Round eight 9 August Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli Leon Camier enjoyed a hat-trick of victories in the eighth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli at Brands Hatch to not only increase his lead in the title stakes but also go one better than the record of race victories in a season set by former triple champion Niall Mackenzie. Riding the Airwaves Yamaha, Camier has now won all but three of the 17 races, and that has enabled him to open up a lead of 113.5 points ahead of his nearest rival, team-mate James Ellison. The third of his victories also achieved a career milestone of 100 race wins for his team-manager Colin Wright. It had been a dominant two days for Camier in a weekend that had started problematically as he ran ninth in free practice, but then re-paid the efforts of his team as they worked on his bike by powering in a sixth pole start of the campaign. Throughout, the biggest challenge to his supremacy was posed by Australian rider Broc Parkes, twice a winner at the circuit in his World Supersport days, and now heading up the Kawasaki World Superbike team in their guest appearance into the British series. Parkes was strong and stylish, but Camier, who wishes to graduate onto the World stage next term, was in no mood to allow him a slice of the glory, as he showed in the Saturday afternoon first race, reeling in the Kawasaki rider to take the lead on the tenth lap, and with it the victory by a couple of seconds. Camier was fast away at the start of the first Sunday race, running out front throughout, to lead Parkes home by over four seconds but in the third outing, the Airwaves rider had to fight all of the way as he overcame a poor start by carving through the pack and grabbing the lead with six laps remaining. “I’m absolutely made up,” said Camier. “It has been tough out there physically and mentally in this heat. It was hard to maintain the momentum and the rhythm but this has been a brilliant time for me and the team all credit to them.” “To beat Niall’s record is just amazing, a great feeling, a dream come true. It is just unbelievable to come here to my local circuit and do this, and it is all the better because this is the 100th victory for our team manager Colin Wright. That is some record, something pretty special,” added Camier. Parkes was strong in second place in each of the races with Hydrex Honda rider Stuart Easton denied three podium finishes as Ellison nosed ahead of him in the third race of a festival weekend that had seen the sporting greats of an earlier era, among them the 15 times World Champion Giacomo Agostini, take to the circuit. The weekend however belonged to Camier, not forgetting the other hat-trick hero, Gary Mason, aboard the Quay Garage Honda, who was the first Mirror.co.uk Cup rider first across the line in each of the races. Results MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli Round eight race one, 18 laps Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) Broc Parkes (Kawasaki World Superbike) 1.901s Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +11.495s Karl Muggeridge (HM Plant Honda) +15.461s Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +15.840s James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +17.959s John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +19.646s Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) +21.033s Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +23.195s Julien Da Costa (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +23.236s Race two result 20 laps Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) Broc Parkes (Kawasaki World Superbike) +4.534s Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +7.775s Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +8.713s James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +10.072s Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) +12.688s Karl Muggeridge (HM Plant Honda) +15.025s Steve Brogan (HM Plant Honda) +16.575s Graeme Gowland (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +19.466s Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki World Superbike) +19.561s Race three result 20 laps Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) Broc Parkes (Kawasaki World Superbike) +2.272s James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +11.587s Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +13.884s John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +21.338s Karl Muggeridge (HM Plant Honda) +21.395s Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +21.891s Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki World Superbike) Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +26.534s Michael Rutter (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +27.405s Championship standings: Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) 374.5 James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) 261 Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) 218 Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) 111.5 Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda) 103 More, from a press release issued by Airwaves Yamaha: TREBLE TOP FOR CAMIER Leon Camier today broke the record for the most number of wins in a