Ryuichi Kiyonari put his bid to retain the Bennetts British Superbike crown firmly back on track as he enjoyed a winning double to end the unbeaten run of former champion Gregorio Lavilla in a dramatic, incident packed third round at Silverstone. The HM Plant Honda rider has a strong pedigree at the Northamptonshire circuit, where a daily double in the penultimate round of last term eased him towards the crown, and, this time around having claimed pole position with a 93.30mph lap was well set for the races.
However it was Leon Haslam who charged his Airwaves Ducati ahead in the opening 20 lapper, shrugging aside the pain of thigh injuries sustained in a 175mph crash during practice. He ran clear of the rejuvenated Chris Walker on the Rizla Suzuki as Jonathan Rea duelled with his team-mate Kiyonari.
Kiyonari won that confrontation and then hotly pursued Walker but the former four times runner-up was giving nothing away, holding him at bay for six laps, but once the Japanese rider had nosed ahead of him, it was Haslam was feeling the heat, and on the eighth lap, the lead changed.
Once ahead, Kiyonari dictated terms but behind him there were some furious scraps developing. Lavilla had the better of his exchanges with Haslam. Walker shook off Camier to take his first British Superbike podium in seven years as he finished third, just adrift of Rea. Camier was fourth, ahead of Lavilla.
“Not easy, but very pleasing, but still big gap for me to Lavilla,” reflected Kiyonari. “Must win more races, but difficult.” He made light of that with a super-quick start to the second race, heading the pack throughout, while behind him Haslam was holding off the close attentions of former champion Shane Byrne, who was to have his second crash of the afternoon as he challenged.
Lavilla by now was on the ascendancy, carving through from sixth place on the opening lap to be running second ahead of Rea, Walker and Haslam, when the race was brought to a premature halt, just into the final third, when a backmarker’s bike blew spraying oil onto the circuit.
Kiyonari, as a result moved into second place in the standings, at the expense of Leon Camier who crashed late on in that race, but Lavilla holds a sizeable 32 points advantage ahead of the Holiday Monday, 7 May, fourth round at Oulton Park.
Tristan Palmer, deputising for the injured Michael Howarth aboard the THR Honda, took a winning double in the British Superbike Cup, but MAR rider Malcolm Ashley, with a third place and a second, heads the standings, 79-76 over Tom Tunstall who failed to finish either race.
Dennis Hobbs, riding Padgetts Honda, enjoyed his first ever victory in the Maxxis British Supersport Championship, finishing ahead of the Relentless Suzuki by TAS duo of Ian Lowry and series leading Michael Laverty.
Second best was just great for Kev Coghlan as he moved into the lead in the British 125GP Championship, but the third round victory went to Luke Jones while Hudson Kennaugh headed off series leading Glen Richards in the Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Championship race. Victory in the Superstock Cup went to Dean Johnson ahead of James Hurrell.
James Webb won the Virgin Media Cup race ahead of Midge Smart and series leader BJ Toal, while Darren Fry took a winning double in the inaugural action in the KTM 990 Super Duke Battle.
Results: Round Three – Bennetts British Superbike ChampionshipRace One – 20 laps:1. R Kiyonari - HM Plant Honda 28m 49.500secs, 92.12mph
2. J Rea - HM Plant Honda 28:55.300
3. C Walker - Rizla Suzuki 28:58.260
4. L Camier - Bike Animal Honda 28:58.347
5. G Lavilla - Airwaves Ducati 29:05.573
6. L Haslam - Airwaves Ducati 29:05.847
Fastest lap: Lavilla, 1m 25.645secs, 93.01mph
Race Two – 13 laps:1. R Kiyonari - HM Plant Honda 18m 37.312secs, 92.68mph
2. G Lavilla - Airwaves Ducati 18:39.762
3. J Rea - HM Plant Honda 18:49.070
4. C Walker - Rizla Suzuki 18:49.909
5. L Haslam - Airwaves Ducati 18:53.648
6. T Sykes - Stobart Honda 18:54.278
Fastest lap: Lavilla, 1m 25.377secs, 93.30mph
Championship standings:1. G Lavilla 131
2. R Kiyonari 99
3. J Rea 85
4. L Camier 80
5. L Haslam 64
6. T Sykes 59
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