MCE Ducati's Tom Sykes claimed a breakthrough first win of the season in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship eBay Sprint Race at Donington Park this afternoon (Saturday).
The former WorldSBK champion led from start to finish, and claimed his and the team's first win of the season, 1.4 seconds clear of McAMS Yamaha's Jason O'Halloran, with FHO Racing BMW's Peter Hickman, celebrating his 400th race start in the championship, taking third after a last corner move on Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha's Bradley Ray.
Ray extended his championship lead to 45 points in the process, but that margin could have been even bigger as he had run in the podium positions for most of the race before his final corner drama.
Title Fighters Glenn Irwin and Lee Jackson battled to fifth and sixth for Honda Racing UK and Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki respectively, ahead of Tommy Bridewell who slipped down to eighth on the Oxford Products Racing Ducati, conceding more ground to Ray.
Local man Leon Haslam claimed ninth for VisionTrack Kawasaki, just head of Hickman's teammate Ryan Vickers, who completed the top-10.
More to follow
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Donington Park GP, eBay
Sprint Race:
1. Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati) 15 laps
2. Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +1.476s
3. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +2.085s
4. Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) +2.224s
5. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +3.277s
6. Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) +8.052s
7. Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) +9.979s
8. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +11.075s
9. Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) +13.069s
10. Ryan Vickers (FHO Racing BMW) +13.453s
Full result to follow
Tickets for the the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Donington Park are available upon arrival at the venue all weekend, with free entry for children under-13. For more information, click here.