Josh Brookes was denied a hat-trick of wins by a machine problem in the third race of the seventh round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Snetterton and that cost the Aussie the lead in the title stakes as Tommy Hill, running second to Ryuichi Kiyonari regained the advantage by two points. (see more)
Brookes had won the opening race, held over from the weather ravaged Knockhill round, on Saturday afternoon with a last lap move on his HM Plant Honda team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari with Hill, riding the Worx Crescent Suzuki running third from the RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati of MichaellRutter.
He moved second on the seventh lap and took Rutter a further seven laps into the race as he slowed with a gear shift problem. Alastair Seeley and Ellison ran ahead of Hill with Ellison showing his Brands Hatch opening round form, prior to the tumble at Thruxton in which he sustaineda broken leg soon going second.
Hill attacked Ellison, going through to take secondplace as Brookes completed his second win, reflecting: “I messed up the startand had to work for it but was comfortable with the passes. It was a shame that some of the others had mechanical problems but I am sure that I could have taken them.”
Ellison, fourth in that race, made a great start to the final race, heading off Brookes with Michael Laverty third from Kiyonari and Hill, but soon Kiyonari was running third and harassing his team-mate, moving ahead of him on the seventh lap and two laps later taking the lead from Ellison.
Ellison strayed off-line and Brookes nipped into second place, but not for long before he was sidelined by a machine problem. Kiyonari was leading from Michael Laverty with Rutter third as the Safety Car was deployed as Ellison crashed in a tangle with Seeley.
Kiyonari duly completed his fourth win of the season, and his sixth at the circuit, finishing half a second clear of Hill who had finally found a way ahead of Michael Laverty with three laps remaining. (see less)