Shane Byrne took a double win at the last MCE Insurance British Superbike round of the season at Brands Hatch on Sunday – but it paled into insignificance as Tommy Hill claimed the overall title in dramatic style.

Travelling to Brands fourth in the standings and 44 points behind leader John Hopkins, Byrne, pictured, had only slim hopes of the title, even more so when he crashed in qualifying to start from 19th on the grid.

The HM Plant Honda rider’s challenge effectively ended in race one, won by Michael Laverty, as he could only work his way up to sixth – but with the pressure off in races two and three Byrne flourished.

He won both at such a canter that all eyes were focused on Swan Yamaha’s Hill, second by eight points going into the last round, and American Hopkins’ battle for the title.

Hill was fourth to Hopkins’ third in race one but an electrical fault in race two saw the American’s lead cut to two points. The title went to Hill by just two points after he beat Hopkins to second place by 0.006sec in race three after a series of position exchanges from both – leaving Byrne, with 625 points, 22 shy of the title.

His two wins at Brands were his first since the top six entered the Showdown, and the two-time BSB champion said: “I am delighted with how the races went, but I could almost cry as well.

“The biggest sickener is that Hopkins told me shortly after the last race that in conventional points and without the Showdown I would have been champion anyway."