With two returning champions and an exciting new rule change, this season looks set to one of the most competitive ever, if that is possible given the fantastic excitement and racing of previous championships.

British Eurosport will be on hand to offer exclusive coverage of the series, starting with extensive live coverage, interviews and expert reaction as the races unfold at Brands Hatch on Monday April 5th.

Among the studio guests will be Brands local boy and last years dominant British Superbike champion Leon Camier.

Camier ran away with the 2009 championship, setting a new record of 14 race wins in a season and wrapping up the title with one round to go. The Kent rider has since moved up to the World Superbike Championship with the Aprilia Alitalia Racing team and is currently eighth in the standings after a promising start to the season.

Returning to his home circuit this Easter weekend, Camier will join presenter Tony Carter, fellow former BSB champion James Whitham, former BSB and WSB rider James Haydon and commentator Jack Burnicle as part of the Eurosport team throughout the day.

A major new rule change for the 2010 series will ensure no one runs away with the championship this season. Following the first nine events, the top six riders in the standings will qualify for “The Showdown” and become the “Title Fighters” for the remaining three events, battling it out to become champion. They will each be awarded 500 points, plus additional points for each podium they have achieved up to this point. Meanwhile the remaining riders will continue to contest the “British Superbike Riders’ Cup”.

Eurosport pundit and former BSB and WSB rider James Haydon thinks these changes will add to the excitement of the championship and believes fans are in for a real treat;

“I think this season is going to be a cracker! The dominant champion Leon Camier has left, we have new entertaining rules and some big guns returning from overseas – think Hodgson, Kiyonari and Kagayama – awesome. Yet on the flip side we have some raw, young talent bursting through and eager to prove themselves. It will be tight with at least eight people capable of winning races. I can’t wait for it to start!”

James Whitham agrees and thinks there are a number of riders in the running for the title;

“I think this season will be quite open, unlike last year which turned into a one-horse race, I can’t see any one rider dominating this time. My tip would be Josh Brookes, the HM Plant Honda rider is tough and aggressive and with the experience he built up last season, he will be keen to stamp his authority on the series.

Worx Suzuki’s Tommy Hill is also unbelievably tough, he’s like a terrier. He’s such a tenacious rider, I think he’d get round even if you took one of his wheels off! You can never discount him.
Neil Hodgson is returning from this States this year and riding for Motorpoint Yamaha. He’s won before, albeit ten years ago, but he’s not back to play around and he should have the credentials to do the job.
An outside bet is the other Motorpoint Yamaha rider, Dan Linfoot. He’s blindingly fast and although I wouldn’t back him for the championship, he’ll be a thorn in the established rider’s sides this season.

Brands Hatch is the amphitheatre of motor racing, it’s the traditional opening round and it’s popular with both fans and riders. It’s a beautiful circuit, it’s got a bit of everything – ups, downs, fast corners – a really interesting ride and most of the guys on the grid will know it well.”

Round One – Brands Hatch:

Monday 5 April
1230-1730 LIVE on British Eurosport 2
2100-2230 Highlights on British Eurosport 2
2330-0100 Highlights on British Eurosport

Tuesday 6 April
1500-1630 Highlights on British Eurosport 2
1900-2030 Highlights on British Eurosport 2
Wednesday 7 April
0900-0930 Race One on British Eurosport 2
0930-1000 Race Two on British Eurosport 2
1200-1300 Highlights on British Eurosport
1730-1830 Highlights on British Eurosport 2

GSE Racing 2009

The reigning champion British Superbike team GSE Racing are today facing withdrawal from the British Superbike Championship of 2010 unless a sponsor is found before the end of the year.

Towards the end of the season the team announced that their partnership with Wrigley’s Airwaves would be coming to an end after the years finale.  Since that time no suitable replacement has been found leaving the team without the necessary funding to compete in the 2010 season.

