British Superbikes continued to deliver thrills last weekend, as the championship headed off to the Brands Hatch Indy. After a surprise-filled beginning at Donington Park, the pressure stayed on for those battling it out for the top spot.

After a mixed day of racing in round one, James Ellison truly dominated proceedings at Brands Hatch, leaving reigning champ Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne – and the rest of the competition – in the dust. Starting in pole position in both races, Ellison delivered on his promise of a double victory, smashing lap records as he went.

Byrne couldn’t break Ellison’s streak, even after putting intense pressure on the leading Cumbrian, finishing second in both races. Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes took third both times, giving Byrne a serious run for his money in race two, with 0.128s separating the rivals.

Meanwhile, Buildbase BMW Motorrad’s Ryuichi Kiyonari overcame his startlingly bad luck in the first round to earn two fourth-place finishes, despite a few errors on the track that ultimately cost him the third place position in race one.

Dan Linfoot’s strong start to the season in round one was cut short somewhat, with an injury taking him out of the race. Although he remains in the running, the competition is heating up as the solid top four in both round two races has firmed up the list of contenders. Of course, there’s still a long season ahead, and plenty of opportunities for a standings shake-up!

Buzzing after his double win, Ellison called the weekend the best result of his career, and hoped he could continue the pace. Previous seasons have seen Ellison start strong only to falter further down the line. Could this be his year?

Round two has had quite the effect on the top six. Despite Ellison’s double win, Shakey remains out in front by six points, and the season looks to be a close battle between the two with the competition struggling to get a look in if things carry on in this fashion.

Despite his injury-induced no-show Linfoot has clung on to a spot near the top, while Kiyonari has managed to break through – just.

The excitement continues at Oulton Park on the 2nd-4th of May, but we’re sure we’ll be hard-pushed to enjoy the track’s famously-picturesque surroundings in the midst of all the action! Byrne cleaned up there in 2014 – what surprises will this year hold?