Snetterton, with one of the longest straights in the country, had been the venue for Camier’s first BSB race win in 2008, and for his best weekend of the year as he’d backed it up with second in race two. He had also won there in the Supersport race during 2005, and so surely would feel confident at the track for round five. Experienced riders Chris Walker and Michael Rutter also arrived at Snetterton with previous BSB victories there, although not in recent years.

Qualifying was good for Camier and Ellison, who were the two quickest riders, although it was not straightforward for anyone. Difficult conditions as a result of rain saw the third and final session cancelled, and the grid therefore determined by times set in the first and second sessions. Some of the competitors therefore missed out on making vital improvements that might otherwise have represented their true potential. Worx Crescent Suzuki man Rutter found himself starting from row five, for instance.

A number of riders achieved their best grid position for the season to date with the way things worked out, and foremost of these was BSB rookie Josh Brookes, the HM Plant Honda rider having found his form with a podium run at Thruxton. He was third, whilst team-mate and Australian compatriot Glen Richards was in P13. There was a Yamaha/Honda split on the front row, with Camier, Ellison and Brookes joined by Hydrex rider Stuart Easton, fourth.

Two men on row two had qualified better than at previous rounds, with Julien da Costa fifth and Ian Lowry seventh. Next to the French rider was his MSS Colchester Kawasaki partner Simon Andrews, sixth. Lowry led the way for Suzuki with his Relentless by TAS bike, and team-mate Atsu Watanabe had also improved, albeit in P14. Walker had the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha R1 in eighth.

26-year-old Ulsterman John Laverty was a row better than usual with the red Buildbase Kawasaki, ninth, and also improving was tenth man Jason O’Halloran, for SMT Honda. Then came Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda), Graeme Gowland (Motorpoint Yamaha), Richards, Gary Mason (lead privateer with the Quay Garage Honda), Watanabe and Jon Kirkham (now with North West 200 Coca Cola Zero Yamaha in place of Rutter). The field also included the returning 20-year-old Tommy Bridewell with the Team NB Suzuki.

Snetterton has a short straight, known as Senna, from the start to the first right-hander, Riches Corner. The second turn is the slightly tighter right at Sear Corner, which leads onto the important and lengthy Revett Straight. Race one had not taken the riders even that far before the first mishap. This befell Richards, on the outside at Riches he ended up going into the long grass as he went off track. Easton led, from Brookes and Ellison. These two changed over when James went ahead at the Bomb Hole right-hander at the back end of the circuit. Walker held fourth until Camier got by, at the final right-left Russell Bend.

Easton led Ellison, Brookes, Camier, Walker, Lowry, Andrews, Laverty, Harris, da Costa, O’Halloran, Gowland, Kirkham, Rutter and Tristan Palmer (Buildbase). After four laps, Camier out-braked Brookes at Russell, but other riders had already come to grief at Sear, including Alastair Fagan for Red Viper Honda. There had been oil dropped at this point, and one of the victims of this was Rutter. The race was red flagged, to be restarted for a ‘part two’ of eighteen laps.

The front row for the new race comprised Easton, Ellison, Brookes and Camier, but again Leon lost places at the start, being passed by Walker, Lowry, Andrews and Rutter. Harris went wide at Riches, losing out to Kirkham, Laverty, Palmer, da Costa, Mason, Gowland, Richards and Peter Hickman (Ultimate Yamaha), with O’Halloran also well back. The Revett Straight is important because it leads to The Esses, where the bikes have to be slowed drastically for a left-hander and then a right. Lap two saw Lowry already attacking Walker at this left-hander.

To begin with, Easton, Ellison and Brookes seemed likely to get clear of Walker, Lowry and Camier, but that scenario was not to be fulfilled. When Easton went wide at the second part of The Esses, Ellison went past him on the inside. The same corner combination would then see Stuart try to retake the initiative, but again the Yamaha man got the better of it at the second apex. James then started to push the pace on to start to spread the leaders a bit more. At the same time, Camier was making progress of his own. He passed Ian at The Esses, the typical move being on the inside on the brakes. He also passed Walker, this time on the outside at the left-hander there.