Team Principle Darrell Healey said;

“It is with great regret that we have had to issue the team with their notice of redundancy, with a view to withdrawing from the British Superbike Championship at the end of 2009.  We have enjoyed tremendously our time racing in the most competitive domestic superbike series in the world, and therefore this decision was not taken lightly.  Alongside Yamaha, we will be doing all we can to try and secure a partner in the remaining time available, and greatly hope we an return to once again successfully defend our championship title.”

Team Manager Colin Wright added;

“Everyone at GSE Racing is incredibly saddened that we may no longer be able to compete in the British Superbike Championship. We enjoyed our most successful season ever in 2009. Leon Camier and James Ellison were the only two riders to have finished every race in the points (barring Leon’s exclusion at Cadwell) and we enjoyed numerous double race wins and double one two’s on our way to first and second in the Championship standings. We were very much looking forward to continuing this success on into 2010 as we entered our second year in partnership with Yamaha, but unfortunately it looks like this will now not be.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole team for their unrivalled dedication and hard work, our previous sponsors for their support, and of course the British Superbike fans.”

James Ellison - Airwaves Yamaha 2009

This weekend sees the final round of the British Superbike Championship of 2009 taking place at Oulton Park with crowned champion Leon Camier aiming for another victory.

This weekends triple-header consists of one race on the Saturday with two further races on the Sunday at the Cheshire circuit.

The second Airwaves Yamaha rider James Ellison, will be aiming for maximum points to become runner-up in the championship against rival Hydrex Honda rider Stuart Easton.  Ellison has a 51 point advantage over Easton but if he fails to finish in the points at this round Easton will take the second place.

Although the pressure has eased off slightly for Camier, he feels that this weekend will see his team-mate riding his socks off and also expects to be challenged by the HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes.

Camier said;

“These past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic so I’ve not had a chance to sit down and really let the Championship sink in. But it does feel as though the pressure is off to some extent. The motivation to win is as strong as ever, although I know it’s not going to be easy. My teammate James is going to be fast straight away, as will Josh Brookes. The GSE Racing team has been incredible all year, so I know they’ll give me the best possible package once again.”

Ellison said;

“I’m so excited about this weekend, but also disappointed it’s the final round. The past three race meetings have gone better and better for me. We’ve made small changes here and there, and now the Airwaves Yamaha is really working for me. It’s a shame we couldn’t have got to this point earlier, but the Championship now belongs to Leon and all I can do is go out there, top Practice, and try and win all three races.”

Not only is it the end of the BSB series this weekend but also the end of the five-year partnership between the GSE Racing team and sponsors Wrigley’s Airwaves

Alastair Seeley will be on a full Relentless Suzuki by TAS this weekend after making his British Superbike debut at the last round at Silverstone.  The machine he rode at the Northampton circuit however, was the Suzuki specified to the newly introduced ‘Evo’ regulations, to be used in 2010, whereas this time out he will be riding the same machine as ridden by Ian Lowry and Atsushi Watanabe this season.

On the final lap of race two, the Airwaves Yamaha of Camier began to smoke while he was leading the race and he was shown the black flag with an orange spot, meaning that he must leave the circuit immediately.  Camier believed the flag meant that he had to leave the circuit within one lap, seeing him stripped of his race win and the victory going to team-mate James Ellison instead.

At the Croft round of the championship in September, the British rider was given a quick lesson by the track marshal’s just to make certain that he knew what the flags meant, watch the clip below.

Leon Camier - 2009 British Superbike Champion

The 23-year-old Airwaves Yamaha rider Leon Camier, claimed the British Superbike Championship title at Silverstone yesterday after taking the victory in race one.

Race One

After starting on pole position, Leon Camier dropped back to fifth position as the race got underway, behind Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda, Josh Brookes on the HM Plant Honda and his team-mate James Ellison.

By the end of the first lap, Ellison had passed both Easton and Brookes to take the lead, while Camier got on with the job in hand, taking first Brookes and then taking advantage of Easton as he ran wide on lap 4 before chasing Ellison, who was now 1.2 seconds ahead.

With 16 laps of the race still to go, the Airwaves Yamaha swapped the lead a couple of times before Camier took the lead on the penultimate lap, passing Ellison on the inside at the Priory left-hander.

