THE Showdown began at Assen with Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Waters claiming his first British Superbike win as Championship leader Shane Byrne crashed out.
Rain began to fall before race one at Assen giving the riders an eight minute sighting lap, but unfortunately Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes was unable to make it out of pitlane and was therefore forced to start at the back of the grid and crashed on the opening lap.
Showdown contender Dan Linfoot led the field into turn one, but Byrne fought his way through from a fourth row start to take over at the front leaving Linfoot in second with Waters in third until the ninth lap.
Waters made his move to take the lead on the eleventh lap for the first time in his British Superbike career with Buildbase BMW’s Kiyonari closing in on biggest rival Byrne until the penultimate lap where the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider crashed out at high-speed allowing Kiyonari to take second behind Australian Waters.
It was Byrne’s team-mate Stuart Easton that claimed the final step on the podium with James Ellison in fourth for the GBmoto team after coming back from injuries sustained at Brands Hatch
Results:
1. Josh Waters AUS Tyco Suzuki 31:59.961
2. Ryuichi Kiyonari JPN Buildbase BMW +0.184
3. Stuart Easton GBR Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki +23.904
4. James Ellison GBR GBmoto Kawasaki +24.637
5. Christian Iddon GBR Alstare Junior Bimota +24.971
6. Dan Linfoot GBR Quattro Plant Kawasaki +37.273
7. Jed Metcher AUS PR Kawasaki +38.068
8. Howie Mainwaring GBR Quattro Plant Kawasaki +49.647
9. Tommy Bridewell GBR Milwaukee Yamaha +50.861
10. Lee Jackson GBR Buildbase BMW +52.446
11. Gary Mason GBR Tsingtao WK Kawasaki +56.861
12. Peter Hickman GBR RAF Reserves Honda +1:04.840
13. Ben Wilson GBR Gearlink Kawasaki +1:28.743
14. James Westmoreland GBR Buildbase BMW +1:37.340
15. Aaron Zanotti GBR AZ Suzuki +1:54.787
16. Chris Walker GBR GBmoto Kawasaki + 1 lap
17. Mitchell Carr AUS Anvil TAG Kawasaki + 1 lap
18. Martin Jessopp GBR RidersMotorcycles.com BMW + 1 lap
19. Barry Burrell GBR WD-40 Kawasaki + 1 lap
DNF. Shane Byrne GBR Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki
DNF. John Hopkins USA Tyco Suzuki
DNF. Filip Backlund SWE FXX Yamaha
DNF. John Ingram GBR Morello Services PBR Kawasaki
DNF. Joe Burns GBR Refresh Debt Solutions Kawasaki
DNF. Jon Kirkham GBR Halsall Kawasaki
DNF. Christophe Ponsson LUX Alstare Junior Bimota
DNF. Patric Muff SUI Bathams BMW
DNF. Kevin Valk NED Anvil TAG Kawasaki
DNF. Josh Brookes AUS Milwaukee Yamaha
DNF. Rhalf Lo Turco BRA SBK City Kawasaki