Ellison had increased his lead over Easton, but the Scot responded and was able to pass on the inside into The Esses. The next couple of right-handers saw the pair swap places but with Stuart securing the position. By now, Camier was past Brookes into third, where he could race his team-mate for second. Leon took it going into The Esses, with James getting it back on the inside of the second part. The decisive swap saw Camier take it at Riches, then chase after leader Easton.

Coram Curve is a fast right after The Esses and the Bomb Hole, and leading to Russell Bend. Coram saw Camier get inside Easton to take first position, only to send the Yamaha wide and let his rival back through. He got by coming out of Sear, and this time Stuart tried to fight back as his Honda looked fast along Revett, but Leon had secured the lead as they got to The Esses. After this, Camier had the edge and moved into an unchallenged lead to secure the win.

Brookes had got by Ellison for third, and Easton had enough on offer to squeak clear for second at the flag. Lowry got the better of Walker for fifth and a best yet BSB result. Andrews lost a couple of places so that Rutter took seventh, and all the way up to eighth came Harris, with da Costa advancing to ninth, in front of his team-mate. Gowland, O’Halloran, Laverty, Kirkham, Bridewell and Palmer followed. Mason missed out on the Cup race win for the first time this season, so that Hickman took that honour, in front of Watanabe.

Race two saw Camier once again drop places at the start, Easton this time leading Brookes, Walker and Ellison. Camier headed Lowry and da Costa, with Andrews soon to lose places to Laverty, O’Halloran, Harris, Rutter and Richards. Ellison attacked Walker’s position going into The Esses, but soon would not have to worry about ‘Stalker’. Chris hit a bumpy patch of tarmac when braking for Riches, going wide and out across the grass. He would rejoin well down the field.

Riches and Sear would successively see leader Easton passed by Brookes, Camier and Ellison as the first four already held a lead over the rest. Stuart went back past James on the Revett Straight, but the Yamaha man immediately responded. But Leon was now the fastest man, and he took the lead from Josh at Russell Bend. Rutter retired at around this stage.

By half-distance, Camier and Ellison were at the front and had moved clear of Brookes and Easton. Gaps were also growing between the riders in each of the two pairs, and in the end they finished in that order, but rather more spaced apart. Laverty had tagged on behind Lowry and da Costa, who were changing places in their race for fifth. By the flag, John had overtaken Julien and then Ian, both into The Esses, and just got out of reach. The last lap saw da Costa overtake Lowry into The Esses, the pair virtually together across the line, with da Costa ahead, tracked to the finish by Richards, who had cleared Harris.

Fifth for Laverty and sixth for da Costa were the best results for each man across the season to date, and for John this meant his best in BSB racing. Lowry, Richards and Harris were followed home by O’Halloran, who had overtaken Andrews. The other shuffles saw Gowland next, from Kirkham, Mason (Cup winner again), Hickman, Watanabe, Walker, Tom Tunstall (Hardinge Doodson Motorsport Honda), Palmer and Bridewell.

For the second time, Leon Camier made it four BSB race wins in a row and, with Airwaves Yamaha team-mate James Ellison fourth and second, the margin for the championship leader was extended again. For Yamaha, fourteen podium visits from the ten races made it their best BSB season since 2002, when they had the same total for the whole year. And this time Honda had been the closest challenger, with Josh Brookes sustaining his upsurge in form, and with Stuart Easton even looking like a potential winner, especially in the first race. Will someone upstage Camier next time out?

Standings after ten races: Camier 217; Ellison 162; Easton 140; Richards 103; Harris 87; Sylvain Guintoli 77; Andrews 69; Lowry 68; Brookes 63; Walker and Mason 59; da Costa 58.

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