Also different at Brands was the line-up of riders. Michael Rutter had started the season on a Yamaha, then moved to a Suzuki then a Honda ride. And now he would be racing a Kawasaki for a full set of the current 1000cc Japanese Superbikes. The SMT Honda team were out of money, so Michael was free to take the ride filling in for MSS Colchester Kawasaki rider Simon Andrews. The 26-year-old was out having needed an operation due to injury.

The HM Plant Honda team were on to their fourth and fifth riders this year. Steve Brogan continued as the replacement for injured Glen Richards, and there was a new face to stand-in for the banned Josh Brookes, namely Karl Muggeridge. The Australian had raced in British Supersport in the late 1990s, and his Superbike career has seen eleven top six results in the world championship. 2009 WSB riders also joined the party, with former BSB entrant Paul Bird bringing the works Kawasaki team, the riders being Australian Broc Parkes and South African Sheridan Morais. The second of these had done some BSB races in 2005.

The full Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit was in use for this event, with the fast section out at the back into the wooded area. Former Brands BSB winners in the field included Chris Walker, three times, as well as Rutter and Camier. Stuart Easton has had many successes there in Supersport, and similarly Brogan in British Superstock competition.

Qualifying saw some of the newer names up at the front, with the ZX-10R machines of Parkes and Morais second and third. It was the first time a Kawasaki had qualified so well in BSB since the first half of the 2005 season. But on pole position for a sixth time this year was Camier, with Airwaves team-mate James Ellison, having missed practice on Friday, only sixth. Honda and Suzuki machines also slotted in well up the grid, with Karl Harris for Hydrex fourth, then Tommy Hill for Crescent fifth.

Walker was seventh with the Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha, with team-mate Graeme Gowland in P12. Muggeridge was the best of the HM Plant riders in eighth, with Brogan six slots behind him. Rutter has run in 2009 with number 200, and 34 and 22, and was this time ninth with Andrews’ regular number 17. Easton, after a bike failure in qualifying, was next for Hydrex Honda, from Julien da Costa (MSS), Gowland, John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki), Brogan, Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) and Peter Hickman (Ultimate Yamaha).

Race one went ahead with JX Kawasaki rider Kenny Gilbertson a non-starter and with Michael Howarth leaving the pits behind the main field on his MV. Morais dropped places at the start while team-mate Parkes hit the front, from the fast starting Muggeridge. Camier, Ellison, Walker and Easton followed. Heading back towards the start-finish area, the left-handed Stirlings Bend saw Morais nearly hit the back of Hill, and the Kawasaki rider crashed out on the right of the track as a result.

Camier was soon past Muggeridge at Surtees, the left-hander that bends uphill onto the fastest section of track. Leon was on the inside of Karl going in. Already Parkes had a handy lead, but Camier began to chase that down. Walker and Easton had got past Ellison, who headed Hill, Rutter, Mason, Laverty, Harris, Gowland, da Costa, Brogan and Ian Lowry. Easton also got past Walker for fourth, and proceeded to chase down Muggeridge.

The first two were soon clear of the rest, with Camier beginning to close the advantage held by Parkes. Easton took on a podium place as he went past Muggeridge at the first bend, the downhill right-hand Paddock Hill. He went through on a tighter line inside his Honda rival. Hill was moving through the next group, firstly getting the better of Ellison at Hawthorn Bend, a right-hander at the end of the fastest stretch. He tried to pass Walker at Surtees but was wide going out, which let Chris and James both get back in front.

Eighth man Rutter would soon lose out to both Laverty and Harris, with these two then catching the group contesting fifth. Hill gained a place again going inside Ellison into the Clearways right-hand bend. Then he tussled with Walker to head the group, going inside the Yamaha rider for Paddock. Chris tried to come back at him down the hill, and they nearly clashed, but Tommy had secured the spot at the following Druids Hill right-hand hairpin.

Camier was now on the tail of leader Parkes, and looking to go in front. He dived inside for Druids to make it happen, and after that began to pull out a lead. By this stage, Easton was into a secure looking third, and meanwhile Hickman had crashed out and Gowland suffered a mechanical failure. With Hill into fifth, he now began to chase down Muggeridge. Walker went wide at Surtees and let both Ellison and Laverty past, then he tussled with Kawasaki rider over seventh.

Camier was on his way to an unchallenged margin over Parkes, and made it into his twelfth win of the year. The Australian’s BSB début ended with second, and Easton was third. Hill didn’t quite catch Muggeridge, so that the other first-timer was fourth, and meanwhile Ellison took a safe sixth. Laverty won out over Walker for P7, the Yamaha man with tyre wear issues, with Chris also passed by Harris at Paddock Hill Bend. Then da Costa headed Rutter, Lowry, Mason, Brogan, Tristan Palmer and Martin Jessopp.

Race two was on Sunday, and this time Rutter had to start from the pits on his spare Kawasaki - although this didn’t last too long once fuel filter problems became apparent. Another poor start from Morais left him way down the field as Camier and Parkes led away, from Easton, Harris, Hill, Walker, Brogan, Muggeridge, Ellison, da Costa and Mason. Morais was relegated further by Laverty, Gowland and Lowry while his team-mate was setting the fastest lap.

