It was not going to be a perfect weekend for the GSE/Airwaves team though. 21-year-old Leon Camier, a race winner at Snetterton, was involved in a Saturday qualifying crash on his Ducati 1098R. The English rider was knocked out in the incident, and after a run in the Sunday warm-up session decided not to race - which meant not defending his current third place overall. But for Byrne the signs were still good. He qualified on the front of the grid, as he had done everywhere else, with only the pole-sitting HM Plant Honda of Cal Crutchlow ahead of him.

Honda appeared twice on the front row, with Crutchlow’s team-mate Leon Haslam fourth. The third make of bike among the leaders was that of Tom Sykes, third for Rizla Suzuki. His partner ‘Atsu’ Watanabe was in P13. Yamaha joined in, with Karl Harris fifth on the Rob McElnea team’s R1, and then Simon Andrews on the Jentin/Lloyds machine. Michael Rutter was seventh (NW200 Ducati) and James Ellison eighth (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda).

Row three was led by Tristan Palmer (TENA for Men Honda), from Billy McConnell (MSS Discovery Kawasaki), Scott Smart (Hawk Racing Kawasaki) and privateer Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda). Watanabe was followed by Michael Laverty (Relentless by TAS Suzuki), privateer John Laverty (Buildbase NW200 Ducati) and James Haydon (still substituting at MSS).

Race one would have the additional attraction of being declared ‘wet’, with a wet-dry track after earlier rain, and therefore tyre choice could be critical. Sykes went straight to the front from Haslam, with James Ellison taking second by passing the HM Plant rider on the left along the fast Lakeside section. Harris and Crutchlow followed, although Cal would lose a couple places in these early stages as riders gauged grip levels. Andrews and Byrne were the beneficiaries, with Palmer and McConnell behind them, then Rutter, Mason, Watanabe, Haydon, the Lavertys, Smart and David Johnson in pursuit.

Sykes and Ellison began to establish an advantage over the rest, with Crutchlow now passing Harris on the inside through the first right-hander Old Hall, to run fourth behind team-mate Haslam. Another gap was opening behind sixth man Andrews. The two men racing for the lead were both riders with a best BSB result of second, and now Ellison attacked Sykes. He went to the outside around the fast left kink Island Bend, out of Lakeside, and passed on the brakes on the inside for the next right banked Shell Oils loop. However, James went wide here, allowing Tom back ahead, but the Honda powered out of the corner and the pass was made.

The first five were getting clear of the following back, and now there was an HM Plant Honda change as Crutchlow passed Haslam going down from Hill Top to the Knicker Brook chicane. Ellison set fastest lap, but was still closely pursued by Sykes and Crutchlow, with Haslam and Harris in touch. Meanwhile, Byrne’s 2008 form was telling again, as he recovered from a disappointing start to catch and pass Andrews for sixth. His speed would soon bring him up to the pair ahead.

The lead changed as Sykes found a tight line for the first right-hand apex at Knicker Brook, getting just inside Ellison. Once through he would begin to pull away, whilst James would soon lose out to Crutchlow. However, there was trouble looming for Cal when he managed to crash at the left-right-left Brittens chicane, between Shell Oils and Hill Top, causing some damage to the Honda. He was able to get into the race again, but back in ninth as McConnell’s momentum took him past on the outside at the final right bend of Knicker Brook.

Before Crutchlow’s incident, there had been some drama in the second group of riders. Haslam, Harris and Byrne were all closely grouped, and there was contact at Shell Oils hairpin. Karl drifted wide going round, and was clipped from behind by Byrne as he moved back across. The Yamaha was brought down in the incident, while the Ducati continued, and it was yet another instance of 2008 bad luck for Harris. There would be an investigation of Byrne’s role in the crash. Sykes therefore now led Ellison, Haslam, Byrne, Andrews, Rutter, McConnell, Crutchlow (in fact eighth after his indiscretion) and Michael Laverty.

The leaders became more spaced out from one another as they motored on in the final stages, with both Sykes and Ellison clear at the front. Byrne regrouped after the Harris incident and got onto the tail of Haslam, with Andrews not too far back. Shane made his move on the inside at the final right-handed Lodge Corner, with Leon getting a slight rear slide on the brakes as he tried to stay ahead. Byrne was through and chasing Ellison in the final laps, but didn’t quite get there. And Sykes was comfortable for his first BSB victory.

