The Croft circuit has been on the BSB calendar only since 2004, and had seen six wins for Honda and two for Ducati. It is a mostly fast and flowing course, with a more tricky complex at the end of the lap. Haslam and Michael Rutter were the only men in the field with Croft BSB wins on their CVs, although there were a couple of riders to have done the job in Supersport. But there were plenty of guys who could be considered contenders.

Byrne was one of them, despite a big crash in Friday practice. Shane had injured a shoulder and also knocked out two front teeth. He had them stuck in again and still qualified third, and maintained a top three record for the entire season. The front row of the grid was a Honda-Ducati affair, with another 1098R in second, put there by North West 200 rider Rutter. Either side were the HM Plant Hondas, Cal Crutchlow on pole and Haslam fourth.

Leon Camier was sixth on the other Airwaves Ducati, joined on row two by the first bikes from Suzuki and Yamaha. Sykes was fifth for Rizla Suzuki, with Michael Laverty eighth for Relentless Suzuki. Karl Harris had Rob McElnea’s Yamaha in seventh. Privateer rider Gary Mason, with five wins for Quay Honda in the Cup class, was well up in ninth. And back in action was Hydrex Bike Animal Honda rider James Ellison, who took tenth.

Following on were Atsushi Watanabe (Rizla Suzuki), Simon Andrews (Jentin Yamaha), Scott Smart (Hawk Kawasaki) and Guy Martin (Hydrex); and in P15 was the latest SMT Honda recruit, Australian Supersport champion Jason O’Halloran. Stuart Easton was next for MSS Discovery Kawasaki, then came John Laverty (Buildbase NW200 Ducati), who was on the verge of securing the Cup title, after nine class wins.

The recent World Superbike races at Donington Park had seen British wildcard riders making their mark, as Sykes had been second to Troy Bayliss in one race and Crutchlow second in the other. James Ellison had also managed a fourth place, and these results led to talk of possible full-time WSB rides for 2009. Sykes was known to be going into the series to join Yamaha, and although Haslam and Crutchlow were apparently going to be staying where they were, other destinations were as yet undetermined.

Race one saw Crutchlow retain first position away from the line, with Sykes up to second and Rutter third until Haslam got past. Byrne, Camier, Harris, Andrews, Mason and James Ellison followed. Cal stayed in front for most of lap one, but the final tight left-handed Hairpin turn gave Tom the opportunity to get past on the inside, and meanwhile Byrne was already past Rutter and challenging Haslam. Rutter now led Camier, Harris, Michael Laverty, Andrews, James Ellison, Mason, Watanabe, Smart, Easton, O’Halloran, Tristan Palmer, John Laverty and Billy McConnell.

The final Complex at Croft starts with a left-hander, then goes round to the right before sending the riders straight into the tight Hairpin. Sykes led, and second man Crutchlow missed his braking point at the right-hander. Going wide, team-mate Haslam went through into second, but Cal fended off the advances of Byrne. Camier attacked Rutter for fifth at the Hairpin.

Haslam made more progress at the far right-hand Tower Bend, at the end of a fast stretch, where he passed Sykes on the inside on the brakes. Crutchlow and Byrne followed them, and Camier was now through to fifth and starting to catch them, as Rutter and the rest dropped away. Sykes did not appear to have precise handling with his Suzuki in the fast sections, and Haslam started to build a bit of a gap.

Camier continued to advance, going by team-mate Byrne on the inside at the Hairpin; and when Crutchlow went wide at Tower, both the Ducati men went past him. Leader Haslam’s pursuer changed when Camier got ahead of Sykes at the Complex, with the outside line at the left getting him inside for the right. Haslam now led Camier, Sykes, Byrne and Crutchlow. These last two were about to change positions again, but now the first two were getting away from the rest.

Having won at Snetterton, Camier had then found his momentum interrupted with crashes at the next two rounds, and only got back to form at Cadwell Park. Now he confirmed his recovery as he took the lead from Haslam at Tower, moving out of range in the late laps to take a second victory. Haslam was a secure second, and therefore threatening Sykes for second in the points table.