The first two were once again looking too quick for the rest, but on lap five any advantage was wiped out. David Johnson, on the Maxxis Yamaha, went down at Hawthorn Bend, and this led to the safety car getting an outing. After the restart, Parkes was soon attacking Camier on the inside at Hawthorn, but without success. Meanwhile, Ellison was past Muggeridge into eighth, where he could attack Brogan. An attempt to go by on the outside over the start-finish line did not work out, but then both James and Karl took the chance to get in front of Steve when he went wide at Druids when trying to pass Walker.

Camier and Parkes had got clear at the front again, with Easton similarly secure in third. Ellison was past Walker now, and about to tag on behind fourth and fifth men Harris and Hill. These last two swapped when Tommy overtook, and Karl would soon lose out to James as they all then began to get spaced apart on track. Muggeridge passed Walker at Paddock, but the 37-year-old was about to pull out with a mechanical problem - he could only crawl back to the pits.

Camier had pulled away well and truly as he crossed the line for another win, leaving Parkes and Easton also to match their results of a day earlier. Hill was a place better off, in fourth, from Ellison and Harris. HM Plant riders Muggeridge and Brogan were next home, with Gowland ninth. Very close behind him at the finish was the man who had worked past Mason, Lowry and da Costa - Morais taking tenth. Julien and Ian were next, with Laverty also beating Mason home.

Camier’s win was his 13th for the season, which equalled a record set by Niall Mackenzie in 1997, also with a Yamaha. In fact, John Reynolds (on a Kawasaki in 1992) and Jamie Whitham (on a Yamaha in 1993) had each won more than 13 British Superbike races, but in those seasons there were two separate championship available for them to compete in. Camier looked to be on the brink of breaking the record for victories in the sole BSB series, as established in 1996.

His chances seemed diminished when Camier had a bad start to race three, beaten to the first corner by Parkes, Muggeridge, Ellison, Easton, Hill, Rutter, Harris and Walker. Broc was able to start pulling away, but Muggeridge and Ellison got into a tussle for second on lap two, whilst Camier passed Walker and then got by Harris on the inside for Stirlings. His progress was so good that soon Rutter and Hill were also relegated, with Camier closing up to fourth man Easton.

Parkes was soon far enough ahead to hope for an improvement on second, with Camier back in the pack. But Leon was soon enough able to get past Easton on the inside for Stirlings, then managing to go around the outside of team-mate Ellison at Paddock Hill Bend! Then all that was left to do was go past Muggeridge and chase away in pursuit of the leader, which duly occurred.

Third man Muggeridge headed Ellison and Easton, who were about to change places as Stuart got inside for Paddock, then cut across to the left at the foot of the drop to pull in front. Hill and Rutter were the next pair, but Harris now overtook Michael on the inside at Surtees. The ‘veteran’ would then lose out to both Morais and Laverty.

The first two were now both on their own, and the race was on for third. Easton went past Muggeridge on the inside at Paddock, only for the Australian to get it back on the inside for Druids. This move and counter move happened another time, but with not quite the same result - Stuart this time defended at Druids, leaving Karl in his wake to be passed soon also by Ellison. And by now Morais had got in front of both Harris and Hill for sixth.

The later stages saw Camier closing in on leader Parkes, and when the Australian ran wide Leon was able to get past and yet again pull away for that record breaking victory. Broc was comfortably far from the rest to finish second for the third time in three attempts, whilst Ellison recovered third so that this time Easton just missed the podium. Charging through had been Laverty, who passed Hill and Morais, and was just in front of Muggeridge for fifth at the flag. Sheridan went wide at Surtees so that Tommy was seventh home.

Morais was eighth, his best result in the three races after starting third, with da Costa having to pull out towards the end so that Lowry was ninth, from Rutter and Brogan. Despite the usual decent starts in all the races, once again Walker had faded in this race and he ended up in P12, ahead of Gowland, with Harris also going backwards in this one to P14. He headed Mason, Palmer and Jessopp.

Leon Camier made it three out of three at Brands Hatch to get up to an incredible fourteen wins in 2009 - and over 100 points clear. His GSE Racing team manager Colin Wright made it on to 100 wins in championship racing, which includes 81 in BSB with his current team. Otherwise, the man of the meeting was Kawasaki wildcard Broc Parkes, with second in each of his first three BSB appearances. The former World Supersport race winner gave Kawasaki their best BSB results of the season, and their first podium appearances since 2005.

Stuart Easton continued to be well and truly the leading man for Hydrex Honda, and for Honda in general, with third, third and fourth places clawing him a few points closer to second overall James Ellison. With likely contenders Glen Richards, Josh Brookes, Sylvain Guintoli and now Simon Andrews all having failed to be in action all the way through the season, now the unwell Ian Lowry moved up the leader board by keeping on taking points - it could be a big battle for fourth overall now between several men.

Standings after seventeen races: Camier 374.5; Ellison 261; Easton 218; Harris 111.5; Richards 103; Lowry 101; Brookes 99; Walker 98; Andrews 92.5; da Costa 91; Mason 81; Gowland 80.5.

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