While there was plenty of action going on for the Showdown riders, Sykes had his own script to write as he pulled out a dominant win after a disappoi🎐nting season in the Sprint race at the Grand Prix layout of Donington Park.

The former World Superbike champion had been one to watch before the season began but something didn’t quite click for rider and team leading to a string of laꦛcklustre results and hard work from both the #66 and his MCE Ducati team.

They looked to h🅘ave made considerable headway when posting a best result so far of sixth at the last r🍨ound.

‘I was able to ride around some of the problems’

At a track he knows well and without having to🦹 slice through the field, a front row start gave Sykes the opportunity he needed to run🎀 his own lines:

“It’s just not happened for whatever reason, so tod🎀ay on a Superbike circuit I was able to ride around some of the problems and u꧙tilise the advantages of where we’re strong with the Ducati.

“It worked out. It was𓂃 important to get that good start to be able to run the lines and do what I wanted with the bike”.

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‘I just wanted to keep it on two wheels’

If Sykes’ win was special as it was unexpected, the Jason O’Halloran𒈔’s second was just as important as he battled injury just to be on the grid.

With team-mate Tarran Mackenzie, Rory Skinner and Christian Iddon all out of action after the drama of Oulton Park, as late as Friday 𒉰the Yamaha man was possibly going to be joining that list, with a break detected in his ank🍎le.

Hobbling and limping off-track, the Australian came alive on the bike. Although he initially struggled, dropping from pole to sixth after a couple of corners, he showed the same determination as he did to make the entry sheet to come back and race Brad🃏ley Ray for second and take the place after working his wꦯay through the riders ahead.

“I knew for one lap in quali I could put a lap together, which was fine but we weren’t sure how the race was going to pan out…got a little bit of a bad start and beaten up a bit on the first lap - I was sixth or seventh 🦩for a little bit - then I had to take my time and get through everyone, I just wanted to keep it on two whee🎀ls and bring it home for a finish”.

Ray had looked like he would stilꦯl hold third but the OMG Rich Energy Yamaha rider was struggling very visibly with grip and a late error saw him wide as he struggled for control, leaving the door open for Peter Hickman, who didn’t need a second invite.

‘I managed to capitalise on it - so thanks Brad!’

Hickman got a good start but it was Kyle Ryde leading briefly before Sykes to🦩ok over 🎃for the duration.

The FHO BMW rider, much like O’Halloran worked to get back to the front and looked to be t💎he man to miss out on a rostrum finish after the Australian made his move - until the opening came his way, handing him a podium for his 400th start:

“second row was a good start, 🦂good race, in with the front guys. I made a bit of a mistake, just past the mid-part which meant I dropped back a bit.

I ༺really had to work hard to🔥 get back there and I finally did right on the last lap and Brad just made a little bit of an error and I managed to capitalise on it. So thanks Brad!”

Off the podium

That left Ray in fourth, but comfortably as fifth placed Glenn Irwin left it too late to make a run at the leaders once in fifth🃏 for Honda.

Lee Jackson made late progress to climb to sixth for Cheshire Holdings FS-3 Kawasaki. After his brief moment in front, Ryde was travelling in the wrong direction on his way to seventh on the sec🍷ond Rich Energy OMG Yamaha.

Tommy Bridewell remained second overall after making up a few places on his eleventh on the grid in qualifying for Oxford Products Du💮cati in eighth by the end of the race.

Leon Halsam was ninth for VisionTrack Ka🎀wasaki, just ah𒊎ead of Ryan Vickers (FHO Racing BMW).

Josh Brookes ꦕwas just outside the top ten on the second MCE Ducati, clear of Danny Buchan in twelfth for Synetiq BMW Motorrad.

The remaining points on offer went to the Honda🍸 trio of Tom Neave, Tak🐲umi Takahashi and Ryo Mizuno in 13th, 14th and 15th respectively.