Former BSB contender Tom Sykes celebrated his second victory of the weekend at Brands Hatch this afternoon as the Kawasaki World Superbike Championship team held off the challenges of Ryuichi Kiyonari and HM Plant Honda to win the final race.

Michael Laverty got off to a flying start from the pole position but Kiyonari was tucked into second place and the HM Plant Honda rider seized the opportunity to pass on the run into Druids. Laverty then dropped another place to third as Sykes made the move on the exit of Surtees and moved to second on the drag race down to Hawthorn.

Kiyonari was coming under pressure from Sykes, with the pair almost touching as they crossed the line to complete the opening lap. Sykes was later on the brakes into Paddock Hill Bend though and he stole the lead away from Kiyo. The HM Plant Honda rider then shadowed his Kawasaki World Superbike rival as he strived to regain the lead.

Laverty lost third place to Michael Rutter on the second lap as the Relentless Suzuki rider had a moment coming out of Sheene Curve which forced him slightly wide and the 'Blade' used it to his advantage to move third.

The Relentless Suzuki riders were battling hard as Laverty held third after regaining the position from Rutter on the eleventh lap, but just three laps later he crashed out at Druids, whilst on the same lap his team-mate Alastair Seeley also ended up in the gravel after losing the rear on the exit of Paddock Hill Bend.

Tommy Hill was hard-charging on the Worx Crescent Suzuki; he was running eighth at the end of the opening lap and was gradually working his way up the field. He had a steady race to finish in a lone fourth place as the battle raged behind for fifth between James Ellison and Josh Brookes. The pair diced throughout the race but the Swan Honda rider made a last lap move on his HM Plant Honda rival to steal fifth place.

Yukio Kagayama was back inside the top eight with a seventh place on the second of the Worx Crescent Suzukis ahead of Stuart Easton and John Laverty who closed the gap on the Buildbase Kawasaki but was unable to pass as Simon Andrews rounded out the top ten. Pauli Pekkanen secured the victory in the Mirror.co.uk BSB - Evo class as Steve Brogan and Hudson Kennaugh suffered technical issues.

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, race three result:

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki WSB)
Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.563s
Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +4.788s
Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +6.531s
James Ellison (Swan Honda) +11.804s
Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +11.910s
Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +13.927s
Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +20.929s
John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +21.181s
Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +25.089s

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship standings after Brands Hatch:

Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 249
Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 242
Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 239
Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 217
Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 206
Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 153