Double victory sees Edwards close title gap

Colin Edwards gave his World Superbike Championship hopes a shot in the arm with a double Brands Hatch victory yesterday.

The Castrol Honda rider closed the gap in the title race to just 39 points on Troy Bayliss after the Ducati Infostrada rider claimed a second and third place despite a broken rib.

Edwards revealed he had been spurred on by the legions of noisy supporters among the record crowd of 126,000. The American said: "I knew that a win was possible, but then I made a mess of the start. I dug deep and managed to get ahead pretty early in race one. Once in front I just watched the pit board and tried to keep the gap at about one second.

"It was tough in the hot conditions and all I could hear was screaming fans, but I really felt like the double was on today and I'm so pleased to achieve it. Since we got here on Friday morning I've felt confident."

The home favourite, Neil Hodgson, enjoyed a day-long battle with Bayliss and drew first blood, taking second in race one on his HM Plant Ducati before being outshone by the reigning world champion to finish third in the second race.

From pole position Hodgson led from the start of race two as Bayliss claimed second ahead of Edwards, but Peter Goddard's race ended early as the Australian slid off his Benelli at the first corner.

The lead changed on lap four with Edwards squeezing beyond Hodgson, but the Burnley-born rider refused to give in and briefly reclaimed the place on the last corner before the Texan's better line paid off.

Bayliss, who had lost ground in the early laps, fought back and began to hound Hodgson, despite suffering back and rib injuries in a fall yesterday. The Australian got his man on the ninth lap, drifting past his Ducati rival going into Paddock Hill Bend.

Ben Bostrom – who won both races here last season – struggled to repeat his 2001 form but took sixth from Noriyuki Haga on lap 12.

Hodgson's team-mate James Toseland, from Sheffield, retired early after falling off his HM Plant Ducati, but Hodgson recovered from a mid-race blip to harry Bayliss, momentarily snatching second before making the move stick in the race's closing stages. Bayliss refused to give in, however, and stole second with five laps to go before seeing off the Briton's determined challenge, while Edwards strolled to victory.

Chris Walker took his Fuchs Kawasaki to eighth place, heading a British trio, as Renegade Ducati's Michael Rutter came home ninth with his team-mate Shane Byrne 10th.

In race one Hodgson made a lightning start from pole to lead into the first corner from Bayliss who had made up ground from his fourth-placed starting slot. But Edwards had the bit between his teeth and pulled off a daring move on Bayliss through Dingle Dell to take second before leading on the third lap.

Playstation2 Aprilia rider Haga made stunning progress from a lowly 11th spot on the grid to take fourth, but the Japanese came under intense pressure from Spain's Ruben Xaus. The pair continued their epic duel as the laps ran out and with two to go the Xaus claimed fourth place.

But on the final lap the positions changed again before Xaus rode into the back of his rival just yards before the flag, only just regaining control to finish in fifth.

Walker took an excellent sixth, with Toseland ninth and Byrne 10th.