Ryuichi Kiyonari was crowned the Bennetts British Superbike Champion as he took a victory and then a second place to Leon Haslam in an eventful incident packed final round at Brands Hatch. But there was heart-break for the defending title holder Gregorio Lavilla who saw his hoped of retaining the crown for a second year ended when he crashed out on the opening lap of the re-started first race, and then was sidelined by a gearbox problem next time out.
The Spaniard could only watch disconsolately as the two pretenders for the crown slugged it out amid the heavy showers one of which had brought the first race on the afternoon to halt on the fourth lap.
Haslam had his Airwaves Ducati ahead at that point: “I was gutted that I had to call the race stop but the conditions were deteriorating, it was too wet.”
He made the running on the re-start, but was a little concerned by “an engine noise” but that cleared, and having traded places with the HM Plant Honda of Kiyonari was running second when the race was red-flagged again, this time because of Shane Byrne’s high-side off his Rizla Suzuki on the approach to Druids.
“I was feeling good and thought that I would ease ahead without too much trouble,” said Haslam as he realised that the eleventh victory of the season for Kiyonari meant that the Japanese rider needed only a top three finish to secure the crown.
The HM Plant Honda rider set the early pace but Haslam, knowing his only hope was to win the race was upping the pressure and charged through on the sixth lap at Graham Hill to take the lead and then pull well clear, taking the race by eight seconds.
But, again the action was halted early, with the red-flags out as Virgin Mobile Yamaha’s Tommy Hill smashed down on the Cooper Straight with five laps remaining.
Second best was champion for Kiyonari. “Very pleased, bike very good, thank you English fans,” he smiled, with Haslam gracious in defeat, as he conceded the crown 466-458 to the first Japanes rider to win the title, at the same time giving Honda their first major British title in two decades.
“We had bad luck, but Kiyo has ridden well and deserved it. A title is won over a full season, and not one round,” said Haslam. “I’m happy, having finished off the podium only four times, and twice they were crashes. Luck has gone against me – I was sitting pretty in the first race, but then it rained, and again on the re-start I felt good.”
Away from the two riders who dominated the front-running action, there was a first podium since the opening race of the season, back in March for Michael Rutter aboard the Stobart Honda in the opening race, as he finished ahead of Hill, Glen Richards, on the Hydrex Honda and the Vivaldi Suzuki duo of Scott Smart and Ben Wilson.
In the final race, there was third place for Red Bull Honda’s Jonathan Rea, ahead of Karl Harris, Michael Laverty and James Haydon.
Chris Martin underlined his British Superbike Cup title with a winning double, finishing ahead of first Marty Nutt and then David Johnson.
Results Race One – 13 laps:1, R Kiyonari - HM Plant Honda 19m 45.196s, av.sp 90.91mph
2, L Haslam - Airwaves Ducati +0.181s
3, M Rutter - Stobart Honda +16.501s
4, T Hill -Virgin Mobile Yamaha + 32.561s
5, G Richards - Hydrex Honda +35.694s
6, S Smart - Vivaldi Suzuki 1 lap down
Race Two – 14 laps:1, L Haslam - Airwaves Ducati 22m 02.916s, av.sp 87.71mph
2, R Kiyonari - HM Plant Honda +8.772s
3, J Rea - Red Bull Honda +14.698s
4, K Harris - HM Plant Honda +17.939s
5, M Laverty - Stobart Honda + 27.586s
6, J Haydon - Rizla Suzuki + 32.449s
Championship standings:1, R Kiyonari 466
2, L Haslam 458
3, G Lavilla 377
4, J Rea 248
5, K Harris 244
6, S Byrne 224
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