Round eleven was to be held on the mostly fast Silverstone International Circuit, with the full track bisected by the run across from Becketts to Abbey. As well as Camier, the field included former Silverstone BSB winners Chris Walker, who had done so in 2000, and Michael Rutter, who had in 2003 and 2004. Having ridden a NW200 Yamaha, a Crescent Suzuki, an SMT Honda and an MSS Kawasaki this year, Rutter now returned with a Ducati for the Bathams team. Over the years he had won 12 races on Ducati bikes, including at Mallory Park last year.

The rider merry-go-round continued, and other changes here included the return of HM Plant Honda man Glen Richards, his broken leg from Knockhill now mended. Superstock regular, and former NW200 race winner, Alastair Seeley joined the field with the Relentless Suzuki by TAS team, with an ‘evo’ class Superbike that will be part of BSB in 2010. Seeley had been entered for the BSB races that never happened at Mondello Park in 2006, so this was his début proper. The SMT Honda team returned, now with sponsorship from Sorrymate.com and with experienced 2009 Honda rider Karl Harris. His switch from the Node 4 Yamaha team left an opening for Dan Linfoot - a race winner in British 125 races and European series races in both 250 and Superstock 600.

Qualifying saw yet another pole position for Camier, his ninth of the year. Team-mate Ellison was second for only the third time, and three Hondas followed the two Yamahas. Josh Brookes was third for HM Plant, with fourth and fifth going to Hydrex riders Easton and Tommy Hill. Kawasaki runners had P6 (John Laverty for Buildbase) and P7 (Simon Andrews for MSS Colchester), and eighth was taken by Sylvain Guintoli for Worx Crescent Suzuki.

Julien da Costa (MSS) was ninth, from Ian Lowry (Relentless), Graeme Gowland (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha), Richards and Walker (Motorpoint). A second wildcard outing for Co-ordit Yamaha rider Richard Cooper, a front runner at Mallory, saw him qualify in P14 and as the first Cup competitor. Then it was Tristan Palmer (Buildbase) and Seeley. Rutter qualified in P21, followed immediately by Harris.

However, Harris didn’t get as far as starting race one, as he had to pull into the pits with technical problems as the grid formed up. From fourth, Easton made another good start and led from Ellison, Brookes, Hill, Camier, Laverty, Andrews, Guintoli, Lowry and Richards. The second half of the first lap saw a change at the front. There is a braking zone for the left-handed Priory corner, which follows the fast right bend at Bridge. Ellison braked late here, forcing his way through on the inside of Easton.

The early pattern saw the first four getting away from the rest of the pack, but with Ellison also starting to pull clear of Easton, Brookes and Camier. Leon was always going to want to get after James, and he made use of a popular passing place. The Abbey corner is a tight right-hander, approached at speed, and Camier went to the inside of Brookes on the brakes. Not long after this Easton went a bit wide at the same corner, and Leon went through for an Airwaves one-two.

Once through into second, Camier steadily increased his advantage over Easton, who was coming under attack from Brookes. The Maggotts curve is a fast left kink immediately before a couple of right-handers, and Josh was able to dive to the outside of Stuart here to make it through to third. Behind these two, Hill was still fifth, from Laverty, but with Guintoli having overtaken Andrews at Abbey. Then it was Lowry, Richards, da Costa, Gowland, Seeley, Tommy Bridewell, Gary Mason, Palmer, Cooper, Peter Hickman and Tom Tunstall. Rutter and Walker had both had to retire.

The race win was clearly to be decided between team-mates Ellison and Camier, and Leon went for the lead on the inside at Abbey. This move took him well wide, giving James the place straight back. A second attempt at the same place ended the same way. However, the penultimate lap saw Camier go for the outside at Bridge, which put him on the inside for Priory, where he secured it on the brakes. It was another Camier race win, but it also deservedly secured his title. Indeed, a tally of 20 BSB wins equalled the record of fan favourite Walker.

