Haslam hat-trick

LEON HASLAM doubled up yesterday to make it three out of three Bennetts British Superbike Championship race wins at Silverstone.

The JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider, who won in Saturday afternoon’s opening scrap, backed it up with another two victories yesterday to give him a 45-point lead over Jake Dixon going into the Showdown.

Haslam said: “All three races have been big fights and to win all of them is amazing.

“I didn’t know what to expect this weekend and to come away with three wins here is just brilliant.”

Charge

Haslam, lucky to escape serious injury from a huge crash on Friday, took yesterday’s first win despite being slapped with a penalty for making contact with Buildbase Suzuki’s Bradley Ray which forced him to drop a place.

But it did little to slow him down and after allowing Dixon’s RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki through, he was soon back on a charge, moving back to the front moments later to take the win.

And Haslam made it a hattrick later in the afternoon with a last-lap move on McAMS Yamaha’s Taz Mackenzie, relegating the rookie to second as Dixon took third.

Haslam and Dixon have now been joined in the Showdown by Josh Brookes, Bradley Ray, Glenn Irwin and this year’s Senior TT winner Peter Hickman.

The Showdown starts this weekend at Oulton Park before heading to Assen in Holland and finishing at Brands Hatch next month.

Haslam added: “I can’t ask for anything more, I’ve got a 45-point lead going into the Showdown which is quite big.

“I’ll take it and now we go into three of my favourite circuits.”