LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha’s Ryan Vickers claimed his second victory of the season in a wild BikeSocial Sprint Race for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Donington Park.

Rain before the start of the race sparked frantic scenes on the grid, as teams scrambled to fit wet weather tyres to their machines. The race distance was reduced by two laps with riders given extra reconnaissance laps to adjust to the new conditions.

And it was Vickers from fifth on the grid who immediately looked the most comfortable, blasting to the front of the field from the second row on the run to Redgate on lap one.

Such was his confidence, he built a lead of over two seconds on the first tour, with Peter Hickman initially holding second on the FHO Racing BMW from eighth on the grid, ahead of front row starter Leon Haslam.

Meanwhile, championship leader Glenn Irwin and teammate Tommy Bridewell, running intermediate tyres as opposed to the full wets used by majority of the rest of the field, were in trouble, with the former pitting at the end of the first lap and the latter trundling around in 21st.

Vickers’ lead was almost five seconds by the end of the third lap, and attentions focused on the battle for the podium spots instead, with Jack Kennedy up to second on the Mar-Train Yamaha and Lee Jackson rising to third, as Haslam fell to sixth.

Haslam began his fightback though and was back up to second with a couple of laps remaining. Thereafter a thrilling battle ensued for the final podium spots, as Haslam and Kennedy exchanged positions.

While Vickers crossed the line well clear of the opposition, Haslam secured second on the penultimate lap, leaving Kennedy to fend off Luke Mossey, who had started 14th but was up to fourth by the final lap.

After challenging for the position throughout the last tour, Mossey pipped Kennedy to the final podium spot on the run to the line, his first such result for several years.

Behind them, Lee Jackson on the Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki took fifth ahead of the BSB Pathways Marvel HCL Motorsport machine of Franco Bourne.

Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW), Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki), Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) and Louis Valleley (Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki) completed the top-10.

As for the championship contenders, Kyle Ryde was 12th having started fourth, while pole man Jason O’Halloran was 17th. Championship leader Irwin and teammate Bridewell finished outside the points in 23rd and 24th, with their half point gap remaining static heading into tomorrow’s two contests.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, BikeSocial Sprint Race result:

1. Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha), 10 laps
2. Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) +3.742s
3. Luke Mossey (Tactix by Lloyd & Jones BMW), +5.332s
4. Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha), +5.493s
5. Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki), +8.763s
6. Franco Bourne (Marvel HCL Motorsport) +29.700s
7. Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +33.342s
8. Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +33.995s
9. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +37.127s
10. Louis Valleley (Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki) +39.895s

Click here for full result. 

Tickets are available upon arrival at the venue, with free entry all weekend for children under-13 and discounts for teenagers aged 13-15. For more information, click here.