The much anticipated ‘War of Four’ was somewhat cut short at Brands Hatch last weekend, as Title Fighter Ryuichi Kiyonari crashed out on the Saturday morning, leading to a shoulder injury which saw him fail to make the grid for any of the three races.
With the track damp, and drying quickly, James Ellison took the initiative to get on pole position, as he looked to stake his claim to the Riders Cup following an injury earlier this season.
Light rain was falling at the start of Race one, and as with previous wet races in the season, it threw up some surprises. Shakey made the early running, before sliding out at Clearways, leaving Dan Linfoot to power his way through the field on lap three. However it was his teammate Howie Mainwaring who shocked many, as he scythed his way through the field to take his first ever win and podium.
The second race was a real thriller, with a nine rider break away group battling for the lead. Mainwaring continued his great form, to lead going into Paddock Hill bend. Byrne had a somewhat poor start but methodically picked off riders one by one, to take the lead and the Championship crown.
The final race saw Shakey take the lead, only to hand it over to James Ellison after a small slip up on lap 8. However, it wasn’t long before he retook his place at the front to take his final win, in the final race of the season. With four titles in the bag, Shakey is now the most successful rider in British Superbike history, much to the disappointment of Ryuichi Kiyonari….
Pirelli UK Racing Manager Jason Griffiths commented, “A final race weekend that really did provide some of the best racing of the season across all the classes. The weather provided some challenges in terms of changing track conditions during free practice and qualifying but for today’s races the weather was certainly onside. Congratulations to each of the Champions and our thanks to all the competitors and everyone involved in the organisation of the series. The introduction of the 17 inch tyres to the Superbike class has been a great success and we now look forward to what is already shaping up to be an even stronger series for 2015.”
