Penultimate Round – Silverstone

Gregorio Lavilla left Silverstone with a single point lead over double race winning Ryuichi Kiyonari after a thrilling penultimate round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in which a first race crash relegated Leon Haslam to third place in the standings. Throughout, the action had been dramatic and packed with incident. Kiyonari had escaped with a bruising during qualifying when he crashed at high-speed, while Lavilla had powered in the fastest ever two-wheeled lap of the International circuit to claim pole start.

The HM Plant Honda rider Kiyonari, however, made the better get-away, though the hard riding Haslam soon caught him, to be ahead by the end of the first lap and then opening up a sizeable lead. But, on the eighth lap, disaster struck for the Airwaves Ducati racer as he lost the front end on the charge into Priory.

Haslam was down and out. “Maybe I was pushing a bit too hard,” he reflected as he watched Kiyonari take the victory by eleven seconds from Lavilla, who admitted: “I struggled a little bit but it was important to finish and score good points. I knew that Karl Harris and Jonathan Rae were closing on me, but I was sliding sideways to keep my position.”

For the second race, Haslam was aboard his spare bike, but he was fast away from the line, and heading the pack for a couple of laps before Kiyonari eased ahead, and then Lavilla denied him second place with a smooth move.

“I didn’t have confidence in the front of the bike but thought I could have gone for it, but I scored points, and will make up for it now at Brands.” The 23 year old Derbyshire rider starts the double points finale at the Kent circuit on Sunday 1 October eight points down on Lavilla who was again second.

“Last year I was one point ahead with two rounds to go, this year again, one point, but with double points at stake with one round to go – very exciting. I am delighted to be in a position to fight for the title again,” smiled Lavilla who has the edge 377-376 over Kiyonari.

The 23 year old Japanese rider, in completing the daily double, had taken his winning score to ten races, impressing the hierarchy of HRC who had flown in to watch these crucial races. “Perfect for me. The bike was very good, the tyres very good, now, one point. It will be difficult but I will try my best.”

Marshall Neill hit double top in the British Superbike Cup, finishing ahead of Marty Nutt, while Chris Martin, third in each of the races fulfilled his pledge to clinch the title, dedicating the success to his younger brother Ashley who sustained fatal injuries in a crash at Cadwell Park last month.

Cal Crutchlow, with his fifth victory of the season, clinched the British Supersport crown. The Northpoint Ekerold Honda rider came in some 2.3 seconds clear of TAS Suzuki rider Tom Sykes, with Dennis Hobbs third in a dramatic race during which Eugene Laverty crashed out of second place, and then Leon Camier tipped off while leading in the closing stages.

Daniel Cooper sealed the British 125GP title with victory in the penultimate round, finishing half a second ahead of James Westmoreland, while third place, adrift of James Webb and BJ Toal, was enough to secure the Virgin Mobile Cup for Yorkshire rider Tom Grant and with it the prize of a ride in the 2007 British Superbike Championship with the Virgin Mobile Yamaha team.

Luke Quigley inherited the victory in the Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Championship as the leading duo of Hudson Kennaugh and title winner Brendan Roberts crashed out at the chicane on the last lap, while in the Superstock Cup Martin Buckles took the victory to move within 18 points of series leader Bob Collins who finished third.

Results Round 12:

Race one – 20 laps:

1, R Kiyonari - HM Plant Honda 28m 48.614s, av.sp. 92.02mph
2, G Lavilla - Airwaves Ducati + 11.416s
3, K Harris - HM Plant Honda + 12.416s
4, J Rea - Red Bull Honda -+ 13.990s
5, M Rutter - Stobart Honda + 18.184s
6, T Hill - Virgin Mobile Yamaha + 28.185s

Fastest lap: Kiyonari 1m 25.512s, av.sp. 93.16mph (record)

Race two – 20 laps:

1, R Kiyonari - HM Plant Honda 28m 47.618s, av.sp. 92.07mph
2, G Lavilla - Airwaves Ducati + 5.202s
3, L Haslam -Airwaves Ducati + 8.027s
4, S Byrne - Rizla Suzuki + 9.945s
5, J Rea - Red Bull Honda + 10.354s
6, K Harris - HM Plant Honda + 15.541s

Fastest lap: Lavilla 1m 25.650s, av.sp. 93.01mph

Championship standings:

1, G Lavilla - 377
2, R Kiyonari - 376
3, L Haslam - 368
4, S Byrne - 224
5, K Harris - 218
6, J Rea - 216

Related Links
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