Camier held the lead and took the championship by 0.244 seconds and was presented with a #1 for his bike on his return to the pits.

James Ellison finished in second place followed by Josh Brookes in third and Stuart Easton in fourth.  In fifth place was Tommy Hill on the second Hydrex Honda, John Laverty on the Buildbase Kawasaki was in sixth, Sylvain Guintoli on the Worx Crescent Suzuki in seventh, Ian Lowry on the Relentless by TAS Suzuki in eighth, Simon Andrews on MSS Colchester Kawasaki in ninth and his team-mate Julian Da Costa in tenth.

Michael Rutter on the Bathams Ducati was out of the race on lap 4 after developing technical problems with his machine while Karl Harris didn’t even make the start as a mechanical problem occurred before the race.

The British Superbike Cup winner was Tommy Bridewell on the NB Suzuki after finishing in twelfth place while Cup champion Gary Mason finished in fourteenth for the Quay Garage Honda team.

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 20 laps
2. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha 0.244sec
3. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda 8.827sec
4. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda 9.164sec
5. Tommy Hill GBR Hydrex Honda 18.278sec
6. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki 18.787sec
7. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki 18.933sec
8. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 22.408sec
9. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki 22.921sec
10. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki 24.682sec
11. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 30.923sec
12. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki 31.473sec Cup
13. Glen Richards AUS HM Plant Honda 35.532sec
14. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda 37.551sec Cup
15. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha 38.199sec Cup
16. Richard Cooper GBR Co-ordit Yamaha 38.780sec Cup
17. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda 40.462sec Cup
18. Dan Linfoot GBR Rob Mac Racing Yamaha 56.937sec
19. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki 1min 1.468sec
20. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda 1 lap Cup
21. Michael Howarth GBR STP-JHS MV Agusta 1 lap

DNF:
Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 18 laps Evo
Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki 18 laps
Howie Mainwaring GBR Team Maxxis Yamaha 11 laps
David Haire GBR JX Fuelcard Kawasaki 10 lap Cup
Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 9 laps
David Johnson AUS Jentin Yamaha 7 laps
Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Honda 7 laps
Michael Rutter GBR Bathams Ducati 4 laps
Karl Harris GBR SMT Honda 0 laps

Race Two

In the second race of the day it was yet again an Airwaves Yamaha on the top step of the podium but this time it was the turn of James Ellison.

Race two was red flagged before the end of lap one after a huge oil spillage caused chaos for the mid-pack riders on the approach to Abbey corner.

At the restart, which reduced the race to 18 laps, it was once again Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda that led the pack, ahead of Josh Brookes, Ellison and Camier.

Camier made a move to pass Ellison as the pair headed to the Bridge/Priory turns, firing Ellison up and regaining his position at the final chicane.  Ellison then moved into second place after passing Brookes at Abbey on lap 2 as Camier followed a lap later.

Camier managed to get in front of his team-mate again on lap 3 before chasing down Easton.  This time however, as he tried to outbrake the Hydrex Honda rider entering Abbey, he went wide and was forced onto the grass, dropping him back to ninth place with 14 laps left to run.

Within two laps, Camier has muscled his way back to sixth place as Ellison snatched the lead from Easton through Maggots.  With 9 laps to go, Camier passed Tommy Hill to take fourth place, 2.1 seconds behind his team-mate and then hunted down Brookes to take third and then second as he passed Easton on lap 15.

Ellison took the lead, 1.2 seconds ahead of his team-mate and leaving him with a 51 point advantage of the runner-up spot in the championship over Easton.

Josh Brookes finished in third place followed by Stuart Easton in fourth, Tommy Hill in fifth, Julien Da Costa in sixth, Simon Andrews in seventh, Sylvain Guintoli in eighth, Ian Lowry in ninth and Alastair Seeley in tenth.

