Source: Supplied.

Billy McConnell wound up just shy of the Superstock 1000 crown at Brands Hatch’s final round of the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship after a desperate bid for the title resulted in a costly fall.

The Buildbase Suzuki rider laid it on the line in the treacherous conditions in an attempt to overcome a 10.5 point deficit, ultimately losing the rear five laps in while challenging for position.

Despite the loss, the number three is still content with what his 2018 campaign consisted of as he recorded a number of victories for vice champion honours.

“What can I say?,” said McConnell. “It’s obviously not the result we wanted or the way we wanted to end the championship. But I knew that really, I needed to win to have the best chance and Keith [Farmer] was really strong in the conditions as well. But it’s racing, it’s the way it goes sometimes, and today just wasn’t our day.

“We still managed second in the championship and we’ve had a good year – the bike’s been great, we’ve won a lot of races, and it’s been a lot of fun. So big thank you to the team and all of my sponsors for an amazing season and well done to Keith.”

Eventual champion Keith Farmer also crashed out of the encounter, meaning the points advantage remained at 10.5 to round a competitive year in the category.