Bad luck for Greg as Kiyo takes lead
Gregorio Lavilla’s impressive title lead was pried from his fingertips by Ryuichi Kiyonari after a fantastic double win at Snetterton. Lavilla could do nothing but watch from the sidelines as a mechanical failure in race two meant his first DNF of the year – and Kiyonari took to the top step with an 11 point advantage in the championship chase.
The weekend started well for Ducati-mounted Lavilla, who qualified on the front row, just behind Shane Byrne, scoring his first pole position of the year, and HM Plant Honda’s Jonathan Rea. Lavilla’s team-mate Leon Haslam completed the front row.
However, the Spaniard tipped off in morning warm-up on race day, surely a hint of the misfortune to come.
As the lights turned green for race one, it was Rea who powered into turn one first, with Haslam, Kiyonari and Byrne right on his back wheel. The impressive rookie Tom Sykes aboard the Stobart Vent-Axia Honda made a great start in fifth spot. On lap four, Byrne’s Honda ground to a halt, elevating team-mate Sykes to fourth.
The leading trio of Rea, Haslam and Kiyonari set the pace, stretching ahead of the chasing pack, but soon the familiar sight of a menacing Lavilla appeared on the tail of Sykes, who was not at all keen to let the former champion steal his thunder! A few laps into this battle, however, youth gave in to experience as Lavilla muscled his way through at the chicane.
Kiyonari snatched the lead from Rea moments later, and the HM Plant team-mates continued to pull away from a struggling Haslam. The second of Lavilla’s bad luck moments occurred on lap 16 as he went grass tracking, rejoining the pack in sixth.
Kiyo held on for the win, ahead of Rea, who surely could have been victorious if it wasn’t for aiding his team-mate in closing the points gap, and Haslam just held off Sykes for third. Leon Camier, from the back of the grid due to a mechanical problem in qualifying, recovered to an outstanding fifth. Lavilla was followed home by Tommy Hill, the Rizla Suzukis of Cal Crutchlow and Chris Walker, and Tommy Bridewell rounding out the top ten.
Once again, in race two, it was Rea who hit the front, chased by Haslam, Byrne and Kiyonari, with Lavilla slotting into sixth. Kiyonari wasted no time showing who was in charge, diving underneath Byrne and then Haslam before setting off after Rea. Lavilla’s race came to a very premature and disappointing end on lap five when his Ducati decided the race was over. Sykes was once again on a charge, circulating in fifth ahead of an aggressive-riding Camier, who had again powered for the back row of the grid to the top six in a matter of minutes.
Haslam’s earlier problems seemed to be troubling him still as Byrne swiftly stole third from him on lap 13, and Haslam dropped back into the clutches of Sykes. Michael Rutter suffered a spectacular crash on the exit of the chicane on lap 15, as the bike burst into flames, forcing the safety car to take to the track. With just four laps remaining, Kiyonari, now leading, rode defensively to hold off Rea for the double win. Byrne put race one’s demons behind him to take third, ahead of Sykes, who got the better of Haslam, and Camier. Hill put in a good performance for seventh, and Scott Smart got the better of a struggling Walker for eighth. Ollie Bridewell completed the top ten after younger brother Tommy was forced to retire from a fantastic eighth place. |
