Thruxton is a fast airfield circuit, with lots of curves and a couple of slower chicanes. The one BSB rider to have won there previously in the series was 37-year-old Michael Rutter. A winner here in 2002 and 2004, Michael had split from the Rob McElnea affiliated North West 200 Yamaha team prior to Donington. This availability made him the choice to take over from Guintoli on the Suzuki, which he did for Thruxton with only a few laps on the bike behind him.

But Rutter is easily the most experienced BSB rider. He first rode in a British Superbike race in 1992, on a Ducati. He rode Ducatis in 1994-96, 2002-03 and 2008; Kawasakis in 1993, 2001 and 2007; Hondas in 1997-98, 2004-06; and Yamahas in 2000 and earlier this year. In over 360 races, with 26 wins and 96 podium results, Rutter had not raced a Suzuki Superbike. He had raced with 250cc Suzukis in 1989-92, but this was a new experience.

But qualifying showed that Yamaha were still ahead. GSE/Airwaves team riders Camier and Ellison were first and second, and a third pole position for the marque was Yamaha’s highest tally in a BSB season since 1998. Third went to a Honda rider, but this proved to be an unprecedented front row start for a privateer and competitor in the Cup series. Gary Mason was the rider, with the Quay Garage bike, and this great performance matched his best BSB qualifying performance - previously achieved when he was with Virgin Yamaha in 2004.

Now riding with the number 34 instead of 200, Rutter qualified an impressive fourth at the first attempt with the GSX-R1000. Row two was Honda dominated, with three riders who had won at Thruxton in support races over the years - fifth was Glen Richards (for HM Plant), then Karl Harris and Stuart Easton (both Hydrex). Ian Lowry joined them on the Relentless Suzuki, and Josh Brookes led row three on the second HM Plant Honda.

Simon Andrews would start in tenth, this time riding his second MSS Colchester Kawasaki, which meant the kit bike. His team-mate Julien da Costa was in P12, the pair split by Jason O’Halloran (SMT Honda). Row four saw Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) lead the way, joined by John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki), Graeme Gowland (Motorpoint) and Atsushi Watanabe (Relentless).

Camier dropped a couple of places at the start of race one, which meant Ellison led from fast starting Easton and Richards, both from row two. After a right corner and a left bend, Thruxton takes competitors into the ‘complex’: right-handed Campbell, left-handed Cobb, then right-handed Segrave. Camier dived on the inside of Richards for Cobb, moving back into third. Andrews was next, from Rutter, Lowry, Harris, Mason, Brookes, Laverty, Watanabe, Gowland, Martin Jessopp, O’Halloran, Tom Tunstall, Kenny Gilbertson and David Johnson. Walker trailed into the pits after just one lap.

Ellison seemed to be starting to establish something of a lead as Easton and Camier raced for second, but Leon used another move at Cobb to pass the Scot, and he was soon on his team-mate’s tail. One of the faster bends, opposite the start-finish area, is the right-handed Goodwood. Camier powered in front of Ellison at this point, and the two Yamaha men continued to move out of range of the rest. Easton and Richards now tussled for third, but soon Stuart would be easing clear of the Australian, who would have to worry about the men behind.

Rutter dropped behind Harris and Lowry, who would race with Andrews for fifth. BSB rookie Lowry, with a best result of sixth so far, was looking good for better than that when he passed Andrews. However, he then started to have tyre problems. The fastest part of the circuit is out of right-handed Church Corner and through the drag along Brooklands and into Woodham Hill, where the slowest section looms with the right-left-right Club Chicane. Simon passed Ian again out of Club, and Harris also then got the Suzuki on the inside at Campbell.

Harris was attacking Andrews for fifth, with Rutter soon to get past Lowry into Club for seventh. Simon maintained his position, while Karl now lost out to Michael who went through inside the Honda man at Goodwood. Andrews then homed in on Richards, with Rutter also chasing. Lowry was falling well back in the later stages, and Harris was also about to give up a few places. Ninth man Mason, not replicating his practice form, would also have to defend from those behind.