Here are the results;

1. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha 18 laps
2. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 1.200sec
3. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda 2.583sec
4. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda 3.974sec
5. Tommy Hill GBR Hydrex Honda 9.774sec
6. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki 11.099sec
7. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki 14.340sec
8. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki 16.148sec
9. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 21.434sec
10. Alastair Seeley GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 23.963sec Evo
11. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 24.269sec
12. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki 24.362sec Cup
13. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha 27.693sec Cup
14. Karl Harris GBR SMT Honda 28.296sec
15. Michael Rutter GBR Bathams Ducati 32.883sec
16. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda 45.709sec Cup
17. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda 55.170sec Cup
18. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Honda 1 lap
19. Michael Howarth GBR STP-JHS MV Agusta 1 lap

DNF:
John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki 13 laps
Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda 10 laps Cup
Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 10 laps
David Haire GBR JX Fuelcard Kawasaki 5 laps Cup
Dan Linfoot GBR Rob Mac Racing Yamaha 2 laps

Leon Camier - Airwaves Yamaha 2009

This weekend the riders and teams of the British Superbike Championship head to Silverstone for the penultimate round of the 2009 series.

The Airwaves Yamaha team rider Leon Camier, has a 99.5 point advantage over his team-mate James Ellison, meaning that if he finishes ahead of Ellison in the first race of the day the title is his.

Ellison will need to keep his eyes open for the Scottish rider Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda, who is only 32 points behind the Yamaha rider and could be a real threat for the runner-up spot in the championship especially since getting a taste of winning at the last round at Croft.

According to reports, the 2009 National Superstock champion Alastair Seeley, will be on board the new Evo specification GSX-R1000 for the Relentless Suzuki by TAS at the weekends meeting, making his BSB debut.

The specifically built 2010 machine has a Superstock engine fitted into the full British Superike spec rolling chassis, featuring a Yoshimura EM Pro kit ECU.  Last weekend Seeley not only raced the bike at the Anglesey round of the Irish National Superbike Championship, but claimed the victory as well as setting a lap record.

With the announcement that MotoGP will once again be returning to the Silverstone circuit, there is to be a host of GP legends at the event this weekend to meet fans and sign autographs.

Randy Mamola will be joining Steve Parish, Jeremy McWilliams, Niall MacKenzie and Rob McElnea for a question and answer session hosted by Toby Moody , along with current British 125cc MotoGP rider Bradley Smith.

Stuart Easton - Hydrex Honda - Croft 2009

The British Superbike Championship headed to the Croft circuit this weekend with Stuart Easton taking the victory in race one and Leon Camier winning race two.

Race One

After leading several races this season and being on the podium in second place five times, the Hydrex Honda rider Stuart Easton took his maiden victory in race one.

Starting from third on the grid, Easton took his place at the front of the pack going into the first corner ahead of HM Plant Honda rider Josh Brookes and James Ellison on the Airwaves Yamaha.

Leon Camier on the second Airwaves Yamaha, moved back to seventh place as the race got underway but was soon back on the pace as he passed Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda and then Simon Andrews on the Confused.com Kawasaki.

On attempting to take Chris Walker on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha, Camier went wide allowing Andrews to re-pass.  The following lap, Camier once again tried to pass Andrews but went in to fast causing him to run straight-on, across the grass and into a ditch.  Camier rejoined the track but was now down in last place and had lost more than 20 seconds.

Andrews recovered from his earlier incident and was on a mission to get on the podium, taking Josh Brookes on lap 7, however, after such an impressive ride, Andrews was caught-up in an accident with only four laps remaining and was out of contention.

Easton and Ellison were in a race of their own, with Ellison right on the tail of the Hydrex Honda on the final lap.  Easton kept his nerve and took the victory ahead of Ellison with the returning Australian rider Josh Brookes in third. 

Ryuichi Kiyonari on the second HM Plant Honda finished in fourth place followed by Ian Lowry on the Relentless TAS Suzuki in fifth, Leon Camier on the second Airwaves Yamaha in sixth, Tommy Hill on the second Hydrex Honda in seventh, Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda in eighth, Julian Da Costa for Confused.com Kawasaki in ninth and Graeme Gowland on the Motorpoint/ Henderson Kawasaki in tenth.

