Josh Owens powered to his maiden GP2 victory ahead of this afternoon’s Dickies British Supersport feature race battle, while early leaders Kyle Ryde and Ben Currie crashed out.

The former British 125GP champion had taken off early and stretched a comfortable 10s lead, but Currie lost the front and collected Ryde just over a lap from the finish, handing the full Supersport points haul to Jack Kennedy.

Pole-sitter Jamie Perrin launched into the lead off the start as the still-injured Kennedy and title rival Currie slotted into second and third, but Currie soon took the lead as Perrin was shuffled back.

Integro Yamaha’s Kennedy then had a turn on the front before Aussie Currie took it back, but Ryde made a heroic move heading into the Club chicane at the end of lap two as he swooped around the outside from fifth to first.

But his RS Racing compatriot Josh Owens, who took second overall in yesterday’s race, soon put Currie in his rear-view and continued to slip past Ryde.

The Aintree rider began stretching a gap, leaving Ryde, Currie, Perrin, Sam Wilford and James Rispoli to scrap for second while James Westmoreland, who was forced to start at the back of the grid, reeled them in with three laps remaining.

Ryde and Currie looked to be the main contenders for a runner-up finish, but the Gearlink Kawasaki rider lost the front entering the Club chicane with just over a lap to go, taking both he and Ryde out and leaving Kennedy to take 25 points.

While Owens took a commanding 12.666s victory ahead of the Irishman, Everquip Racing’s Rispoli and Slidecodor/Go Racing Developments’ Perrin completed the Supersport rostrum.

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