Brands BSB - Easton storms to Supersport victory

Mar-Train Yamaha's Stuart Easton kicked off the Motorpoint British Supersport season in spectacular style at Brands Hatch this afternoon, taking victory ahead of Billy McConnell and Alastair Seeley.

Reigning champion, Glen Richards, took the holeshot ahead of team-mate Billy McConnell and the pair moved half a second clear with just three laps completed, taking advantage of a huge rear-wheel slide from Gearlink Kawasaki's Ben Wilson on the exit of Clearways. The race was then red flagged a lap later after Jason O'Halloran crashed on the exit of Druids and as a result Deane Brown ran into the bike, leaving fuel on the track.

Lincolnshire rider, Wilson, put the near-crash to the back of his mind and took the holeshot on the re-start. Flying Scotsman, Easton, closely followed the Kawasaki of Wilson and he made his move for the lead after just two laps. The former Superbike front runner quickly pulled out a lead of half second and held that lead for the majority of the race.

Gearlink Kawasaki's Alastair Seeley began to make progress through the field, moving up to fifth and then posting the fastest lap of the race, which sees him take pole position for tomorrow's race, whilst catching the trio of Richards, McConnell and Wilson ahead of him. Adelaide man, McConnell, moved through the inside of Wilson at Druids, which was closely followed by Northern Irishman, Seeley, catching and then passing the number one plate holder, Richards. 

The Gearlink duo of Seeley and Wilson then reignited their rivalry of 2011, with Seeley moving up the inside of his team-mate at Paddock Hill Bend before Wilson aggressively returned the favour at the following corner of Druids, running Seeley wide in doing so. The 2011 Supersport champion, Seeley, eventually got the better of Wilson, however, with three laps remaining. At the front, Easton's lead was reduced drastically, with the front four all battling for the lead.

Easton was able to hold off McConnell, despite his best efforts on multiple occasions, with Seeley clinching third ahead of Wilson, in a top four covered by just 0.262 of a second. Richards hung on to fifth ahead of the Yamaha duo of Graeme Gowland and Glenn Irwin. Luke Jones got the better of Tyco Suzuki's Taylor Mackenzie for eighth, with Jake Dixon beating Appleyard Macadam's Bjorn Estment to tenth and more importantly the Supersport Cup victory.

By Jack Appleyard at Brands Hatch

Image by Double Red