Ellison’s late race had been affected by the choice of softer settings for intermediate wet-dry track conditions, leading to some tyre wear as the surface dried out. But he stayed ahead of Byrne, who stopped to pick up Harris on the slow down lap. Haslam was fourth, then Andrews, while Crutchlow recovered to take sixth from Rutter, going round the outside of the Ducati man over the start-finish line towards the end.

McConnell was eighth, then Michael Laverty, John Laverty (his seventh win in the privateer Cup championship), Smart, Haydon, Watanabe, Dean Ellison (Co-ordit Racing Yamaha), Tom Grant (SMT Honda) and Martin Jessopp (Riders Racing Honda). Non-scorers included Camier, Harris and also Palmer and Mason.

Race two was in fully dry conditions, and this time Haslam led Sykes, Crutchlow and Byrne away. James Ellison was on the attack behind the Ducati man exiting Shell Oils hairpin, and already a gap was opening to Rutter, Andrews, Smart and the rest. Michael Laverty was up to ninth, from McConnell, Harris, Mason, John Laverty, Haydon, Dean Ellison, Johnson, Grant and Guy Martin.

Sykes was attacking Haslam at Knicker Brook, and he made it past at the bending right Druids Corner, where he fired out faster and could get alongside on the inside going down to Lodge. Tom then seemed to be stretching away, but Crutchlow passed Haslam, outside at Old Hall, and the first four closed up again, Byrne included and Ellison now losing touch. Behind, Andrews and Michael Laverty dropped a few places, which left Rutter and Smart leading the pursuit.

It was a close race for the four leaders, and on lap 17 of 18 they were still together, Sykes from Crutchlow, Haslam and Byrne. Shane tried to get round Leon on the outside at Shell Oils hairpin, but made it happen at Knicker Brook. His pass was completed coming out of the left-hander and going to the outside for the right. The last lap started with Cal trying a pass on Tom at Old Hall, but it was Shane who had better luck. The Ducati rider went inside the second placed Honda man through the middle of Shell Oils, but Cal came back past into Knicker Brook.

The race finished with the first four still close, but just not close enough for any further passes to be attempted. Sykes made it a double, Crutchlow was second, Byrne third, and Haslam trailed in fourth. James Ellison maintained a clear fifth. Behind, Andrews had regained ground, getting by Harris, Palmer and Smart. He passed Michael Laverty on the right going down from Hill Top and duly took sixth. Laverty, Smart and Harris were followed home by McConnell, Rutter (down to P11 from an early sixth), Palmer, John Laverty, Mason, Haydon and Dean Ellison.

Tom Sykes had promised much in Superbike racing, and this time the luck stayed with him and he took both race wins. One of his two British Supersport race wins had been at Oulton, and he’d also led there in an earlier BSB outing. For Suzuki, who had managed only two wins it the series since 2004, it was an encouraging sign. And with Tom currently on for third overall, it should be Suzuki’s best BSB season since the Rizla team’s first title in that 2004 campaign.

Shane Byrne remains on course though, even if third place (twice today) was in fact his worst result of the year so far. Cal Crutchlow’s troubled first race saw Shane with a 103-point lead, reduced to 99 when Cal beat him second time out. Meanwhile, Leon Camier’s misfortune saw him pushed down from third to fifth, behind Sykes and Haslam - which was still much better than the unlucky Karl Harris. Other than Sykes, a man going well at Oulton was Simon Andrews, imminently heading for a World Superbike wildcard ride at Brands Hatch. The 25-year-old, who has often qualified well, made it home for fifth and sixth placed finishes, his best to date in BSB racing - not to mention Yamaha’s best meeting for ’08. Will someone else have a turn next time out?

Standings after fourteen races: Byrne 312; Crutchlow 213; Sykes 176; Haslam 174; Camier 160; J Ellison 150; Rutter 141; M Laverty 100; Andrews 90; Palmer 64; McConnell 63; Easton 62.

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