Donington Park BSB: Ellison takes race two win

James Ellison made it a day to remember when he followed up his first race second with his first ever British Superbike Championship win, taking the second 20-lap race at Donington Park.

The Airwaves Yamaha rider hit the front on the 8th lap and immediately left his rivals trailing in his wake, taking the chequered flag by 2.582 seconds.

The original race was red flagged on the 2nd lap when the water hose on Karl Harris’ Hydrex Honda split throwing water onto the rear wheel and pitching the unfortunate Sheffield rider off at the top of Hollywood.

In the re-start though, it was Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) who held the early initiative before Glen Richards took over on the third lap. The duo then exchanged places along with Stuart Easton before Ellison made his charge.

Third on lap six, the Cumbrian rider then overtook Easton and Walker on successive laps and once ahead, he continued to lap two to three tenths quicker than second placed Easton, romping home for a memorable win.

Easton was secure in second but Walker had to work extremely hard to see off the close attentions of firstly Richards and then the MSS Colchester Kawasaki duo of Simon Andrews and Julien da Costa for the final podium place.

Walker took third by just 0.212s from Andrews with the unlucky da Costa suffering a misfire in the closing stages and dropping back to 11th. Richards held on to fifth with Ian Lowry completing a strong day on his Relentless by TAS Suzuki in sixth.

Leon Camier hit problems on the third lap, pulling up at the Melbourne Hairpin when in third but he was able to rejoin, albeit in last place, and he managed to take 4 hard earned points for 12th.

Harris’ day went from bad to worse when he crashed out of seventh on the final lap whilst HM Plant Honda’s Josh Brookes also had a day to forget as he highsided on the exit of the Esses on the 8th lap.

Result
1 James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha)
2 Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda)
3 Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha)
4 Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki)
5 Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda)
6 Ian Lowry (Relentless by TAS Suzuki)
7 Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda)
8 Tristan Palmer (Buildbase Kawasaki)
9 John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki)
10 Graeme Gowland (Henderson/Motorpoint Yamaha)

Championship Points (after 3 rounds)
Camier 117, Ellison 89, Easton 78, Guintoli 77, Richards 76, Harris 60, Walker 49, Mason 46, Lowry 40, Andrews 35