Keith Farmer secures Superstock 1000 win at Brands Hatch

Keith Farmer was a prizewinner at the Irish Motorcyclist of the Year awards

Clogher rider Keith Farmer took victory in the opening round of the British Superstock 1000cc championship at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit on Monday.

Farmer, the British Superstock 600cc champion, won in wet conditions after starting from the sixth row.

Alastair Seeley was second behind winner Jon Kirkham in the British Superbike race, with Ian Lowry fourth.

Glenn Irwin finished fifth in the first British Supersport 600 event, with Dubliner Jack Kennedy in sixth.

Mar-Train rider Kennedy won the second race, in which half points were awarded because the finishing places were allocated after seven laps.

Michael Rutter completed the podium in the only British Superbike race as the meeting was curtailed because of poor track conditions caused by heavy rain and oil spillages.

Farmer mastered the tricky conditions best to clinch a convincing and memorable victory for the Paul Bird Motorsport team.

"I didn't expect to win from the sixth row of the grid but if you didn't push on, you weren't going to get anywhere," said Farmer after the race.