Chris Walker ended the race early after a bizarre incident saw the handlebar of his Kawasaki break while riding at speed.

Here are the results;

1. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda 27mins 06.092secs 20 laps
2. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +0.359secs
3. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +10.216secs
4. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN HM Plant Honda +10.967secs
5. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +19.612secs
6. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha +21.436secs
7. Tommy Hill GBR Hydrex Honda +22.380secs
8. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +25.776secs Cup
9. Julien Da Costa FRA Confused.com Kawasaki 31.236secs
10. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +31.750secs
11. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +31.994secs Cup
12. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki +32.034secs Cup
13. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +33.554secs
14. Karl Harris GBR Node4 Yamaha +44.160secs
15. Howie Mainwaring GBR Team Maxxis Yamaha +47.927secs

Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki Did Not Start Cup

Race Two

Airwaves Yamaha rider Leon Camier was back on form by race two and took the win with an eight second lead on second place man, race one winner Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda.

After a better start for Camier, he was in fourth behind leading man Josh Brookes, Stuart Easton and Simon Andrews.  Camier passed Andrews on the first lap before getting past Brookes on lap four.  Easton was now leading the race having passed Brookes on the opening lap, but by lap six Camier had reeled him in and took the lead, crossing the line almost nine seconds ahead of Easton.

The second Airwaves Yamaha rider James Ellison, finally finished the race in fourth position after a terrible start saw him in seventh place.  He was followed by Simon Andrews in fifth, Tommy Hill in sixth, Ian Lowry in seventh, Gary Mason in eighth, Julien Da Costa in ninth and John Laverty completing the top ten riders.

The Airwaves Yamaha team are now guaranteed the championship for the 2009 season but it remains to be seen if it will be Leon Camier or James Ellison that walks away with the title, after the five remaining races left to run.

Gary Mason has been confirmed as the Mirror.co.uk Cup Champion for 2009 for the Quay Garage Honda team.

Here are the results.

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 26mins 57.535 20 laps
2. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +8.788secs
3. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda +11.336secs
4. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +11.970secs
5. Simon Andrews GBR Confused.com Kawasaki +17.437secs
6. Tommy Hill GBR Hydrex Honda +17.589secs
7. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +18.043secs
8. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +25.331secs Cup
9. Julien Da Costa FRA Confused.com Kawasaki +27.433secs
10. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +28.579secs
11. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +28.975secs
12. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +29.241secs
13. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki +29.469secs
14. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki +31.584secs Cup
15. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +37.176secs Cup

Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki Did Not Start Cup

James Ellison - Airwaves Yamaha 2009

The British Superbike riders and teams were at Cadwell Park this weekend for round nine of the championship, with the Airwaves Yamaha riders Leon Camier and James Ellison taking the wins.

Race One

Simon Andrews on the Confused.com Kawasaki that took to the front as the race got underway but was soon passed by Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda.  Camier was running in third place when he tried to make a move on Easton but the Honda rider snatched the place back as he dived up the inside of the Yamaha.  Camier moved into second on the following lap before hunting down Easton and then passing him to create a gap.

Andrews made a mistake going into Charlie’s and was passed by the second Airwaves Yamaha of James Ellison, who had already passed the Buildbase Kawasaki of John Laverty.

Easton, Ellison and Ian Lowry on the Relentless Suzuki by TAS, were fighting each other for the other two steps on the podium, with Easton and Ellison almost touching in their battle for second.  Easton managed to hold off the Yamaha to claim second followed by Elllison in third.

In fourth place was Lowry, scoring his best place this season ahead of the two Confused.com Kawasaki’s of Simon Andrews and Julien Da Costa. The two Kawasaki riders were in a race of their own and after Simon had held his position for most of the race, Da Costa made his way past on the penultimate lap.  On the final lap, Andrews tried to retake his position but was too fast and forced both riders onto the grass.  Andrews secured fifth place ahead of his team-mate who took sixth.

