Kiyonari doubles at Brands Hatch

From worldsbk.com

Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) crowned a triumphant week of racing on Sunday with two sensational wins in the 10th round of the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Brands Hatch in front of 97,000 spectators, just a few days after winning the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in Japan.

The 25 year-old reigning BSB champion got the better of Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) in race 1, before completing a day of triumph with a second win over Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) in race 2.

Bayliss led for most of the first race with Kiyonari right behind but the Honda man passed the points leader on lap 22 and held on for the win. Second place went to Bayliss and third to Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati), who was the fastest rider on the track in the final stages after making up more than three seconds on the leaders in eight laps. At the flag Kiyonari, Bayliss and Biaggi were separated by two-tenths.

"I am very happy today," Kiyonari said. "I started badly in the early laps but my bike had a really good set-up so I could keep lapping in 1:26s. Then I pushed and pushed and finally I got the win."

Two Suzukis were next up, with Yukio Kagayama fourth and Fonsi Nieto fifth, while Max Neukirchner finished seventh after being passed by Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) towards the end.

It was a disappointing race for the factory Yamaha team, with Troy Corser only managing eighth and Noriyuki Haga crashing out while fighting for the top positions.

British wildcard Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) was also running well but had to retire with a holed radiator while in third.

It was a disappointing race for Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) in 12th, while Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) was weakened by flu and failed to take the start.

The second race also had a Japanese flavour about it as Kiyonari powered ahead to win from Haga after a race-long battle.

"I'm very happy with this weekend," Kiyonari said. "On Friday I was in first position in qualifying, then yesterday I set a good time in Superpole. It was the same today, with fast lap times and a double win. I had a lot of pressure with Nori behind me and many times I made a mistake but to win here at Brands Hatch was fantastic today."

The final podium slot went to Corser, who ran a steady race but was unable to challenge the top pair, while Neukirchner scored a good result in fourth.

The German finished ahead of his teammate Nieto, who passed Fabrizio on the last lap, while Sykes this time managed to hold off Checa for seventh.

Bayliss was out of luck after changing to a different compound for race 2 and could only finish 11th, one place ahead of Biaggi, who dropped down to 28th position in the early stages after an off-track excursion.

The Supersport race was stopped on lap 16 when British rider Craig Jones (Parkalgar Racing Honda) crashed coming onto the pit straight, sustaining a serious head injury in the process. He was transferred to the Royal London Hospital by air ambulance for further assessment and treatment.

Victory in the race went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), his second in a row, ahead of the unfortunate Jones and Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who boosted his lead in the championship.

Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport), Josh Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda) and Barry Veneman (RES Software Suzuki) took the next three places.

Maxime Berger (Hannspree IDS Ten Kate Honda) lived up to pre-race expectations with a dominant win in the Superstock 1000 encounter. The Frenchman powered away into the lead taking Matteo Baiocco (O Six Kawasaki) and Matej Smrz (MS Racing Honda) with him, but he then pulled away at the mid-point to win easily, while his two rivals both crashed out.

Thanks to this second win in a row, Berger moves into the lead of the table on the same points as Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team), who finished fourth.

Loris Baz (YZF Yamaha Junior Team) scored an important win in the Superstock 600 race, his third of the year.

Superbike Race 1 Results
1. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 36:18.607 (152.933 km/h)
2. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 +0.137
3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +0.180
4. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +5.733
5. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +6.499
6. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR +6.984
7. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +8.300
8. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 +10.732
9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +16.547
10. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR +16.569
11. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +18.366
12. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 +22.308
13. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR1000RR +26.788
14. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR +26.856
15. Walker C. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR +32.877
16. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR +38.329

Race 2 Results
1. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 36:14.904 (153,193 km/h)
2. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1.848
3. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 +8.883
4. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +11.180
5. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +12.928
6. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 +13.696
7. Sykes T. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +13.872
8. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR +14.009
9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +19.065
10. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +19.864
11. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 +20.479
12. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 +20.621
13. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR +20.722
14. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR +24.512
15. Walker C. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR +32.090
16. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R +32.207

Point Standings
1. Bayliss (Ducati) 334
2. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 252
3. Corser (Yamaha) 242
4. Checa (Honda) 233
5. Haga (Yamaha) 230
6. Nieto (Suzuki) 183
7. Biaggi (Ducati) 166
8. Kiyonari (Honda) 165
9. Fabrizio (Ducati) 161
10. Xaus (Ducati) 148