British Superbike Championship Brands Hatch GP Circuit Leeds, Great Britain October 9 Race Results: Superbike Race Three Results (dry conditions, all on Pirelli tires): 1. Shane Byrne (Hon CBR1000RR), 20 laps 2. Tommy Hill (Yam YZF-R1), -4.434 seconds 3. John Hopkins (Suz GSX-R1000), -4.440 4. James Ellison (Hon CBR1000RR), -4.679 5. Michael Laverty (Yam YZF-R1), -4.782 6. Josh Brookes (Suz GSX-R1000), -5.785 7. Michael Rutter (Duc 1098R), -12.253 8. Graeme Gowland (Hon CBR1000RR), -15.963, EVO 9. Peter Hickman (Hon CBR1000RR), -16.130 10. James Westmoreland (Hon CBR1000RR), -24.203, EVO 11. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hon CBR1000RR), -25.662 20. Chris Walker (Kaw ZX-10R), -14 laps, DNF 25. Jon Kirkham (Suz GSX-R1000), -16 laps, DNF Final Championship Point Standings (after 26 of 26 races): 1. Hill, 647 points 2. Hopkins, 645 3. Byrne, 625 4. Laverty, 601 5. Brookes, 598 6. Kiyonari, 526 7. Kirkham, 210 8. Rutter, 164 9. Hickman, 155 10. Mason, 139 Supersport Race Three Results (dry conditions, all on Pirelli tires): 1. Alastair Seeley (Suz GSX-R600), 12 laps 2. Ben Wilson (Kaw ZX-6R), -2.384 seconds 3. Jack Kennedy (Yam YZF-R6), -5.585 4. Christian Iddon (Tri Daytona 675), -5.773 5. Luke Stappleford (Kaw ZX-6R), -13.041 6. Pauli Pekanen (Tri Daytina 675), -21.064 7. Billy McConnell (Tri Daytona 675), -22.435 8. Matthew Whitman (Tri Daytona 675), -22.464 9. Paul Young (Tri Daytona 675), -22.603 10. Daniel Cooper (Tri Daytona 675), -23.216 29. Melissa Paris (Yam YZF-R6), -1 lap Supersport Final Championship Point Standings (after 24 of 24 races): 1. Alastair Seeley, 450 points 2. Ben Wilson, 449 3. Billy McConnell, 254 4. Paul Young, 237 5. Sam Warren, 191 6. Christian Iddon, 191 7. Jack Kennedy, 189 8. Luke Mossey, 178 9. Daniel Cooper, 131 10. Luke Stappleford, 129 Superstock 1000cc Race: CANCELLED More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: SEELEY AND SUZUKI WIN BRITISH SUPERSPORT! Alastair Seeley has won the British Supersport Championship aboard his Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing Suzuki GSX-R600 in one of the closest and most-exciting finishes the series has ever witnessed. Ulsterman Seeley (32) came back from a disastrous crash in yesterday’s opening race at the Brand Hatch triple-header to turn a point’s deficit on season-long rival Ben Wilson (Kawasaki) into 2.3-second victory and a one-point advantage in the series. With just four points separating Seeley and series leader Wilson (29), it was ‘winner-takes-all’ and whoever won the race took the title. If there had been another race winner it would have gone to a points-tie – and with both riders taking nine wins to that point, it would have gone down to the most number of second places; for which Seeley would have taken it. From the start, Seeley led into the first corner followed by Wilson, who got a great start from the second row behind him. Wilson then took the lead and then Seeley forced to the front on lap four. Wilson then retook the lead and the pair swapped the front until the sixth lap when Seeley regained the lead and started to open up a 1.2 second lead. From that point, the “Wee-Wizard” was never challenged and rode a remarkably-controlled race to lift the title. More, from a press release issued by sorrymate.com Honda: Podium delight for Ellison and sorrymate.com Honda James Ellison and the sorrymate.com Honda team ended their 2011 British Superbike Championship campaign in superb style at Brands Hatch at the weekend with a brilliant third place taken in the second of the three races. It was the team’s first ever BSB podium in five years of trying and with 4th and 5th in the other two races, it crowned a truly excellent two days of racing and the best weekend ever for Robin Croft’s hard working squad.. Strong throughout practice and qualifying, James lined up in 5th place for the first race held late on Saturday afternoon and this was the position he held at the end of the first lap. The early stages of the race saw a number of positional changes with James being overtook by Tommy Hill but getting the better of Michael Rutter. By mid-race distance, it had settled down somewhat and James found himself locked in battle with John Hopkins and Hill for third place. There was little to choose between the trio in the last third of the race but although he tried to find a way past, up both the inside and outside, James had to settle for fifth place at the chequered flag just 0.3s off a rostrum position. With the seventh fastest lap of the race, James started Sunday’s opening race from the second row once more and with a strong start, he completed the first lap in 6th place. Heavy overnight rain had left the circuit damp and although it was drying out considerably, off line it was still treacherous and so it proved with Championship contenders Michael Laverty and Josh