British Superbike season, completing the first ever ‘triple’ race win at Brands Hatch. Victory number 14 for Leon also enters the record book as Team Manager Colin Wright’s 100th British Superbike win. Leon now sits 113.5 points ahead of his teammate James Ellison in the Championship, who finished 5th and 3rd. Leon led from the start of Race Two, managing to build a small gap until the Safety Car was deployed at the end of lap 4. The race resumed on lap 9 and Leon had to immediately fend off a challenge from the World Superbike Wild Card Rider, Broc Parkes. Leon responded with a fastest lap of 1:26.524, eventually crossing the line 4.5 seconds ahead. James, who had dropped to 9th at the start, worked hard to make his way through the field. After a couple of tough battles with Steve Brogan on the Honda and the Yamaha of Chris Walker, James secured 5th on lap 18 of 20. At the start of Race Three James jumped to 3rd whilst Leon dropped to 8th. Some exciting overtaking saw Leon make his way up to 2nd by lap 4. He pushed to close a 3.474 second gap to the rider in front, taking the lead for the eventual win on lap 15. After being pushed down to 5th in the early stages, James fought his way into 3rd on lap 12 to join his teammate on the podium. After scoring his third win of the weekend, Leon commented, “I’m over the moon to secure Colin Wright’s 100th BSB victory. To win the first ever triple, and beat Niall Mackenzie’s record for race wins at my home round is really special. Both races today were difficult. I had possibly my best ever start in Race Two. We don’t have launch control on the Airwaves Yamaha, but I managed to get away at the front anyway. Then in the third race, I had my usual bad start and fell right back. I knew I had to get up to the front quickly else there’d be too much of a gap to make up. Once I was in the lead, I just had to get my head down and pull away. The crowd at Brands Hatch has been amazing, so thank you to everyone for their support.” Recording a 9th podium finish of the season, James said, “My start in Race One wasn’t too bad, but I struggled behind a couple of riders who were blocking me everywhere. I was trying every chance I could to get by. But once I’d passed them, I managed to pull a gap. We didn’t make any changes to the Airwaves Yamaha in between races. I just needed to get a better start, which I did! In the third race the package felt a lot better. Every session we’ve managed to improve our times. I even broke into the 1 minute 26 second barrier in Race Two. It’s such a relief to get on to the podium and be a part of Colin’s celebrations.” On securing his 100th British Superbike victory, Team Manager Colin Wright said, “I’m over the moon but feeling old! The credit I have received is humbling but none of it could have been achieved without the total commitment and dedication of the people who I have worked with since 1988. Thank you to everyone who has made this milestone possible.” More, from a press release issued by British Supersport Championship Organizers: Westmoreland enjoys maiden race victory Round eight 9 August Brands Hatch Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship JW Racing Triumph’s James Westmoreland became the sixth different race winner in the Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship at Brands Hatch after 18 dramatic laps of the Grand Prix circuit. “I never feel confident before a race, but on that first lap there were a few heroes out there and I dropped to seventh and to be honest there were a few times it was nearly all over,” said Westmoreland. “I knew that wasn’t in the plan and I got to the front and had a bit of an advantage but then the safety car came out. I managed to edge it out again and to have a maiden win in the championship is so sweet and good for the whole team and sponsors,” he added. Dan Linfoot had taken the whole shot off the line on his return to the championship on the newly branded Node 4 Yamaha, but despite losing two places to drop to third it soon went from bad to worse when he crashed out at Graham Hill Bend on lap 13. The safety car was deployed when Gearlink Kawasaki’s Chris Martin had a heavy crash at Hawthorn on the tenth lap, with Westmoreland leading after battling his way through to the front of the field. Westmoreland controlled the race from the front, whilst championship rivals McConnell and Plater were tussling for second, with the MAP Raceways Yamaha rider McConnell able to storm past the championship leader Plater at Hawthorns on the final lap. Ben Wilson was able to hold on to fourth place for Gearlink Kawasaki, whilst Ian Hutchinson secured fifth for the Padgetts Honda team. Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship, Brands Hatch, race result: James Westmoreland (JW Racing Triumph) Billy McConnell (MAP Raceways Yamaha) +0.728s Steve Plater (HM Plant Honda) +0.933s Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) +2.617s Ian Hutchinson (Padgetts Honda) +4.361s Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship standings after Brands Hatch : Steve Plater (HM Plant Honda) 125 Billy McConnell (MAP Raceways Yamaha) 118 Ben Wilson (Gearlink Kawasaki) 105 James Westmoreland (JW Racing Triumph) 97 Daniel Cooper (Centurion Racing Honda) 81