Leon Camier extended his lead in the British Superbike Championship to 55 points this weekend in Round 5 at Snetterton. Camier’s Airwaves Yamaha teammate James Ellison would consolidate his second place in the championship standings after taking fourth and second while the Honda riders Josh Brookes and Stuart Easton were the other podium finishers in the two Superbike races at Snetterton.
Race 1
Race 1 of the British Superbike Championship at Snetterton was red flagged on the fourth lap with Stuart Easton, James Ellison, and Josh Brookes in the lead. Michael Rutter (Worx Crescent Suzuki) and Matt Bond (MIST Suzuki) both crashed at the Sear corner, then Tom Tunstall’s Honda blew oil onto the track in the same spot.
A sensational Race 1 run by Leon Camier gave the 22-year-old his seventh win for the 2009 British Superbike season.
Once the race restarted Easton had a characteristic flying start to take the lead. Ellison passed Easton on the fourth lap, but the Honda rider fought back and retook the lead on lap 8. Leon Camier meanwhile was able to pick his way through the pack from eighth at the start with an incredible display of racing. Josh Brookes was battling for a top three position when Leon Camier passed him on the inside and caught up to his second-place teammate Ellison. A determined Camier put a move on Ellison to take second at Sear, and though Ellison retaliated in the Esses the Championship leader was able to make the position stick by the end of lap 11. Brookes than put pressure on Ellison and drafted into third along the Revett Straight. On lap 14 Camier took the lead from Easton and never gave it back.
Remarking on his come-back effort for his seventh win of the season Camier said, “The first race was one of the hardest, but also one of the most fun races I can remember. My start wasn't too bad for a change but I fell back at the first corner. It was so difficult to overtake because we really struggled on the straights. Thankfully the Airwaves Yamaha worked fantastic around the corners”.
Brookes held third from Ellison, while the Relentless Suzuki rider Ian Lowry took fifth from Chris Walker with just a few laps to go. Rutter recovered from his crash earlier in the race to finish seventh for the Worx Crescent Suzuki team ahead of Karl Harris, who had run wide at the beginning of the restart. The MSS Colchester Kawasaki duo of Julien Da Costa and Simon Andrews finished off the top ten sports.
Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda) was forced to retire from the race with a technical problem.
British Superbike Snetterton – Race 1 Results (top 15)
1. Leon CAMIER (Airwaves
Yamaha) 19:51.245
2. Stuart EASTON (Hydrex
Honda) 19:52.820
3. Josh BROOKES (HM Plant Honda) 19:53.695
4. James ELLISON (Airwaves Yamaha) 19:54.273
5. Ian LOWRY (Relentless
Suzuki by TAS) 19:57.554
6. Chris WALKER (Motorpoint / Henderson Yamaha) 19:57
7. Michael RUTTER (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 19:57.966
8. Karl HARRIS (Hydrex Honda) 20:01.660
9. Julien DA COSTA (MSS Colchester
Kawasaki) 20:02.319
10. Simon ANDREWS (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) 20:03.049
11. Graeme GOWLAND (Motorpoint / Henderson Yamaha) 20:04.144
12. Jason O'HALLORAN (SMT Honda) 20:07.543
13. John LAVERTY (Buildbase Kawasaki) 20:08.644
14. Jon KIRKHAM (North West 200 Coca Cola Zero) 20:13.804
15. Tommy BRIDEWELL (Team NB Suzuki) 20:16.404
Race 2
In Race 2 James Ellison and Leon Camier both quickly battled through the pack to join the lead pack within 3 laps. By lap 5 Camier had taken the lead, with Ellison slipping into second a couple of laps later. From that point on the two Airwaves Yamaha riders were untouchable.
The Airwaves Yamaha team went one-two in Race 2.
Josh Brookes had his best round of the season as he scored his first double podium finish on the HM Plant Honda. Stuart Easton took fourth, the lowest position the Hydrex Honda has taken in races finished this year. He ties Ellison for points earned at Snetterson and consolidates his solid third place in the championship.
For the first time this year Julien Da Costa outscored his MSS Colchester Kawasaki teammate Simon Andrews in both races, taking sixth in Race 2 for his best result of the season. Da Costa out-powered Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki) on the straightaway stretch of the last lap to squeeze-in behind fifth-placed John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki).
Glen Richards was back in the top ten after a DNF in Race 1. The two Honda riders Karl Harris and Jason O’Halloran rounded out the top ten.
British Superbike Snetterton – Race 2 Results (top 15)
1. Leon CAMIER (Airwaves
Yamaha) 24:10.003
2. James ELLISON (Airwaves Yamaha) 24:13.053
3. Josh BROOKES (HM Plant
Honda) 24:17.830
4. Stuart EASTON (Hydrex Honda) 24:21.138
5. John LAVERTY (Buildbase
Kawasaki) 24:25.975
6. Julien DA COSTA (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) 24:26.642
7. Ian LOWRY (Relentless
Suzuki by TAS) 24:26.658
8. Glen RICHARDS (HM Plant Honda) 24:26.732
9. Karl HARRIS (Hydrex Honda) 24:29.148
10. Jason O'HALLORAN (SMT Honda) 24:31.508
11. Simon ANDREWS (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) 24:31.897
12. Graeme GOWLAND (Motorpoint / Henderson Yamaha) 24:32.160
13. Jon KIRKHAM (North West 200 Coca Cola Zero) 24:38.822
14. Gary MASON (Quay Garage) 24:38.869
15. Peter HICKMAN (Ultimate Racing) 24:39.075
