It was hotter than hell at Brands Hatch, but it was the usual suspects at the front in both superbike and supersport races. More and more it looks like the GSE Ducati team is going to romp away with the championship, now that Leon Camier is getting up to speed both with his twin-cylinder bike, the team and his injuries. It is surely only a matter of time before Camier finishes in front of his team mate Shane Byrne, race one winner.

Surprisingly (for some) Cal Crutchlow looks like the Honda rider most likely to mount a challenge to the Ducatis, while Leon Haslam, desperate to get his championship challenge back on track, is pushing himself to the limit and beyond.

Long story short, it was Byrne, Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) and Haslam in race one. Then Crutchlow (still with a dislocated ankle) ahead of Byrne and Sykes in race two.

The supersport race was won by South African Hudson Kennaugh on a very fast and very tidy looking Raceways Yamaha R6 ahead of championship leader Glen Richards (Triumph) and Steve Brogan (HM Plant Honda). Brogan also won the superstock race on a Fireblade, giving him three wins out of three, ahead of Jon Kirkham on a Raceways Yamaha R1 and Marshall Neil on a Suzuki GSX-R1000.

BSB race one
1 Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) 29m 24.345s, 93.89mph
2. Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +1.855s
3. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) +3.111s
4. Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) +3.887s
5. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) +4.996s
6. James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) +15.815s
7. Stuart Easton (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +16.645s
8. Billy McConnell (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +26.446s
9. Simon Andrews (Lloyds British Jentin Racing) +30.384s
10. Tristan Palmer (Tena for Men Honda) +33.728s


BSB race two
1. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda)
2. Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) +0.110s
3. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) +0.748s
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +2.221s
5. Michael Rutter (North West 200 Ducati) +2.906s
6. Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) +3.097s
7. Stuart Easton (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +3.121s
8. James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) +4.147s
9. Billy McConnell (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +1 lap
10. Scott Smart (Hawk Kawasaki) + 1 lap

At Monza WSB in Italy, there wasn't much joy for Ducati on its 'home' race, as the in-line four cylinder bikes took advantage of the super-fast circuit. Actually, in terms of whose 'home' it was, Yamaha Italia is based closest to the circuit (3km away) and the wins of Nori Haga and Fabien Foret (in WSS) really were home victories. Haga, Neukirchner and Kiyonari made up the podium in race two, as Bayliss pulled out with a mechanical.

Race one was claimed by Neukirchner – his first WSB win – ahead of Haga and Bayliss. Overall, obviously Bayliss is still miles ahead. In fact he could probably take a couple of rounds off and still maintain the lead. Bayliss might have scored zero points in race two, but his nearest rival in the championship, Carlos Checa, crashed out, so even Bayliss' bad luck was negated.