Karl Muggeridge took seventh place for the HM Plant Honda team, holding off the Worx Crescent Suzuki of Sylvain Guintoli as they crossed the line.  John Laverty finished in ninth for the Buildbase Kawasaki team ahead of Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda in tenth.

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 26mins 38.546secs 18 laps
2. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +7.384secs
3. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +7.651secs
4. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +8.133secs
5. Simon Andrews GBR Confused.com Kawasaki +17.793secs
6. Julien Da Costa FRA Confused.com Kawasaki 18.126secs
7. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +25.398secs
8. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki +25.522secs
9. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +25.979secs
10. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +28.760secs Cup
11. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +30.488secs
12. John McGuinness GBR HM Plant Honda +32.582secs
13. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki +34.734secs Cup
14. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +34.988secs Cup
15. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +44.779secs

23. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda 11 laps completed Cup
24. Michael Howarth GBR STP-JHS MV Agusta 8 laps completed
25. Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki 3 laps completed Cup

Race Two

Leon Camier crossed the line to take the second win of the day but he was excluded from the race after an incident on the final lap, gifting the victory to his team-mate James Ellison.

On the final lap of the race, Camier’s Yamaha was seen with blue smoke coming from the back.  Black and orange flags were waved but Camier remained on track and continued to the chequered flag where he was  disqualified for not stopping immediately on seeing the flags.

A statement was released by the team, stating that Camier mistakenly believed that he had until the end of the lap to come in.  The team apologised to Leon for the problem on his bike which turned out to be a small oil leak, and thanked him for his dignity and professionalism after learning of the disqualification.

Stuart Easton again took to the front as the race got underway while Camier passed the Buildbase Kawasaki of Laverty, with Andrews following his lead.  Andrews lost the place almost immediately as Ellison slipped up the inside.

On the following lap, Camier took Easton with Ellison making a copycat manoeuvre three laps later as Andrews then passed the Honda of Easton.

On lap 6, the safety car was deployed after the STP MV Agusta of Michael Howarth developed a huge oil leak, leaving marshalls to clean-up the track.  The safety car left the track on lap 9 and Easton made an immediate move on Andrews at Coppice, but Andrews snatched it back before the end of the lap.

On the penultimate lap, Easton moved in front of Andrews to take second place ahead of Easton in third.  Julian Da Costa finished in fourth followed by his team-mate John Laverty in fifth.

The Motorpoint Yamaha rider Chris Walker finished in sixth ahead of Sylvain Guintoli on the Worx Suzuki, Karl Harris on the Hydrex Honda, Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda and Tommy Bridewell for Team NB Honda.

Ian Lowry had been in ninth place on the Relentless Suzuki, putting in faster laps than both Easton and Andrews until he crashed out on lap 16.  John McGuiness was another non-finisher after retiring the HM Plant Honda with two laps to run.

Here are the results;

1. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha 28mins 02.679secs 18 laps
2. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +4.099secs
3. Simon Andrews GBR Confused.com Kawasaki +4.584secs
4. Julien Da Costa FRA Confused.com Kawasaki +5.435secs
5. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +6.843secs
6. Sylvain Guintoli FRA Worx Crescent Suzuki +7.239secs
7. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +12.836secs
8. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +14.833secs
9. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +15.100secs Cup
10. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki +16.684secs Cup
11. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha +19.920secs Cup
12. Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +24.193secs
13. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +24.359secs
14. Howie Mainwaring GBR Team Maxxis Yamaha +24.769secs
15. Jon Kirkham GBR Rob Mac Racing Yamaha +26.729secs

Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha
Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki Cup

Leon Camier - Airwaves Yamaha 2009

Leon Camier won all three races at the British Supebike Championship at Brands Hatch over the weekend, giving him a lead in the points standing of 113.5 over team-mate James Ellison for the Airwaves Yamaha team.

The first race of the weekend took place on Saturday with Camier taking the chequered flag ahead of Broc Parkes on the WSB Kawasaki in second and Stuart Easton on the Hydrex Honda in third.

