Joining the regulars were the two Renegade Ducatis of Michael Rutter and Sean Emmett, as well as a pair of Rizla Suzukis, with John Reynolds and Yukio Kagayama on board. The Japanese rider qualified the best of these, second only to Ducati’s points leader Neil Hodgson. Third went to Régis Laconi, on his 998, ahead of Gregorio Lavilla and the Alstare Suzuki.

The second row featured an all-British line-up, led by Rutter, and with James Toseland and Chris Walker (both HM Plant Ducati) followed by Reynolds. The Ducatis of Frankie Chili and Rubén Xaus were relegated to the third rank as a result. James Haydon was not entered for the Foggy Petronas squad, following his huge tumble during the previous championship round.

As race one got underway, Laconi made a good start. However, he was still beaten into first place by Hodgson. Quickest away was Walker, who moved into third ahead of Kagayama. This duo sooned moved past Laconi, the Suzuki man first, and Yukio was already making a dramatic attempt to pass the leader as they got to Bridge corner. He made his move stick through the next complex, and finished the first lap in front.

The order over the line was Kagayama, Hodgson, Walker, Lavilla, Rutter and Reynolds, with Laconi now back to seventh. He was followed by Xaus and Toseland, who’d had a poor start, then Emmett, Chili, Vittorio Iannuzzo, Marco Borciani, Lucio Pedercini and Juan Borja. In what would prove to be an action packed race, Lavilla now passed Walker on the Hangar straight, going on to set the fastest lap so far.

Kagayama was using some entertaining but unusual lines, and it seemed the first six were breaking up into two groups of three, with a clear gap behind Lavilla as he chased Hodgson for second. Sure enough, the Spaniard found a way past, going around the outside of the first bend beyond Bridge, into the complex. Meanwhile, Toseland was making inroads on the leaders. He had already followed Reynolds and Laconi past Rutter, and now James was breaking away from Xaus, who was then repassed by Rutter.

At this stage, the DFX Ducati team’s presence was reduced by two, with both Borja and Steve Martin going out at much the same time. In much better form was Lavilla, who went ahead of Kagayama at Stowe corner, not long before Hodgson also went ahead, at the tight Vale corner. All three Suzukis were in the thick of it, with Reynolds passing Walker to run fourth, and looking likely to catch the three leaders.

Walker was now very closely pursued by another five Ducatis, firstly team-mate Toseland, and then Laconi, Xaus, Rutter and Chili. Before much longer, Walker, Laconi, Xaus and Toseland were pretty much bunched together, in that order. Emmett’s 998 crashed out at this point. At the front, Hodgson passed Lavilla at Stowe, but was later relegated once more, as the GSX-R took the inside line at Bridge.

With Laconi bringing the pack up towards Reynolds, it became an amazing ten bike train at the head of the field. This now comprised Hodgson, Lavilla, Kagayama, Reynolds, Laconi, Walker, Xaus, Toseland, Rutter and Chili. The next runners were headed by Borciani, Pedercini and Iannuzzo, with Nello Russo, Mauro Sanchini, Ivan Clementi, Giovanni Bussei and Sergio Fuertes next. There were ten Ducatis in the top fourteen, with the other four all Suzukis. The Kawasaki, Yamaha and Foggy bikes were definitely the poor relations here.

Kagayama’s dramatics were not over, and he attacked Hodgson at the Vale, without making it. Neil took his turn at Lavilla round at Maggots and then Stowe, with a similar lack of success, but then Kagayama got it right on the inside at Bridge, and set about Lavilla at Stowe. On lap nine, tenth placed Chili was just two seconds from the leader, with the order now showing Laconi ahead of Reynolds, and Walker behind Xaus and Toseland.

The passing kept on going for lap after lap, with one man trying one thing, and the next man often benefiting from it. Despite his great tally of victories, Hodgson was every bit as keen to win here. He passed Lavilla on the outside at Maggots, lost the place again with Gregorio on his inside at Stowe, and this pair then swapped more ground through Vale. This time Neil braked too late, and was also passed by Xaus, who had recently got by Kagayama. Then next change put Yukio down to fifth, behind Toseland.

Xaus continued to make his way forward, finally getting into the lead at Maggots. He even seemed to be moving clear of Lavilla, which served to pull the first three clear of Laconi and Toseland. However, the two leading Spaniards would still swap places a couple of times, dramatically, until Hodgson managed to grab the inside ground from both of them at Stowe! Xaus found himself behind Toseland in the same skirmish. Through this period, Laconi had been both third and sixth.

All this changed the order to Hodgson, Lavilla, Toseland, Xaus, Kagayama, Laconi, Reynolds, Rutter, Chili, Walker, Borciani, Pedercini and Bussei. Now the first Suzuki went inside the leader at Bridge, and with Toseland then trying around the outside of his former team-mate, the pack were bunched up tight again. The two Ducati men got the better of Lavilla and, with five laps to go, Chili had now passed Rutter.

While Toseland tried to find a way past Hodgson, Kagayama got it all wrong at Copse corner, and ran straight off the track. He managed to keep control and regain the circuit, slotting into sixth just ahead of team-mate Reynolds. This gave the first five a bit of breathing space, but it soon became the first four. At the painfully slow final chicane, while Toseland continued attacking Hodgson, Lavilla’s GSX-R just slid out from under him and robbed him of third place or better. He did hang onto fastest lap.

As the laps counted down the four-way lead group reduced to three, with Hodgson, Toseland and Xaus moving clear of Laconi. The Rizla Suzukis were now split by Chili, Reynolds ahead, and the Rutter-Walker pair were dropping further back. Xaus went for Toseland at Bridge, only for the Englishman to fight back, and both of them tried hard to get the better of Hodgson. On the final tour, Toseland found himself defending from Xaus. Although these two came close to touching in the chicane, the top three order was maintained to the flag.

Chili had briefly fought back when Kagayama passed him, but ended up seventh, behind Laconi, Kagayama and Reynolds. Eighth placed Rutter was followed home by Walker, Borciani, Pedercini, Bussei, Sanchini, Clementi, Russo, Corser - who’d had an off on the first lap - and Fuertes.

Click here for the race two report.

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