April 13, 2009. After a blistering start, Stuart Easton number 3 riding the Hydrex Honda, came out in front after the Paddock Hill bend shuffle, with Karl Harris on the number 5 bike the other Hydrex Honda prepared machine in second, at the back of the front three was number 25 Steve Plater on his HM Plant Honda. 

 

As they all came out of the Graham Hill Bend and down the Cooper straight together Glen Richards 45 Steve Platers’ team mate on the other HM Plant Honda was in fourth with the winner of race 1 Sylvain Guintoli on the number 50 Worx Crescent Suzuki staying with them in 5th.

The 3rd lap saw no change in the leaders which was very surprising as all three front riders were very close, to the extent that there was visible fairing bashing between Easton and Harris as they exited the back straight. 

 

 

By the 4th lap Easton has pulled a very slight gap between first and second. Behind him there is a battle going on for 3rd between Glen Richards and Steve Plater with a change in the top three on lap 7, Easton, Plater then Leon Camier 2 on the Airwaves Yamaha, with Richards dropping to 4th Harris 5th and Guintoli keeping 6th place on the leader board. Chris Walker 9 on the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha is running in 7th place.

 

In lap 10 the leaders were fighting their own game and the most interesting battle was between Chris Walker and Gary Mason, they were neck and neck rubbing shoulders trying to out brake each other into Surtees and McLaren.

 

Lap 11 Plater on the 25 bike is really trying to hold off Leon Camier for second position and finally on the next lap he isn’t able to anymore and Camier passes coming out of Clearways changing the top three in lap 15 to Easton, Camier then Plater.

By 16 Camier is right on the tail of Easton and we could see the inevitable overtaking maneuver unfolding, even if it’s not this lap it will be soon I predict. The front five riders are now pulling away with the biggest gap being between 5th and 6th. 

By 18 the two front riders are creating a gap and have split the pack into two groups and as predicted on lap 19 Camier took Easton with Plater in Third, but he couldn’t hold it coming of Clearways, they were handle-bar to handle-bar with Easton keeping the line pushing Camier back into 2nd. Camier didn’t stay there for long, by the end of lap 21 he was back in the driving seat and was able to make it stick, by Druids he was starting to pull away from Easton. 

Black clouds on the horizon are threatening rain and while the fight at the front was happening Guintoli moved up to third taking Plater on lap 24. Lap 25 sees Camier in front with Easton 2nd and Guintoli keeping 3rd, Walker and Mason are also still dueling it out for 8th and 9th place respectively.

On lap 26 Guintoli took Easton at the end of the home straight, now he has his work cut out to catch Camier if he wants to make this weekend a double win for the Worx Crescent Suzuki, with the back tyres on numerous bikes visibly losing grip lap 29 saw the order fixed that would run to the finish line:

1st Leon Camier, Yamaha Airwaves,

2nd Sylvain Guintoli, Worx Crescent Suzuki

3rd Steve Plater, HM Plant Honda

4th Stuart Easton, Hydrex Honda

5th Glen Richards, HM Plant Honda 

6th Karl Harris, Hydrex Honda

The fastest lap was by Stuart Easton on lap 3 with a 46.320 and average speed of 93.15 MPH.

There were two DNF’s:

Alistair Fagan, Honda Red Viper Racing

Brian McCormack, Kawasaki MAR Racing.