Reynolds is BSB champ

John Reynolds has won the British Superbike championship for Rizla Suzuki despite the HM Plant Honda team taking first and second in both races at Donington Park.

Reynolds went into the final round of the championship 43 points ahead of Rutter and clinched third place in race one behind Kiyonari and Rutter, adding another 16 to his total and making it impossible for Rutter to catch him.

Reynolds team-mate Yukio Kagayama ran off track in the first race and only managed a 14th place finish. In order to hold on to his third place in the championship he needed to finish much higher in race two. Having already clinched the title Reynolds decided to help out his team-mate, riding defensively to help the Japanese rider secure fifth in the race, behind Sean Emmett and Scott Smart, and third place in the championship.

Despite Kagayama breaking his pelvis at Cadwell Park in September 2003 and Reynolds breaking his collar bone at Thruxton in June, the two riders secured first and third in the championship, Rizla Suzuki won the team championship and Suzuki won the manufacturers’ championship.

Race one positions: Kiyonari, Rutter, Reynolds, Smart, Emmett, Richards, D Thomas, Haydon, Mason, Hill, Ellison, Kirkham, Martin, Kagayama, Buckingham, Mertens, Scott, Coxhell, Nutt, Pensavalle

DNF: McGuinness, Mainwaring, Platt, Brown, Plater, Clarke

Race two positions: Kiyonari, Rutter, Emmett, Smart, Kagayama, Reynolds, Thomas, Haydon, Ellison, Plater, McGuinness, Mason, Brown, Hill, Coxhell, Martin, Scott, Mertens, Buckingham, Mainwaring, Nutt, Platt, Pensavalle.

DNF: Kirkham, Richards

Final championship positions: Reynolds, Rutter, Kagayama, Smart, Emmett, Kiyonari, Thomas, Haydon, Hill, Richards, Mason, Ellison, Coxhell, McGuinness, Kirkham, Clarke, Plater, Hobbs, Haslam, Corke, Buckingham, Lavilla, Easton, Brown, MacPherson, Nutt, Platt, Martin, Haga, Brogan, Scott, Ashley, Ellison, Donald, Shiels, Pensavalle