Donington Park BSB: Leon Camier takes victory in race one

Leon Camier dominated a drama-filled first British Superbike race at Donington Park today, leading home team-mate James Ellison for an Airwaves Yamaha 1-2, their first of the season.

However, a coming together on the sighting lap between the Crescent Worx Suzuki of Sylvain Guintoli and HM Plant Honda of Josh Brookes at the Melbourne Hairpin eliminated both riders from the race.

More disappointingly, the Frenchman has since been diagnosed with a broken tibia and fibia and is expected to be out of action for 8 to 10 weeks.

It was Ellison who grabbed the holeshot and he held on at the front until lap 5 when team-mate Camier slid through at the Esses, the Kent youngster having already done a similar trick to the fast starting Chris Walker and Stuart Easton.

The 23-year old promptly opened a gap at the head of the field to eventually win by 3.644 seconds.

Ellison took a comfortable second for his first podium of the season whilst Easton, who had fitted a new gearbox in morning warm-up, took third.

Glen Richards salvaged HM Plant Honda’s pride with a strong fourth, having overtaken Walker with a strong move at Redgate on lap 15, the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha rider still recording his best result of the year in fifth.

A somewhat subdued Karl Harris took sixth with, arguably, the ride of the day coming from Ian Lowry.

The young Ulsterman was down in 24th at the end of the first lap but pulled all the way through to 8th on the Relentless by TAS Suzuki.

Simon Andrews was heavily involved in the battle for third until he slid off, uninjured, at Goddards on the seventh lap.

Result
1 Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha)
2 James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha)
3 Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda)
4 Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda)
5 Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha)
6 Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda)
7 Julien Da Costa (MSS Colchester Kawasaki)
8 Ian Lowry (Relentless by TAS Suzuki)
9 John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki)
10 Graeme Gowland (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha)