BSB Brands: Ellison controls for race one win

James Ellison has taken a resounding victory in the opening race of the MCE British Superbike championship weekend at Brands Hatch, clearing off at the front to control the race.

At the start of the race Ellison fired off the line from the pole position to lead the pack into Paddock Hill Bend for the first time. The safety car was then deployed when Christian Iddon, Robbin Harms and Jack Kennedy crashed out on the exit of Graeme Hill Bend.

As the Safety Car peeled in for the restart Ellison held his line from Ryuichi Kiyonari, Shane Byrne, Stuart Easton and Josh Brookes. Brookes was pushing to move ahead, making a move on Easton on the tenth lap at McLaren. Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran then also pushed ahead of Easton to hold fifth place.

Ellison had edged an advantage but Kiyonari was closing in on the Buildbase BMW as Byrne and Brookes waged war for third place, when Peter Hickman crashed out heavily at Clearways and brought out the safety car again.

Bunching the pack, Ellison was able to hold off at the front to again break clear, leaving Byrne and Brookes to hunt down Kiyonari.

Ellison managed to withstand the pressure from the closed pack to hold on to the lead over the final laps but the battle for second became a three-way scrap between Kiyonari, Byrne and Brookes.

Byrne made a move on the final lap to move second and as the trio exited Clearways for the final time, Brookes narrowly edged out Kiyonari to the line to claim third place for the Milwaukee Yamaha team.