Parkes led the field from the start of the race ahead of Karl Muggeridge on his HM Plant Honda debut and Camier as they headed into Druids.  Parkes team-mate Sheridan Morais, was thrown of his machine as he made an error trying to pass Tommy Hill at Stirling, he was unhurt.

By lap 2, Camier had moved into second place, passing Muggeridge and chasing down the leading man.  On lap 10,  he passed Parkes on the inside going into Druids and pulled away from the pack.

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 26mins 15.747secs 18 laps
2. Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki SRT +1.901secs
3. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +11.495secs
4. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +15.461secs
5. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +15.840secs
6. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +17.959secs
7. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +19.646secs
8. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +21.033secs
9. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +23.195secs
10. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki +23.236
11. Michael Rutter GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +24.319secs
12. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +30.084secs
13. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +35.556secs Cup
14. Steve Brogan GBR HM Plant Honda +37.052secs
15. Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki +37.204secs

Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki
Jon Kirkham GBR Node 4 Yamaha

Sunday

Race 1

Leon Camier led from the start on the Airwaves Yamaha, followed by Broc Parkes and Stuart Easton.  As Camier and Parkes began to pull away from the rest of the pack the red flag came out as David Johnson crashed his Maxxis Yamaha at Hawthorn.

Once the safety car came in Camier was off again followed by Parkes as the two soon created a gap between themselves and Easton.

Tommy Hill finished in fourth ahead of the second Airwaves machine of James Ellison and Karl Harris on the second Hydrex Honda in sixth.

Chris Walker struggled with some sort of problem on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha and retired just before the end of the race.

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 30mins 36.823secs 20 laps
2. Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki SRT +4.534secs
3. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +7.775secs
4. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +8.713secs
5. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +10.072secs
6. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +12.688secs
7. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +15.025secs
8. Steve Brogan GBR HM Plant Honda +16.575secs
9. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +19.466secs
10. Sheridan Morais RSA Kawasaki SRT +19.561secs
11. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki +20.297
12. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +22.112secs
13. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +22.179secs
14. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +24.535secs Cup
15. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki +41.291secs

Steve Mercer GBR MIST Suzuki
Jon Kirkham GBR Node 4 Yamaha

Race 2

Camier went onto win the third race of the weekend, beating the record number of wins in one season previously held by Niall Mackenzie.

It was Broc Parkes that led the way as the lights went out while Camier got off to a terrible start and dropped back to eighth place.  Karl Muggeridge was in second followed by the second Airwaves Yamaha of James Ellison in third.

Camier started to carve his way through the pack and on lap 3, had passed Stuart Easton, Tommy Hill and Michael Rutter.  On the following lap he nipped up the inside of his team-mate Ellison, and into third place as he began to chase down Muggeridge for second.

After passing the HM Plant Honda rider, Camier set about Parkes and eventually passed him on lap 15 before he once again, headed for the chequered flag for his fourteenth win of the season.  James Ellison managed to take his first podium of the season after passing Easton on lap 12, while John Laverty finished in an impressive fifth position after taking Muggeridge.

Here are the results:

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 29mins 05.284secs 20 laps
2. Broc Parkes AUS Kawasaki SRT +2.272secs
3. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha +11.587secs
4. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda +13.884secs
5. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki +21.338secs
6. Karl Muggeridge AUS HM Plant Honda +21.395secs
7. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki +21.891secs
8. Sheridan Morais RSA Kawasaki SRT +22.818secs
9. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki +26.534secs
10. Michael Rutter GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki +27.405secs
11. Steve Brogan GBR HM Plant Honda +30.536secs
12. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +30.662secs
13. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha +31.582secs
14. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda +39.247secs
15. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda +42.554secs Cup

Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki Cup
Kenny Gilbertson GBR Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki Cup
David Johnson AUS Team Maxxis Adept Yamaha
Steve Mercer GBR MIST Suzuki Cup
Jon Kirkham GBR Node 4 Yamaha

Leon Camier

Leon Camier appeared to have sorted the problems on his Airwaves Yamaha to take pole position today ahead of the former World Superbike rider Tommy Hill on the Worx Crescent Suzuki.