Camier took the flag with Ellison still close all the way to the finish, and Easton made it a secure third. Andrews managed to get by Richards on the outside at Church, but the reverse pass came with Glen braking on the inside for Club. The last lap saw Simon retake fourth on the inside into Campbell, and then the HM Plant rider would also lose a spot to Rutter at the last into Club. Andrews, Rutter and Richards finished in that order.

Tenth on lap one, Brookes had moved up for seventh at the finish, followed through by Laverty - with eighth his best BSB finish to date. Despite being ‘only’ ninth at the finish, Mason was clearly the Cup race winner yet again, heading da Costa, Harris, Gowland, O’Halloran and Watanabe. 15th man Tunstall was the second Cup finisher, from Peter Hickman, Jessopp, Johnson and Lowry.

Ellison was again the leader at the start of race two, this time with Camier slotting in second. Andrews quickly took third from Easton, with Rutter, Richards, Lowry and Brookes following. Harris soon passed Mason for ninth, then da Costa, Laverty, Walker, O’Halloran and Jessopp. Yet again, Camier moved into the lead of a 2009 BSB race with a pass on Ellison at Club, going to the inside on the brakes. Johnson would retire at the pits, with Walker touring in for the same fate not too much later.

This time Camier established more of a tangible lead over team-mate Ellison, who would also ease away from Andrews and the rest. The Kawasaki man had attention from Easton and Rutter, with then Richards and Lowry having to worry about Brookes. The 26-year-old overtook the Suzuki man at Brooklands, and soon he also relegated more experienced BSB team-mate Richards. Brookes was then ready to make an attack on Rutter for fifth.

Easton was best of the rest again when he went past Andrews on the right through Woodham Hill, and he started to ease clear. Brookes went ahead of Rutter at the same location, closing in on Andrews. Josh also found the move at Woodham worked when he challenged the Kawasaki man in fourth, and he closed on Easton - who he also passed on the right side powering through Woodham Hill. Having missed Brands Hatch and one outing at Donington, Brookes was into third place in only his fifth BSB race.

Camier took a convincing sixth win of 2009, but Brookes wasn’t done yet and in the late stages he was even catching Ellison in second. They were close together on the last lap, but James responded and held onto the position. Easton was fourth home, with Rutter defeating Andrews for fifth. Harris had got by Richards to race with Simon, but at one point missed out part of Club Chicane when he went by and had to give way again. After that Karl fell foul of both Richards and Lowry, possibly making another mistake.

Seventh was Richards, therefore, from Lowry and Harris. This time Mason lost out to da Costa and Laverty, but still he led the Cup boys with his eighth win and a 200-point maximum. Gowland, Jessopp, Hickman, Tunstall, O’Halloran, Alastair Fagan, Victor Cox and Aaron Zanotti were also finishers, with Watanabe a late retirement when he clipped a kerb on the left apex at Club and crashed out.

Not only was this another Leon Camier benefit, and his second double, but Airwaves Yamaha had the one-two double, with James Ellison second twice. The team hadn’t done that since Camier and Shane Byrne shared the spoils on their Ducatis at Snetterton last year. Stuart Easton kept up a great run of top four results for Hydrex Honda, for the third meeting in four outdoing his partner Karl Harris. Also looking good was Simon Andrews, and back in contention was Suzuki débutant Michael Rutter.

Ironically for Gary Mason, starting from third place with around 140 BSB races behind and a best result of fourth place, the 30-year-old still didn’t reach the podium; Josh Brookes did it with a great ride just a few races into his BSB career. But then Brookes is on the almost-works HM Plant Honda, with Mason on an ‘old’ Honda, cast off from one of the main championship teams of two years ago. But will anyone beat Yamaha next time out?

Standings after eight races: Camier 167; Ellison 129; Easton 107; Richards 95; Guintoli 77; Harris 72; Andrews 58; Mason 57; Walker 49; Lowry 48; da Costa 41.

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