Brookes just two of the riders to get caught out. James was putting together an inch-perfect race though and was up to 4th on lap 3. Running behind Tommy Hill for much of the race, James was glued to Hill’s back wheel throughout and as the race entered its closing stages he started to look for an opportunity to overtake. Sure enough, a good drive out of Stirling’s Bend on the penultimate lap enabled him to dive up the inside going into Clearways and he held on for third to give their team their best ever BSB result and a landmark debut podium. The third and final race of the weekend saw James again right in the mix and a brilliant start saw him rocket up to 2nd place and here he stayed for no less than 18 of the 20 laps, some superb, determined riding seeing him fight off the challenges of Hill, John Hopkins, Laverty and Brookes. On the penultimate lap though Hill squeezed through at Paddock Hill and then Hopkins did likewise at Surtees. Second was still anyone’s but as they took the flag at the end of 20 unbelievably hard fought laps, James was placed fourth, only 0.2s off second place. The three top-five finishes meant it was without doubt the best ever weekend for the team. Speaking afterwards, a delighted team owner Robin Croft said: “It’s taken us 5 years and 120+ races to get here, never mind all the tears, laughter and money, but to finally get our first ever podium means the world to me and the team. When James joined the team, he promised me a podium and with the bike set-up how he wanted it, he’s been true to his word and delivered his promise. I’m just so proud of the team and we’re all on such a high right now, it’s hard to find the words to describe it. I’d just like to thank sorrymate.com, especially Fergus Dalgarno, for all their support as without it we wouldn’t have been on the grid, and also to all the other sponsors of the team as they’ve made it all possible. It’s been a magnificent end to the season and we can now look forward to Macau and then start working hard to ensure we’re back racing in 2012.” An equally delighted Ellison added: “I did promise Robin a podium and whilst it took us a couple more meetings longer than anticipated, it feels like the best one I’ve ever had! The amount of effort that this team puts into their racing is unbelievable and if anyone deserves success it’s them so to give them a podium feels absolutely awesome. A few people criticised me after the first race for getting involved with the Championship contenders but we’ve been striving for good results all season and were simply doing the best for ourselves and our sponsors. I’m pleased my results didn’t affect the outcome and it was just brilliant to be involved with such great battles. Shakey had too much for me in the last race but I can’t complain about anything – three top-five finishes and a first ever podium is simply superb.” There’s one more meeting for the team in 2011 with John McGuinness riding the Honda at the Macau Grand Prix, due to be held on Saturday November 20th. More, from a press release issued by Marty Nutt’s publicist: Strong end of season results for Nutt Coleraine’s Marty Nutt wrapped up his 2011 British Supersport Championship season at the weekend with three strong points-scoring finishes at Brands Hatch. Having his second outing of the year on the Padgetts Honda, Marty battled hard throughout the weekend to ensure his year ended in positive fashion and the 14-point haul enabled him to finish in 17th overall in the Championship table. After a shakedown test on Friday on the shorter Indy circuit, Marty took a good 11th in Saturday’s solitary qualifying session around the 2.4-mile GP circuit but a spill at Graham Hill Bend interrupted the session somewhat. Although uninjured, it was enough to affect Marty’s confidence slightly going into the opening race on Saturday afternoon, which was an additional race after the second race at Oulton in July was cancelled. 14th on the grid for this particular outing, Marty moved up to 13th on the first lap and although he slipped back briefly to 14th, he was back up to 12th by lap 4. This became 11th on lap 6 when David Jones crashed his Kawasaki and this was where Marty finished in what proved to be a relatively lonely and uneventful race. Sunday saw Marty line up in 11th for the first race, which was held in really difficult conditions after heavy overnight rain left the Kent circuit extremely damp. A narrow, dry line had appeared but you only needed to drift a few inches wide to find yourself in trouble. Marty kept his head in the early stages and stayed out of trouble to slot into 10th place by the end of the fourth lap. Part of a five-rider group dicing for 9th place, Marty found himself shuffled back to 11th by lap 7 as Luke Stapleford and Josh Day overhauled him but when Sam Warren crashed out on lap 10, he was back inside the