British SBK: Brands Hatch

Julian Taylor 

 April 13, 2009.  To the relief of everyone in the paddock, the first race of the 2009 season at the British Superbikes at Brands Hatch in Kent was dry. Last year all but two of the rounds were wet, so hopefully this is the start of good things to come this season.

From the start, Leon Camier, Airwaves-Yamaha, took the lead out of the first corner around the Paddock Hill Bend and down the blind apex to Druids.  Holding that lead for only a short time before the trio of riders that would battle throughout the early race took over,  Stuart Easton, Hydrex- Honda, 25 Steve Plater, HM Plant-Honda and Glen Richards the other HM Plant-Honda.

By the 3rd lap, Easton was starting to pull away when the safety car came out due to a fallen rider at clearways, the safety car was on the circuit for 3 laps which enabled the pack to bunch back up again and Easton, Plater and Richards came out from the safety car all guns blazing, however, Easton had lost any advantage he had. 

On lap 7, Richards took the lead from Easton in a closely fought scrap and by lap 8 the front row pole sitter number 50 Sylvain Guintoli, Suzuki Worx Cresent was  right on their tails. Lap 9 saw Richards take the lead with Easton right behind him and Plater also just there. Leon Camier is now fifth and Karl Harris is running sixth. 

In lap 10, Easton drops down another place with Plater taking second and 101 Gary Mason, Honda-Quay Garage, moving up to sixth becoming visible on the leader board. Lap 12 is Richards, Plater and Guintoli with Easton dropping back with 5 riders fighting it out at the front. Lap 13, Plater is back on top with Easton still hanging on, but in 14 Easton drops to the back of the leading pack after a couple of position changes coming into Clearways with Plater holding lap 16. Then the shock happens and 25 Steve Plater loses grip at Druids and falls letting Guintoli take the lead which is where he stays for the rest of the race. Laps 17 to 19 are all about the top three pulling away from the pack with Chris Walker back in 15th place on the number 9 Yamaha Motorpoint/Hendersen machine.

 On lap 21, the three top riders are pulling away from the 4th 5th and the 6th place battle with Gary Mason 101 keeping fifth just behind number 7 James Ellison, Airways Yamaha in fourth with the second bunch of riders over a second behind the front pack. After lap 25, Easton has dropped back and the front riders are totally on their own with the second group being a mixture of 7 riders. Number 7 Ellison and number 2 Camier battle it out for 4th and 5th place with lap 28 seeing them swap positions and Camier moving into the 4th slot.

Lap 29 sees the order as Guintoli, Richards, Easton, Camier, Ellison and Mason all finishing in their respective positions.

Guintoli takes his first win of the first round with Richards holding onto second and Easton putting in a very respectable third place.