Smart takes soaking wet win at Donington Park.

Vivaldi Suzuki's Scott Smart took a well earned race win at a soaking wet Donington Park for the second round of the Bennetts British Superbike championship. The injured Leon Haslam took second place from his Airwaves Duacti team-mate Gregorio Lavilla who finished third.

Smart softened up his chassis settings to help with the wet conditions but he still wasn't happy with the front end, so his team of mechanics changed the front end whilst he was on the grid!

The British weather kicked in with gusto and the Superbikes were given a wet practice session before the race. During practice Karl Harris, Glen Richards and Dean Thomas all slipped off unhurt. Shane Byrne's luck went from bad to worse when he crashed his remaining Rizla Suzuki on the out lap and was left to watch his team-mate, James Haydon's antics on track.

As the lights went out it was Stobart's Michael Rutter who got the hole shot followed by James Haydon. Unfortunately for Haydon he lost the front and went grass tracking, he managed to keep his bike upright and rejoined further down the field.

Ryuichi Kiyonari was on a charge for the lead and he managed to go from third to first in one lap, powering past his HM Plant team-mate Harris on the run into the Melbourne Loop where he dashed under Rutter to steal the lead. His stint at the front was short lived as he crashed out at Redgate due to losing the front end.

Haydon managed to crash on lap two at Goddards but picked it up and went back out on track again. Meanwhile Smart was pushing the lap times and set the best lap with a 1min 52.736secs, he almost crashed at Goddards but got his feet down to save it. Harris by this time had moved into the lead and had a similar incident to his team-mate Kiyonari as he slung his Honda down the road at Coppice when the front tucked.

Smart made a superb move on lap four going from fourth place into the lead at the Esses, he had another big moment at Goddards which allowed Lavilla briefly back into the lead but only briefly. Haydon was still circulating in a points scoring position when he took his final tumble of the day at McLeans - finally down and out.

Lap ten saw Rutter have a nasty high side at Redgate whilst running in fourth place, and lap eleven saw young Bill McConnell crash his Virgin Mobile Yamaha at Coppice. The final faller of the race was Sean Emmett who parted company with his Ipone Kawasaki at Goddards on the last lap having been in an impressive sixth position.

Tommy Hill managed to take part in race two despite his big off in race one, he came home in a very creditable sixth place. Steve Plater and the Dienza Kawasaki team had a bad day at the office failing to start either race. Plater came back into the pits before race one with a miss fire and that was that, he spent race two in the commentary box instead.

BSB results race (2) - Donington Park:

1. Scott Smart
2. Leon Haslam
3. Gregorio Lavilla
4. Gary Mason
5. Johnny Rea
6. Tommy Hill
7. Michael Laverty
8. Ollie Bridewell
9. Chris Martin C
10. Malcolm Ashley C