top ten and 10th was here where he finished at the end of the 12 laps. A slightly slow personal best lap meant that Marty had to start the final race in 17th, his worst starting position of the weekend, but an excellent first lap saw him move up to 12th and part of a big group battling for 9th. Positions changed frequently but by mid-race distance, Marty began to lose the tow to the group in front and fall into the clutches of Sam Warren. The Yamaha man pushed Marty back to 13th and although he tried to fight back, he ran out of time and had to settle for the position and the three points. Speaking afterwards, Marty said: “It’s been a strange old weekend and although it’s good to get some solid finishes, I’m a bit frustrated that they couldn’t have been better. The crash in practice knocked my confidence a bit but I made good starts to all of the races and it was only in the final third of each of them that I lost the tow and dropped back a bit. The Honda’s not the quickest bike out there but it does everything else brilliantly and I’ve really enjoyed riding it so a big thanks to Clive Padgett and his team for all their help at the last two meetings – it’s just me that’s not got us higher up the order! It’s been a bit of an up and down year to be fair with some good, strong results offset by some disappointing races but we’ll work hard over the winter and come back in some shape or form in 2012 determined to do better.” More, from a press release issued by Splitlath Motorsport: SCORCHING SECOND FOR HARRIS AT BRANDS HATCH SPLITLATH Motorsport leave Brands Hatch with their first piece of well-deserved silverware of the year after Karl’ Bomber’ Harris finished second in today’s first Mirror.co.uk BSB-Evo race. Harris and the team ended the season on a high after the he grabbed both his and the squad’s first podium of the year at the Kent track this afternoon. The Sheffield rider was flying solo after team-mate John Simpson lost a chunk of his finger in a crash on Friday afternoon. As a result he was unable to take part in any further track action this weekend. After finishing Saturday’s race fifth, Harris was fast from the outset this morning, ending warm-up eighth overall on a wet track. But the weather had cleared up by the time the pack headed out onto the grid for the day’s first race, as he lined up 21st overall and fifth in Evo. At the green light he made one of his trademark quick getaways, and crossed the line third at the end of the opening lap. He held his position all the way to Lap 11, when the WFR Honda of Glen Richards which was running in second place, crashed out. This promoted Harris to P2, and he kept his head down for the remaining nine laps to take second in Evo and 10th overall at the chequered flag. “That was great, it was an amazing race where everything worked perfectly for us,” he said. “I was a bit gutted initially when the track dried up after warm-up, but we had a really good bike and great race pace there today. “It was the perfect way to end the year. We’ve been close a few times but this was a great result. It was hard work out there but I knew we were capable of getting it in the end. I’m over the moon with that.” Unfortunately race two wasn’t to prove as successful, when tyre troubles hit his Aprilia RSV4 midway through the race and Harris was forced to just ride it home as best he could. He crossed the line sixth. Both races were won by the WFR Honda of Graeme Gowland. Team Principal John Dimbylow was delighted at Harris’ result this afternoon. “Wow, that was amazing. Karl rode that bike like a demon out there and he really deserved that result. “All season we have been working incredibly hard and to get a second place and our first podium here at the final round is the perfect way to end the year. This is a fantastic result and it is testament to the hours and hours of time and work this team have put in. “I have to thank everyone involved in getting us here today Peter Clifford, Sam Parry, Andy Jamison, Russ Cowling, Max Tobin, David Nicholson, Simon Clark, Peter Ward, Zoe Burn and Mic Archbold as well as everyone else who has contributed in any way. “From here we look forward to the future with our exciting new plans, and we can’t wait to come back bigger and better in 2012.