KENDAL-born James Ellison became the seventh different race winner in the 2017 British Superbike Championship following two dramatic races at Cadwell Park.

The McAMS Yamaha rider shared the victories with Leon Haslam in an incredible raceday which also saw Lee Jackson claim his first podium finish in the class.

The Championship continued to deliver in Lincolnshire as the battle for the Showdown places intensified with six different riders representing four manufacturers scoring podium finishes as the championship prepares for the Silverstone Showdown decider with nine riders still mathematically poised to claim a position in the top six.

In race one, Haslam returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since Oulton Park in May as the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider delivered an inch perfect performance to hold off a chasing freight train of eight riders. Ellison rounded out the top 10 before going on to take the second race by storm.

In race two, Jackson had started from pole position for the Smiths Racing BMW team for the first time and he had a lightening start off the line to lead on the opening lap from Jake Dixon, Shane Byrne and Peter Hickman.

Ellison was holding strong in fifth, but he had a moment and was forced to run on through the chicane which dropped him back and he had to regain the ground.

By the fifth lap Dixon had fired himself into the lead with a move on the brakes into Park and then Jackson, Byrne and Hickman on the second of the Smiths Racing BMWs were in contention for the lead.

As Jackson smashed the lap record on the eighth lap, Ellison was vying to move up the order and he pulled a move on Hickman to move into fourth place.

There was plenty more drama to come though as Byrne was then stalking Jackson for the lead; the Be Wiser Ducati rider made his move at Park, but just two laps later the defending champion was forced to retire with a technical problem.

Championship leader Byrne’s retirement from the race marked the first time that none of the six Showdown riders have been confirmed ahead of the final race of the Main Season.

However it wasn’t just Byrne that was halted in race two. On the same lap race one winner Haslam had gone for a move on Hickman into Park but a gearbox issue forced him to scrub off speed and ended up on the grass at over 90mph, resulting in him crashing out unhurt.

The leading trio was then Jackson leading Ellison and Hickman and with three laps to go the McAMS Yamaha rider made his move to take the advantage at the front of the field with the trio three wide going into Park on the 15th lap.

Ellison went on to take the chequered flag by 0.696s from Jackson with Hickman giving the Smiths Racing BMW team their first double podium finish.