BRANDS HATCH hosted the opening rounds of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at the weekend as Gregorio Lavilla and Ryuichi Kiyonari opened their seasons with wins.

It was reigning champion Lavilla who took the opening victory when the race had been cut short with a red flag on lap 20 after Leon Haslam crashed on Paddock Hill bend.

The second round went to Japanese racer Kiyonari, who led the field home in difficult conditions that changed from between wet and dry as the race went on.

Haslam was back in the saddle following his earlier incident to claim a second-placed finish.

Sittingbourne rider Shane Byrne was back after a two-year stint in Moto GP, but his hopes of regaining the title he won in 2003 got off to a sticky start.

Byrne, riding for the Rizla Suzuki team, took a sixth-place finish in race one but finished a lap down and in 11th during the damp second race.

Maidstone’s Scott Smart, for Vivaldi Racing, finished just outside the points taking 14th place in race 1 and 16th in race 2.