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 12 SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER BRANDS HATCH Ambient temperature: 18 degrees C, track temperature 25 degrees C Weather: Bright and sunny Weekend attendance 50,000. BYRNE BOUNCES BACK FROM CRASHES TO TAKE WINNING FINAL ROUND DOUBLE Shane Byrne provided the cheer for the hard working HM Plant Honda team as he powered in a comfortable winning double on the final afternoon of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship to consolidate his third place in the overall standings. The former two times winner of the crown rewarded his hard working team as they repaired the damage from two crashes by Byrne and he was well clear, taking his sixth victory of the season, of the breathtaking title deciding action on the final lap of the final race. Tommy Hill riding Yamaha crossed the line in second place just 0.006secs ahead of Suzuki’s former MotoGP rider John Hopkins after the two had traded the lead five times on that breathtaking final lap and that was enough to see Hill crowned champion by two points. Byrne escaped injury in a heavy, high-speed crash at Westfields on his second flying lap in the second element of the grid decider for Saturday’s race. He escaped with nothing worse than a bruised left hand while the team worked hard to have his bike ready for the race, the championship operates a one-bike rule, that started little more than two hours later in the afternoon. Byrne, nineteenth fastest, five places down on Kiyonari, re-paid the hard work of his technicians with a hard, determined charge through the pack from the fifth row to take sixth place in the race, picking up ten points in a damage limitation ride but it was not enough to maintain his hopes of taking the crown. The race was won by Yamaha’s Michael Laverty ahead of Josh Brookes. Kiyonari, whose miserable season had begun with a crash in the first race of the opening round at the circuit, struggled into 17th place as his dismal form continued though he gave himself hope of better things in Sunday’s first race earning a third row start while Byrne’s race pace in the Saturday race put him on the front row. But Sunday dawned wet, and Byrne, though fastest in the morning warm-up suffered in the closing moments when the back of his bike swerved out of line and high-sided him over the top, fortunately without injury. Byrne’s team worked wonders for a second time to have the bike up and running for the race which started on a drying track but with damp patches. Byrne made the running, leading throughout in a race of incident and drama in which Hopkins stopped and re-started after an electrical problem while Brookes and Laverty were among the eight riders to tumble. Byrne held off the determined challenges of Suzuki riding Jon Kirkham to take his fifth victory of the season by 1.150secs and move into third place in the standings. James Ellison took third place, the first ever podium for the SorryMate.com Honda team while BSB-EVO class winner Graeme Gowland ran sixth overall while Kiyonari in contrast was never comfortable, settling for sixteenth place. Byrne was quick to make the break in the final race of the season, riding strongly to forge clear and take the victory by over four seconds while Ellison again had a powerful race, finishing a close fourth. Gowland again took the victory, his 13th of the season, in the BSB-EVO class to secure second place overall in that series to his WFR Honda team-mate Glen Richards. Kiyonari rounded off his season with eleventh place. After the race comments from Honda riders: Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda): “It’s been a fantastic year with a fine ending. I’m not the greatest fan of the Showdown, having led all of the way through to the start of it, but then slipped back a bit. Winning the first race on Sunday after what we’d already been through this weekend was like winning the championship. I gave the guys in the team a lot of work with two crashes and because of that needed that win more than ever. I think I had more moments in that race than the rest of my career, the conditions were very tricky but it all turned out right for me. And winning the second race of the afternoon was a great way to finish the season at my local circuit though I didn’t come to champions to take third place, I wanted to win.” Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda): “It has been a too bad year for me machine has been good, but not me and my personal problems. I do not know what is wrong, if I knew the problem then I could try to fix it. I am professional, always trying to improve, trying and thinking. Losing the championship title is a very big blow. That hurts me. It is very sad. I don’t know why it is like this, I am very disappointed. Very sorry my team, very sorry to the sponsors, the fans, so sorry for everyone. I tried to put on a show and to do my best.” James Ellison (SorryMate.com Honda): “I was trying to stay out of the championship fight but Tommy Hill made a mistake and this is racing so you just cannot sit there in fourth so I went through. The conditions in the first race on Sunday were tough but I was so pleased to get this first ever podium finish for the team who have worked so hard. It means so much for them.” Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda): “It was quite tricky for the first few laps, though it slowly got better, and staying on the bike was the main thing. The bike was fine again and now I am thinking about next year.” RESULTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE RACE1: POS / RIDER / NAT / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / GAP 1 / Michael LAVERTY / GBR / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 22:58.539 / 2 / Josh BROOKES / AUS / Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS / 22:58.935 / 0.396 3 / John HOPKINS / USA / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 23:07.305 / 8.766 4 / Tommy HILL / GBR / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 23:07.412 / 8.873 5 / James ELLISON / GBR / Honda – Team SorryMate.com / 23:07.546 / 9.007 6 / Shane BYRNE / GBR / Honda – HM Plant Honda / 23:10.220 / 11.681 7 / Michael RUTTER / GBR / Ducati – Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati / 23:12.291 / 13.752 8 / Jon KIRKHAM / GBR / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 23:12.462 / 13.923 9 / Graeme GOWLAND / GBR / Honda – Team WFR / 23:16.991 / 18.452 10 / Martin JESSOPP / GBR / Ducati – Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati / 23:23.302 / 24.763 11 / Tommy BRIDEWELL / GBR / Yamaha – Motorpoint Yamaha / 23:24.737 / 26.198 12 / Chris WALKER / GBR / Kawasaki – Pr1mo Racing / 23:24.962 / 26.423 13 / Ian LOWRY / GBR / Kawasaki – MSS Colchester Kawasaki / 23:25.750 / 27.211 14 / James WESTMORELAND / GBR / Honda – Team WFR / 23:28.998 / 30.459 15 / Alex LOWES / GBR / Yamaha – Motorpoint Yamaha / 23:29.104 / 30.565 Fastest lap: Josh BROOKES AUS Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS Lap 5 1:25.426 165.02 Km/h RACE2: POS / RIDER / NAT / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / GAP 1 / Shane BYRNE / GBR / Honda – HM Plant Honda / 29:33.994 / 2 / Jon KIRKHAM / GBR / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 29:35.144 / 1.150 3 / James ELLISON / GBR / Honda – Team SorryMate.com / 29:45.988 / 11.994 4 / Tommy HILL / GBR / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 29:46.819 / 12.825 5 / Chris WALKER / GBR / Kawasaki – Pr1mo Racing / 29:57.987 / 23.993 6 / Graeme GOWLAND / GBR / Honda – Team WFR / 30:01.823 / 27.829 7 / Tommy BRIDEWELL / GBR / Yamaha – Motorpoint Yamaha / 30:03.397 / 29.403 8 / James WESTMORELAND / GBR / Honda – Team WFR / 30:14.707 / 40.713 9 / Dan LINFOOT / GBR / Honda – Tyco Honda / 30:20.975 / 46.981 10 / Karl HARRIS / GBR / Aprilia – Splitlath Motorsport / 30:23.912 / 49.918 11 / Patric MUFF / SUI / Honda – Tyco Honda / 30:27.778 / 53.784 12 / John HOPKINS / USA / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 30:37.522 / 1:03.528 13 / Scott SMART / GBR / Ducati – Moto Rapido Ducati / 30:54.499 / 1:20.505 14 / Peter HICKMAN / GBR / Honda – Tyco Honda / 30:54.559 / 1:20.565 15 / James HILLIER / GBR / Kawasaki – Bournemouth Kawasaki Racing / 30:59.696 / 1:25.702 Fastest lap: Shane BYRNE GBR Honda – HM Plant Honda Lap 18 1:27.107 161.84 Km/h RACE3: POS / RIDER / NAT / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / GAP 1 / Shane BYRNE / GBR / Honda – HM Plant Honda / 29:00.123 / 2 / Tommy HILL / GBR / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 29:04.557 / 4.434 3 / John HOPKINS / USA / Suzuki – Samsung Crescent Racing / 29:04.563 / 4.440 4 / James ELLISON / GBR / Honda – Team SorryMate.com / 29:04.802 / 4.679 5 / Michael LAVERTY / GBR / Yamaha – Swan Yamaha / 29:04.905 / 4.782 6 / Josh BROOKES / AUS / Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS / 29:05.908 / 5.785 7 / Michael RUTTER / GBR / Ducati – Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati / 29:12.376 / 12.253 8 / Graeme GOWLAND / GBR / Honda – Team WFR / 29:16.086 / 15.963 9 / Peter HICKMAN / GBR / Honda – Tyco Honda / 29:16.253 / 16.130 10 / James WESTMORELAND / GBR / Honda – Team WFR / 29:24.326 / 24.203 11 / Ryuichi KIYONARI / JPN / Honda – HM Plant Honda / 29:25.785 / 25.662 12 / Tommy BRIDEWELL / GBR / Yamaha – Motorpoint Yamaha / 29:29.014 / 28.891 13 / Martin JESSOPP / GBR / Ducati – Rapid Solicitors Bathams Ducati / 29:34.681 / 34.558 14 / Barry BURRELL / GBR / BMW – Buildbase BMW Motorrad / 29:37.399 / 37.276 15 / Scott SMART / GBR / Ducati – Moto Rapido Ducati / 29:38.286 / 38.163 Fastest lap: Josh BROOKES AUS Suzuki – Relentless Suzuki by TAS Lap 10 1:26.163 163.61 Km/h FINAL SHOWDOWN POSITIONS: 1 HILL 647, 2 HOPKINS 645, 3 BYRNE 625, 4 LAVERTY 601, 5 BROOKES 598, 6 KIYONARI 526, 7 KIRKHAM 210, 8 RUTTER 164, 9 HICKMAN 155, 10 MASON 139, 11 JESSOPP 110, 12 WALKER 105, 13 GOWLAND 92, 14 BAZ 88, 15 WESTMORELAND 88. More, from a press release issued by British Superbike Championship organizers: HILL CROWNED CHAMPION BY 0.006 SECONDS AFTER THRILLING LAST LAP SCRAP WITH HOPKINS Results Saturday race: 1.Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 2.Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.396s 3.John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +8.766s 4.Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +8.873s 5.James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +9.007s 6.Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +11.681s Sunday race one: 1.Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 2.Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +1.150s 3.James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +11.994s 4.Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +12.825s 5.Chris Walker (Pr1mo Racing Kawasaki) +23.993s 6.Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +27.829s Sunday race two: 1.Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 2.Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +4.434s 3.John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +4.440s 4.James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +4.679s 5.Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +4.782s 6.Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +5.785s Final MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings: 1.Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 647 2.John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) 645 3.Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 625 4.Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 601 5.Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 598 6.Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 526 Report Tommy Hill was crowned the MCE Insurance British Superbike Champion after one of the most thrilling and intense last laps ever seen at Brands Hatch. Riding the Swan Yamaha Hill held off the fierce challenges of his rival for the crown John Hopkins by inches to take the second place that to him was just champion. The late drama came on an afternoon of drama and incident. Hopkins had seen the 11 points lead he had amassed over Hill with his third place in the first race of the weekend slashed to just two as he battled back from a first lap electrical problem that halted his Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki at Paddock Hill in the second race. The American managed to re-start his machine and then powered in a damage limitation ride to finish twelfth, with Hill managing only fourth place to leave the two in a “winner takes all finale” in the final race of the season. Hopkins quickly settled into third place, consolidating that and riding strongly to pull a reasonable gap on Hill. That would have been enough to ensure that Hopkins became the first American to take the British title, but Hill had other ideas and in the final quarter of the race upped the pace and closed in on his Suzuki rival. Hill crossed the line in third place just ahead of Hopkins at the end of the seventeenth lap, having made the move at Hawthorn, and then the Lingfield rider set his sights on taking over in second place from Sorrymate.com Honda’s James Ellison. Hill was through to second on the penultimate lap but Hopkins was responding strongly, also shaking off Ellison to pile the pressure onto Hill. Hill was defending his line through Paddock Hill Bend but Hopkins found a way through and that prompted the most amazing lap ever seen at the circuit. The two riders traded the lead no less than five times but it was Hill who had the advantage coming through Clearways. Hopkins all but levelled but Hill took the verdict by inches, or by official timing 0.006secs. “Magic, absolutely unbelievable I didn’t know that I had beaten him until I saw the reaction of the crowd,” said Hill as he avenged the bitter moment of last year’s final round at Oulton Park when a crash cost him the crown. “Winning the title means everything to me that last lap was amazing, it was BSB wanted and I gave it to them. I just got into the rhythm and rode as hard as I could so to come out on top like this is just so special. “I’m gobsmacked. I’ve tried to stay as relaxed as possible since receiving the trophy. The season puts a lot of pressure and that reflects on everyone. It was just a shock that a whole season can come down to that. I wanted it badly and it was do or die,” added the delighted Hill who took the title 647-645 over Hopkins who said: “Hats off to him, he won. There was nothing more that I could have done.” Third place in the overall standings went to HM Plant Honda’s former two times title winner Shane Byrne. He had a bitter sweet weekend at the races, with a heavy crash in qualifying but finishing sixth in Saturday’s race which was won by Swan Yamaha’s Michael Laverty. Then after slipping off in the morning damp warm-up practice Byrne bounced back to take a comfortable winning double increasing his winning tally over the season to six. Jon Kirkham finished second to Byrne in Sunday’s opening race in which James Ellison finishing third gave the Sorrymate.com Honda team their first ever BSB podium finish a result