Hill had been fastest all weekend and looked to have secured the pole position until Camier snatched it away with three minutes of the session remaining.

Chris Walker on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha took third position alongside Cup rider Richard Cooper on the Co-ordit Yamaha to complete the front row.

John Laverty on the Buildbase Kawasaki starts the second row in fifth place ahead of Simon Andrews on the MSS Kawasaki, James Ellison on the second Airwaves Yamaha in seventh and Karl Harris on the Hydrex Honda in eighth.

Graeme Gowland on the second Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha, qualified in ninth place followed by Stuart Easton on the second Hydrex Honda .

Michael Rutter, was back on the grid, but this time riding the SMT Honda, replacing Jason O’Halloran and qualifying in eleventh ahead of Julian de Costa on the second MSS Colchester Kawasaki.

Tristan Palmer on the second Buildbase Kawasaki of Tristan Palmer starts the fourth row, followed by Team Maxxis Yamaha rider David Johnson.  Atsushi Watanabe on the Relentless Suzuki and Cup leader Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda in sixteenth.

Not a good qualifying session for the HM Plant Honda team, with Josh Brookes qualifying way down in seventeenth place while his team-mate Steve Brogan, who is covering for the injured Glen Richards, is further back in twenty-third place.

Ian Lowry on the Relentless Suzuki, joins Brookes on the fifth row, alongside two more Cup riders, Peter Hickman on the Ultimate Yamaha and Tommy Bridewell on the Team NB Suzuki.

Lining-up behind are Tom Tunstall on the Hardringe Doodson Motorsport Honda, Kenny Gilbertson on the Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki, Steve Brogan and Martin Jessopp on the Riders Racing Honda.

Aaron Zanotti on the Red Viper Racing Honda qualified in twenty-fourth place and Michael Howarth, for the first time on the STP-JHS Racing MV Agusta, finished at the rear of the grid.

Here are the results;

1. Leon Camier GBR Airwaves Yamaha 56.016secs
2. Tommy Hill GBR Worx Crescent Suzuki 56.195secs
3. Chris Walker GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 56.221secs
4. Richard Cooper GBR Team Co-ordit Yamaha 56.345secs Cup
5. John Laverty IRL Buildbase Kawasaki 56.379secs
6. Simon Andrews GBR MSS Colchester Kawasaki 56.489secs
7. James Ellison GBR Airwaves Yamaha 56.547secs
8. Karl Harris GBR Hydrex Honda 56.605secs
9. Graeme Gowland GBR Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha 56.642secs
10. Stuart Easton GBR Hydrex Honda 56.642secs

11. Michael Rutter GBR SMT Honda 56.754secs
12. Julien Da Costa FRA MSS Colchester Kawasaki 56.786secs
13. Tristan Palmer GBR Buildbase Kawasaki 56.825secs
14. David Johnson AUS Team Maxxis Adept Yamaha 56.968secs
15. Atsushi Watanabe JPN Relentless TAS Suzuki 56.981secs
16. Gary Mason GBR Quay Honda 56.989secs Cup
17. Josh Brookes AUS HM Plant Honda 57.006secs
18. Ian Lowry GBR Relentless TAS Suzuki 57.132secs
19. Peter Hickman GBR Ultimate Yamaha 57.185secs Cup
20. Tommy Bridewell GBR Team NB Suzuki 57.625secs Cup

21. Tom Tunstall GBR Hardinge Doodson Honda 57.337secs Cup
22. Kenny Gilbertson GBR JX Fuelcard Kawasaki 57.377secs Cup
23. Steve Brogan GBR HM Plant Honda 57.547secs
24. Martin Jessopp GBR Riders Racing Honda 58.667secs Cup
25. Aaron Zanotti GBR Red Viper Honda 59.307secs
26. Michael Howarth GBR MV Agusta-JHS Racing 1min 00.496secs