Byrne Celebrates Title With Double At Brands Hatch
October 20, 2008
Last weekend saw the end of the 2008 British Superbikes season and it was Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne who left with the biggest smile after a great double win over his rivals. With the 2008 rider’s title already tied up at Silverstone last month, the Australian couldn’t have wished for a better finish for the season.
The organisers at the Brands Hatch Circuit were determined to put on a great finish to the 2008 Bennett’s BSB - a guest musical performance by James Toselund and a pit lane full of glamour girls were just a few of the highlights away from the track over the weekend.
Race One
‘Shakey’ hadn’t won a race since Mallory Park earlier in the season before the final weekend, but a determined display saw him catch and overtake leader Cal Crutchlow quite quickly. The Airwaves Ducati rider then held on all the way to the finish to take the top step of the podium. Crutchlow held onto second, while a battle for the third between James Ellison and Leon Haslam saw Ellison triumph in the final laps.
Race Two
The final race of the season saw one of the closest finishes of the season, with Byrne leaving it until the very last lap to overtake the luckless Leon Haslam to claim his emphatic double. Both riders were engaged in a fierce battle when they reached the backmarkers. Byrne went round them one way while Haslam chose the other, and it was Byrne who had the luck to come away at the front and hold on to the chequered flag.
And that’s the end of the 2008 season! The provisional 2009 calendar should be released soon, and expect a lot more movement of riders in and out of BSB teams before the next season begins.
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