Like in qualifying, two Yamaha men led three Honda men and then a Kawasaki, in fact with Brookes, Easton, Hill and Laverty also in the same order as the grid. Guintoli was seventh, and Lowry had also got by Andrews for eighth, with da Costa next after his team-mate at the flag. Richards (13th) fell victim to Gowland (11th) and Bridewell (12th), and was followed by Mason and Hickman, with Seeley also a non-finisher.

Fitness concerns meant that Richards was a non-starter for race two, although Harris did make it this time. Easton led away again, ahead of Camier, but the new champion had a moment that dropped him behind Hill, Brookes, Ellison and Andrews, and meant a Hydrex one-two. Laverty was seventh until da Costa got past, but at Abbey there were problems as Palmer’s Kawasaki suffered an oil spill that accounted for Bridewell and a couple of others. The race was red flagged for a full restart.

This time Easton led Brookes, Ellison, Camier, Hill, Andrews, Laverty, da Costa, Walker, Gowland, Guintoli and Lowry. Camier passed Ellison for third on the inside at Priory, but after the left at Brooklands and the long right at Luffield, the final left-right ‘bus stop’ chicane saw James back ahead, taking the inside for the left-hander. He went on the get second from Brookes inside at Abbey, and Ellison set fastest lap on his second circuit.

Camier took his turn and overtook Brookes on the inside at Abbey, then chased Ellison and got through to second on the inside for Luffield. This time Leon set the fastest lap, and then he was in position to take the lead from Easton. Like he had done earlier, Camier ran out wide after getting through on the inside of Easton at Abbey, but this time he went much further and was out on the grass. He was only eighth when he got back on track, but was really on a mission from then.

Whilst Easton continued leading Ellison, Camier passed da Costa on the inside for Priory, and soon after he also went past Laverty on the inside for the left apex at the chicane. He soon added Andrews to the list, and a new fastest lap brought him up behind fourth man Hill. Meantime, Ellison had taken the lead from Easton now, passing on the outside into Maggotts. From there he eased away into a race of his own.

Third man Brookes was getting away from Hill and closer to Easton, with Camier joining the picture as he passed Tommy at Priory. Stuart had to defend from a determined Josh, but Leon had other ideas. He dived inside the Australian at Priory, but it was another move that sent him well wide and let the Honda rider back past. But at the following Brooklands turn he was towards the outside so that he could get through on the inside at Luffield.

Brookes attacked Camier out of the Ireland bend left onto the back straight, but the next change came when Leon went outside at Bridge to get inside Easton for Priory and past. Onto the last lap Camier was second only to team-mate Ellison, but this time he wasn’t close enough and James won for the fourth time. However, Easton and Brookes were together, and Josh took the last podium position at the last moment, into the chicane.

Hill retained fifth to the flag again, with da Costa getting past Andrews, after the exit of Laverty, for sixth. Walker dropped places so that Guintoli was eighth, from Lowry and Seeley. Chris led home Bridewell (NB Suzuki), Hickman (Ultimate Yamaha), Harris, Rutter, Tunstall (Hardinge Honda), Martin Jessopp (Riders Honda), Aaron Zanotti (Red Viper Honda) and Michael Howarth (STP MV Agusta).

Leon Camier, at 23 years and a couple of months, is the youngest British Superbike Champion. Terry Rymer was 23 years and six months when he took the 1990 750cc TT F1 British Supercup, which was the BSB of its day. Leon also has the distinction of having already taken British championship titles in the 125cc GP class (2001) and in Supersport (2005), which no other BSB champ can claim - although others can claim the Supersport-Superbike double, whilst Neil Hodgson missed out the Supersport route.

In only three seasons of BSB racing, Camier reached the podium for the thirtieth time at Silverstone. And in such a good year for the latest Yamaha in the hands of the GSE/Airwaves team, with help from the Motorpoint boys the R1 has now earned 36 podium appearances this year. This overtakes Yamaha’s impressive tally of 35 back in 1996. How far will that extend in the final triple header at Oulton Park?

Standings after twenty-three races: Camier 479.5; Ellison 380; Easton 329; Brookes 163; Lowry 149; Andrews 146.5; da Costa 144; Harris 124.5; Walker 122; Guintoli 115; Laverty 114.5; Mason 112.

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