Byrne was back past Crutchlow to threaten Sykes for the last podium position, and he took the slot on the inside of the left at the Complex. But Shane went wide coming out of the Hairpin, just onto the grass, and Tom was third again. Byrne repeated his previous pass to get in front again, but the final lap saw more action at the Hairpin. Sykes dived inside the Ducati, pushing Byrne wide in perhaps a slightly questionable move. Three men crossed the line in close succession, but Byrne was headed by both Sykes and Crutchlow.

Rutter was still sixth at the finish, but Harris had lost out to Michael Laverty, who took seventh. James Ellison headed Andrews and Mason, who later said that his front tyre had gone off. Watanabe dealt with Smart for P12, then it was Palmer, Easton and John Laverty. Australians O’Halloran and McConnell missed out on points.

Race two saw Crutchlow and Rutter maintain first and second from the start, with Sykes up to third, and then Camier and Haslam. Byrne was sixth through Clervaux, the first right-hander, but seemed to miss a gear out of the turn three and four right-left Chicane, onto the back straight. Shane lost out to Michael Laverty, Harris, Andrews and James Ellison in that moment, to run tenth, from Watanabe, Smart, Mason, McConnell, Easton, O’Halloran and John Laverty. Mathematically, Byrne would not wrap up the title from that position.

The same Chicane signalled the end of Michael Howarth’s race on the privateer TENA for Men Honda, when he crashed out there, also on lap one. Meanwhile, early action saw place changes between Ellison and Andrews at the end of the lap, with Simon able to resume his eighth slot. And Sykes was quick to take second from Rutter, with the first five getting away from Laverty and the rest.

Camier followed up his race-winning form with a move to take third from Rutter. Leon went to the inside for the Hairpin, virtually pushing Michael aside and creating the chance for Haslam also to pass the 36-year-old. Before long it was a four-way affair at the front, with Crutchlow and Sykes heading Haslam and Camier. By this time, Byrne was already up to sixth again, and starting to close on his 2002 team-mate Rutter.

The leading foursome swapped around as Sykes passed Crutchlow at the Hairpin, and with a move taking Camier past Haslam in the right-hander at the Complex. However, Leon went back in front of Leon on the brakes on the inside into Clervaux. Meanwhile, Byrne had gone by Rutter on the inside at the right curve following Hawthorn Bend, the second corner. Shane had then pulled away and was now on the tail of team-mate Camier.

The late stages saw Sykes leading Crutchlow and Haslam, with a bit more of a gap back to Camier and Byrne. A couple of laps from the end saw the Airwaves riders swap over, with Camier waving his left foot after the Chicane to direct Byrne past him on that side. As Shane started to make up the gap ahead of him, Haslam passed Honda team-mate Crutchlow on the inside into Tower. The penultimate lap saw him take the lead from Sykes in the same place.

Haslam led the final lap and found enough margin to secure his fourth win in five attempts. Sykes stayed in front of Crutchlow, who was caught by Byrne but also stayed ahead. Camier was back in fifth, and then there was a big gap back to Rutter. James Ellison was seventh, from Harris, Andrews, Michael Laverty, Mason, Watanabe, Easton, Palmer and O’Halloran. P16 went to John Laverty, second in class again, but thereby securing the Cup title for 2008.

Leon Camier was on form with his second BSB win at Croft, but second and first places made Leon Haslam the most successful rider on the day, to take nine more points than Tom Sykes and move into second place in the table. Shane Byrne was fifth and fourth, his worst two results of the year apart from when he crashed out of a race at Knockhill. Shane was therefore 94 points in front of Leon, and 98 in front of Tom, with only 100 available in four more races. The title was not yet won, but a lowly result at the next round would surely do it.

Standings after twenty races: Byrne 388; Haslam 294; Sykes 290; Crutchlow 265; Camier 241; Rutter 215; J Ellison 193; M Laverty and Andrews 140; Harris 91; Palmer 88; McConnell 74.

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