Jack Kennedy celebrates victory at Snetterton with runner-up Brad Jones (left) and Alastair Seeley.
Picture: David Yeomans.

Jack Kennedy has opened up a 22-point lead in the Dickies British Supersport Championship over Alastair Seeley following a dominant double at Snetterton.

The Appleyard Macadam Racing rider has turned the title race around on his Integro Yamaha after Carrick man Seeley had led the championship by a healthy 30 points going into the previous round at Knockhill in Scotland.

EHA Racing Yamaha’s Seeley stole a march over Kennedy in the points table when the Dublin rider crashed out of the Sprint race at Donington Park, where Seeley took full advantage with a brilliant double.

However, Kennedy has battled his way back to the top, helped along by a setback for Seeley at Knockhill, when the Ulster rider was taken out of the Sprint race by another rider.

The reigning champion won both races at Knockhill and made it back-to-back doubles at Snetterton in Norfolk, where he twice beat team-mate Brad Jones as Seeley finished third in each race.

In Sunday’s Feature race, Jones shot into the lead off the front row with Seeley making an early pass on Kennedy to move into second.

Seeley and Jones exchanged passes at the front on the first two laps before Kennedy forced his way through, first passing Seeley for second place and then taking over from Jones at the start of the third lap.

From there, Kennedy began to put some daylight between himself and Jones, who in turn was dropping Seeley in third.

There was no change in the top three for the remainder of the race, with Kennedy closing out his ninth victory of the season and his fourth double by seven seconds.

Jones was a further 3.3 seconds ahead of Seeley, with GP2 rider Kyle Ryde crossing the line in fourth.

Lee Johnston finished a fine fifth in the Supersport classification on his Ashcourt Racing Yamaha, with Richard Kerr 11th and Ross Patterson in 14th.

In Saturday’s Sprint race, Kennedy won by 2.7 seconds from Jones, with Seeley rounding out the rostrum places. Johnston was fifth as he continues his build-up to the Ulster Grand Prix in August.

Kyle White