the Cumbrian rider came within a tenth of a second of matching in the final race of the season. Graeme Gowland ensured second place in the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO class with a hat-trick of victories aboard his WFR Honda. He has won all but three of the last 16 races in the class which has been won by his team-mate Glen Richards. For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com More, from a press release issued by Swan Yamaha: SWAN YAMAHA CELEBRATE BSB CHAMPIONSHIP WIN AT BRANDS HATCH The Swan Yamaha team are celebrating tonight after Tommy Hill secured a maiden MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship title with a sensational performance in the final race of the year to beat title rival John Hopkins to the line by just 0.006 seconds. The second place meant that Hill was crowned champion with a two point advantage at the end of the season. Hill had missed out on a podium in the second race with a fourth place and just two points separated him from title rival Hopkins ahead of the last race of the year. In the final race the pair swapped places five times on the final lap, which would decide the outcome of the title. Hill narrowly crossed the line ahead to secure second and with it a maiden championship title for the team. Michael Laverty was caught out by the drying conditions in the second race but in the season finale he was embroiled in the fight for the final podium positions before ending the race in fifth place. Laverty ended the season fourth in the standings for the Swan Yamaha team. Hill said: “I am gobsmacked to have won the title for Swan Yamaha; this has been my goal and I was trying to stay as relaxed as possible in that final race. The season has put a lot of pressure on everyone and that reflects on everyone. We have been regularly finishing in the top three and that has therefore been the benchmark and the whole of the Swan Yamaha team have been working so hard all year to make this possible. It has just been a complete shock for me and I feel like we should be having another race next weekend now! It wasn’t until the other riders started congratulating me that I even realised I had won as it was so close between myself and Hopper. “It has been a long hard season and it came down to that one race. Everyone wanted a Showdown and that is what we have given them; it really was make or break time and I knew I had to do everything possible to beat Hopper. I knew Michael (Laverty) was behind me, but then when I knew it was Josh (Brookes) I had to just go for it. Coming across the line we didn’t know who had finished second and with it the title. At the moment I feel like I need someone to punch me or something to bring me back to reality. I just want to go out and race again now! I just want to celebrate now with my family, friends and the whole of the Swan Yamaha team and I need to thank everyone for their support this season.” Laverty said: “Today has been a great result for the Swan Yamaha team and congratulations have to go to Tommy for winning the title. I rode my hardest to try and protect him and the rest of the hard work he did himself. There is a lot of satisfaction for the team tonight but at the same time I am disappointed that we were not able to come away as the champion. We have been fast all season long and we showed again yesterday with the win that we have the pace. It has been a great year and I need to thank the Swan Yamaha team for all their support.” Team Owner Shaun Muir concluded: “We delivered everything we set out to achieve at the start of the season although we have made life difficult along the way! It didn’t start the best for Tommy this weekend but he couldn’t have done more in that race. Big thanks also have to go to Michael for his support in the final race as he did a great job of acting as Tommy’s wingman. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors, partners and supporters who have made this possible.” For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: HOPKINS AND SUZUKI FIGHT TO THE FINISH Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki’s John Hopkins has missed out on the British Superbike Championship by the smallest ever recorded deficit: 0.006-seconds. In a day of tough breaks at the final round of the 2011 British Superbike Championship, Hopkins suffered an electrical glitch on the first lap of the first race today but was able to reset the bike’s ignition trackside and recovered from last place to 12th. His championship rival Tommy Hill meanwhile finished fourth, to narrow Hopkins’ Championship lead to just two points. Hopkins’ team-mate Jon Kirkham was able to help in damage control by placing a second ahead of Hill. In the final race of the series, Hopkins held third place for 16 laps before being passed by Hill. Both then passed James Ellison to be second