rider was treated at the circuit for a broken left femur and dislocated knee before being airlifted to hospital in Lincoln.
Rea packed the power when the action resumed for real, taking his fifth victory, but Haslam was down and out, tumbling at Park, and seeing his hopes of the title all but ended.
For Rea, the dream in still alive: “I’m pleased and yes the championship is still there, sort of. I know that it has not gone away from me, and I don’t wish anything on Kiyo but unless he has a bad day in either of the final rounds it looks his.”
The action switches now to Donington Park on Sunday 23 September, with Kiyonari heading the title stakes 388-347 over Rea with Haslam on 313 points.
Tristan Palmer took a winning double ahead of James Buckingham to regain the lead, by five points, in the chase for the British Superbike Cup.
Results – Round Eleven – Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Race One – 18 laps
- L Haslam - Airwaves Ducati - 26m 21.047secs
- R Kiyonari - HM Plant Honda - + 2.333
- T Sykes - Stobart Honda - + 2.862
- S Byrne - Stobart Honda - +13.872
- C Crutchlow - Rizla Suzuki - +14.196
- T Hill - Virgin Yamaha - +15.968
- G Lavilla - Airwaves Ducati - +34.111
- C Walker - Rizla Suzuki - +34.966
- J Haydon - Hawk Kawasaki - +41.182
- S Smart - Hawk Kawasaki - +41.406
Race Two – 18 laps
- J Rea - HM Plant Honda - 27m 00.039secs
- R Kiyonari - HM Plant Honda - +1.085
- G Lavilla - Airwaves Ducati - +1.208
- C Crutchlow - Rizla Suzuki - +4.421
- T Sykes - Stobart Honda - +6.681
- C Walker - Rizla Suzuki - +11.459
- T Hill - Virgin Yamaha - +13.608
- J Haydon - Hawk Kawasaki - +16.250
- S Plater - AIM Yamaha - +16.624
- M Rutter - Isilon Kawasaki - +19.127
Championship Standings
- R Kiyonari - 388
- J Rea - 347
- L Haslam - 313
- G Lavilla - 294
- S Byrne - 257
- T Sykes - 230
- L Camier - 199
- C Walker - 183
- T Hill - 135
- C Crutchlow - 125
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