Shane Byrne and Cal Crutchlow were the race winners as the Bennetts British Superbike Championship began for real at Thruxton, and with them each taking a second place, they left the Hampshire circuit as the joint leaders of the series, ahead of the rejuvenated Michael Rutter who took a brace of third placings.
Byrne, riding the Airwaves Ducati, had repeated the pole starting ride of the snow aborted Brands Hatch opening round, but he was out-started by Leon Haslam and Michael Rutter, before Cal Crutchlow swooped ahead to lead at the end of the opening lap.
The Coventry rider, who had joined the HM Plant Honda team this season, held off the early challenges of his team-mate Haslam, before Byrne moved into second and began to challenge. Crutchlow held him at bay until the thirteenth lap when Byrne found a way through at Seagrave.
Once through, Byrne dictated terms from the front, winning comfortably by over two seconds, and he reflected: “We’ve come a long way to get running, and Cal was really going for it but I got through and it all worked out. The team has done a great job, but we had to look at what everyone else was doing and then do it for ourselves.”
Crutchlow was equally delighted: “Shane was keeping me on it – I just kept plugging away but when he came past, I couldn’t match him but it was a good race.” Rutter, who had started from the front row for the first time in two years, the podium finish aboard the NorthWest 200 Ducati, enthused: “Brilliant, I couldn’t dream of this. It is like Christmas again.”
Haslam, who slowed with tyre concerns, finishing that race in fourth place, took the initiative from the start next time out, running ahead of Byrne and Karl Harris whose first race had ended in machine problems on the second lap.
Byrne took the lead on the fourth lap with Crutchlow moving through into second from Rutter with Tom Sykes and Leon Haslam duelling for fourth ahead of Harris.
On the seventh lap, Sykes and Haslam touched at around 140mph, with Sykes high-sided off his Rizla Suzuki which bounced across the track, smashing into Harris. The race was stopped immediately to care for Harris who remarkably escaped serious injury as he later explained: “I don’t feel too bad apart from very sore knees and ankles."
“I look like I’ve been boxing in Las Vegas rather than racing a motorbike,” said Harris, who also suffered facial injuries, adding: “I’ll be back in the next round intent on the results I should have had here.”
On the re-start, Sykes, riding his spare machine, led the opening lap, but Crutchlow soon took him and began his charge to maiden race winning glory.
“When I led in the first race, it was the first time that I had led a Superbike race so to win next time was unexpected, though it is something that I have worked hard for through the close season.
“The team have done a fantastic job for me and I was able to control the second race from the front – winning is great, fantastic, but when I signed for HM Plant Honda, I knew that I was joining a championship winning team, and there is no reason why we cannot push for that.”
Byrne took second place, to jointly lead the championship with Crutchlow on 45 points, while Rutter, again third, and taking his first double podium finish since Knockhill in 2005, has scored 32 points to be in third place in the standings.
John Laverty, riding the Buildbase NW Ducati, powered in a winning double in the Daily Star Cup, finishing clear of Chris Burns, aboard the STP MV Agusta in the first race and then the Riders Honda of Martin Jessopp next time out. Steve Mercer and Malcolm Ashley took the third placings.
Results – Round Two – Bennetts British Superbike Championship – Thruxton
Race one – 20 laps:1 Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) 25m 33.903secs, 110.58mph
2. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) +2.306s
3. Michael Rutter (NW 200 Ducati) +3.573
4. Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) +10.949
5. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) +18.745
6. Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +19.048s
7. James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) +19.406s
8. Simon Andrews (Jentin Racing/Lloyds British) +22.403s
9. Stuart Easton (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +22.709
10. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +23.902s
Race two – 15 laps:1. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) 19m 05.302secs, 111.08mph
2. Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) +1.807s
3. Michael Rutter (NW 200 Ducati) +2.136s
4. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) +7.942s
5. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +11.863s
6. Stuart Easton (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +12.461s
7. James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) +13.632s
8. Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +18.759s
9. Guy Martin (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) +23.395s
10. Billy McConnell (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +23.899s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Thruxton:
1. Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) 45
= Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) 45
3. Michael Rutter (North West 200 Ducati) 32
4. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) 24
5. Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) 18
= James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) 18
7. Stuart Easton (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) 17
= Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 17
9. Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) 13
10. John Laverty (Buildbase NW200 Ducati) 9
