Source: BSB.

Shane Byrne became the most successful rider in the history of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship celebrating the title for a record fourth time at Brands Hatch.

The Rapid Solictors Kawasaki rider bounced back from a crash in Saturday’s opening race, which was won by Howie Mainwaring, with a double win in the final two races at the Kent circuit, taking his career victory tally to 61 in the series.

Byrne sealed the title in the first of the Sunday races, when his rival Ryuichi Kiyonari was forced to withdraw after fracturing his collarbone in a crash from his Buildbase BMW in the damp free practice session on Saturday.

Kiyonari had extensive treatment in an last ditch attempt to race, but was forced to withdraw. However Byrne had a far from easy time as he started from the third row of the grid, running 10th on the opening lap, before fighting to lead at half distance to take the win by two seconds from Lloyds British GBmoto Kawasaki’s James Ellison.

After his first race win, Byrne said: “I would have dearly loved for Kiyo to be out there with me and to try and fight with him over these three races. That said, I never made him fall down, you know I fell down yesterday and it could have gone either way.

“Guys were treating the first and second corners like they were the last lap of the race and sort of shoving and barging and I thought blimey, ‘let’s just try and get round the first lap’. I managed to bring the bike home and we won so I think it’s a fitting way to take the title with a double win and I’m absolutely over the moon.”

Byrne believed that he owed it to Kiyonari to complete the double and again he had a fight on his hands, especially in the early stages.

“It was getting a bit crazy but I tried to lead with a strong pace,” he added. “I really wanted to win as to me the only way of justifying the title was to complete the double. That gave me the extra drive to make the title so real.”

Ellison was again second with Tommy Bridewell taking third place, enough to give him third place in the overall standings ahead of his Milwaukee Yamaha teammate Josh Brookes who finished fifth, adrift of Stuart Easton.

After finishing second on Saturday, Josh Waters (Tyco Suzuki) closed the season with 16-15 finishes, which sealed ninth in the standings. Jed Metcher (PR Racing Kawasaki) ended the round with a pair of 18ths, while Bryan Staring (Team WD-40 Kawasaki) was 16th in race three.

Smith’s Triumph rider Billy McConnell won his first-career British Supersport Championship with an eighth place finish in the feature race, enough to claim the title by just four points over race winner Alastair Seely.

Jason O’Halloran snatched an amazing Superstock 1000 victory in a closely-fought final round to take his second win of the season. The Australian had been in third place going into the final lap, but he hounded down Hudson Kennaugh, forcing his Honda ahead going through Clearways and then claiming victory by inches from Danny Buchan, who had started at the back of the grid.

Kyle Ryde held off fierce title rival Andy Reid on a last lap Superstock 600 thriller to take the victory and with it the crown. Australian Levi Day was 11th on Sunday, as countryman Benjamin Currie was a non-finisher.

2014 British Superbike Championship
Round 12 – Brands Hatch

Superbike race two results:
1. Shane Byrne
2. James Ellison
3. Howie Mainwaring
4. Josh Brookes (AUS)
5. Stuart Easton
6. Tommy Bridewell
7. Jon Kirkham
8. Dan Linfoot
9. James Westmoreland
10. John Hopkins
16. Josh Waters (AUS)
18. Jed Metcher (AUS)

Superbike race three results:
1. Shane Byrne
2. James Ellison
3. Tommy Bridewell
4. Stuart Easton
5. Josh Brookes (AUS)
6. Dan Linfoot
7. Jon Kirkham
8. John Hopkins
9. Peter Hickman
10. Chris Walker
15. Josh Waters (AUS)
16. Bryan Staring (AUS)
18. Jed Metcher (AUS)

Superbike championship standings:
1. Shane Byrne 682
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari 620
3. Tommy Bridewell 587
4. Josh Brookes (AUS) 584
5. Dan Linfoot 577
6. Chris Walker 525
7. Stuart Easton 231
8. James Ellison 223
9. Josh Waters (AUS) 192
10. John Hopkins 125
25. Glen Richards (AUS) 21
27. Jed Metcher (AUS) 12

Supersport feature race results:
1. Alastair Seely
2. Glenn Irwin
3. Luke Jones
4. Jake Dixon
5. Luke Stapleford
6. Luke Hedger
7. Luke Mossey
8. Billy McConnell (AUS)
9. Dean Hipwell
10. Bjorn Estment

Supersport championship standings:
1. Billy McConnell (AUS) 364
2. Alastair Seeley 360
3. Graeme Gowland 341
4. Glenn Irwin 315
5. Luke Jones 279
6 Luke Stapleford 262
7. Luke Mossey 244
8. Jake Dixon 162
9. James Rispoli 150
10. Taylor Mackenzie 148

Click here for detailed results