Source: Suzuki Racing.

Howie Mainwaring celebrated both his and the Quattro Plant Kawasaki team’s first victory in a dramatic opener to the triple-header final round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in the damp conditions at Brands Hatch.

Byrne and Kiyonari chasing a record-breaking fourth title ended the opening day on the same points as they started with after both crashed out of contention, meaning the title will be decided at the Kent circuit Sunday.

Kiyonari high-sided off his Buildbase BMW on his second lap in the morning free practice, fracturing his left collarbone. The Japanese rider opted to sit out the Saturday race, but he is bidding to keep his championship hopes alive by lining up in the final two races of the season on Sunday.

Kiyonari will go into the two races 12 points down on Byrne, who had started his Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki from the front row of the grid, alongside first time pole-starter James Ellison on the Lloyds British GBmoto Kawasaki.

Byrne was running in second place to Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Dan Linfoot as the race continued but on the seventh lap disaster struck for the local hero as he crashed out unhurt at Clarke Curve.

Byrne said: “I thought I’ll just sit here, watch the gap behind me and sat in second but you know you come into Clearways, and we had a similar situation in the wet qualifying in August when loads of us fell down, nothing any different and then the next thing you’re on your rear. I was sliding through the gravel actually thinking how did that just happen?! I’ve done nothing different why?”

Byrne could only watch as Mainwaring, amid a frantic finish held off the fierce challenge of Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Waters. The pair were side-by-side as they ran through Clearways on the final lap but Mainwaring won the dash to the line by just 0.047s.

Jon Kirkham riding the Halsall Biker Gear Kawasaki scored his first podium of the season in third with Linfoot back in fourth.

Tommy Bridewell moved into third place in the title stakes, by a single point, at the expense of his Milwaukee Yamaha team-mate Josh Brookes. Bridewell finished fifth with Stuart Easton and Ellison pushing Brookes back into eighth. James Westmoreland and Chris Walker completed the top 10.

Private Kawasaki-mounted Aussies Bryan Staring and Jed Metcher crossed the line in 17th and 18th positions, respectively.

Glenn Irwin held off the determined Alastair Seeley to take his Gearlink Kawasaki to a fifth victory of the season in decisive Motorpoint British Supersport Championship Sprint race.

Second place for MarTrain Yamaha riding Seeley kept alive his hopes of regaining the crown as the two riders above him in the title stakes, Smiths Triumph teammates Billy McConnell and Graeme Gowland, had a tough race.

Gowland overcame a third row start to fight through into sixth place but McConnell, who had slid off in the wet qualifying fought through from the ninth row to take ninth place. He has a 15-point advantage entering Sunday.

In qualifying for the Superstock categories, Jason O’Halloran rode his Honda to second in the 1000 ranks, while Levi Day was fifth and Benjamin Currie eighth in the 600s.

2014 British Superbike Championship
Round 12 – Brands Hatch

Superbike race one results:
1. Howie Mainwaring
2. Josh Waters (AUS)
3. Jon Kirkham
4. Dan Linfoot
5. Tommy Bridewell
6. Stuart Easton
7. James Ellison
8. Josh Brookes (AUS)
9. James Westmoreland
10. Chris Walker
17. Bryan Staring (AUS)
18. Jed Metcher (AUS)

Click here for detailed results