and third going into the last lap with the gap between them just 0.060-seconds. In a lap which saw countless passes and re-passing, their race – and the Championship – was decided by the final lunge for the finish line which Hill made by the smallest advantage measurable. Kirkham had been challenging for fifth place when he crashed (uninjured) at Druids on the fifth lap. John Hopkins: “Well I don’t feel great obviously, but I don’t feel completely empty either. This has been a great season, I gave it everything I had but it just wasn’t to be. So hats off to Tommy for taking the title. “I couldn’t be more grateful to the Samsung Crescent Racing team: They gave me everything including the best bike out there. I came into this year on a make-or-break basis and I’m hugely grateful.” Jon Kirkham: “I had a great first race today. It was good to show what I could do and to be on the podium again was brilliant as it secured me the Riders’ Cup, for being ‘best of the rest’ ( as the first non Title Fighter! “In the second race I didn’t have the rear tyre performance I had for the first, it was spinning up and when I pushed it – I really wanted to be in the top-five there, helping Hopper – it just let go. “I sit here now and the year has just gone so quick; it’s been an enjoyable year and to race with the Samsung Crescent Racing team has been brilliant. Big thanks to them for a giving me such a great year.” Jack Valentine – Team Manager: “I’m speechless. It’s impossible to put into words how this feels. It’s hugely disappointing, yet I find I’m happy as well – I think that’s the pride I feel for the team. What they’ve achieved this year has been brilliant; an unbelievable job. “Racing will always be a story of ‘ifs and buts’ and we’ve plenty of those to take away from this weekend – what if Hopper’s electrics hadn’t suffered that glitch in the first race; what if JK had stayed on and got in the mix? But the story of the Championship isn’t down to one or two isolated moments like those; there’s more to it than that and everyone has those moments during the year. We just have to take away the positives. We were there and we got to within literally an inch or so of the title. We did everything we could. “So I’d like to say a big thank you back to my riders as well, I’ve appreciated everything they’ve done this season. Hopper has been an inspirational rider to work with, very giving, very open and always positive – we’ll have so many great memories of this season with him. JK has been through an incredible journey this year, making the step up to the big time and today he showed he’s now one of Britain’s top riders for sure. Then huge thanks to Lez and Dale and their crews; all of them have been incredibly professional – and inspirational – this season. It’s been a great team. And finally, to Samsung, FIXI and all our sponsors – thanks for everything. Without their support we wouldn’t be here. The support has been brilliant. We hope they enjoyed the ride as much as we did. “One more thing, then: bring on 2012!” 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Round 12, Brands Hatch Race two results: 1 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 2 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) +1.150s 3 James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +11.994s 4 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +12.825s 5 Chris Walker (Pr1mo Racing Kawasaki) +23.993s 6 Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +27.829s 7 Tommy Bridewell (Motorpoint Yamaha) +29.403s 8 James Westmoreland (WFR Honda) +40.713s 9 Dan Linfoot (Tyco Honda) +46.981s 10 Karl Harris (Splitlath Aprilia) +49.918s 11 Patric Muff (Tyco Honda) +53.784s 12 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) +1:03.528m Race three results: 1 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 2 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +4.434s 3 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) +4.440s 4 James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +4.679s 5 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +4.782s 6 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +5.785s 7 Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +12.253s 8 Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +15.963s 9 Peter Hickman (Tyco Honda) +16.130s 10 James Westmoreland (WFR Honda) +24.203s Final 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings: 1 Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 647 2 John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) 645 3 Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 625 4 Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 601 5 Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 598 6 Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 526 7 Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) 210