Silverstone BSB: Byrne battles to race one win

Shane Byrne has extended his championship lead with only four races left in the MCE British Superbike series, taking a dramatic race win at Silverstone.

Main title rival Ryuichi Kiyonari was second, leading for just as much of the race as Byrne, but wasn’t able to make a move stick.
 
The leaders, switching places six times on the closing lap alone, didn’t have it all their own way either, with Josh Brookes, all but out of the title fight but looking to cause an upset, right behind them.
 
It was Byrne though that made the move, being the later of the brakers into Brooklands to elbow out Kiyonari for the win.
 
Speaking about the move afterwards, Byrne said: “we were banging elbows going down the straight, and I was sitting alongside Kiyo and suddenly thought ‘whichever one of us brakes first will win this.’ I saw him brake, though, let out a huge sigh of relief, and managed to hold it!”
 
Showdown rider Dan Linfoot was able to come through to an excellent fourth to leave him even in the points with Tommy Bridewell, while Byrne’s teammate Stuart Easton was fifth and the wildcard Honda of Julien Da Costa was sixth.
 
Chris Walker, still suffering from his Assen race two crash, was an early fourth, but faded back to finish the race twelfth.

    Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki)
    Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW) +0.084s
    Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.368s
    Dan Linfoot (Quattro Plant Kawasaki) +17.952s
    Stuart Easton (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +18.524s
    Julien Da Costa (Honda Racing UK) +18.572s
    Josh Waters (Tyco Suzuki) +18.924s
    James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW) +19.454s
    Peter Hickman (RAF Reserves Honda) +19.490s
    Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) +20.387s