Tommy Hill won the British Superbike title in the most dramatic fashion at Brands Hatch on Sunday.

Hill, from Beckenham, pipped rival John Hopkins to the line by 0.006 seconds for second place in race three at Brands Hatch.

Shane Byrne, from Sittingbourne, won the final race of the 2011 season which may go down as one of the greatest BSB races ever.

American Hopkins entered the last race with a slender two-point lead over his only rival Hill, meaning whoever finished before the other would clinch the championship – and the action was tense until the dramatic photo-finish.

Byrne raced away with a five-second victory, but all eyes were on the chase between Hopkins and Hill as they tussled throughout and exchanged positions five times in the final two laps.

With Hill starting on the second row of the grid, Hopkins always held the advantage but he stalked and harassed the American at every opportunity.

But, with Hopkins holding near perfect lines, the opportunity seemed destined never to arrive until three laps from the finish.

The final two laps were the most captivating in the sport’s history, with pass after pass after pass before Hopkins rode wide on the final corner and Hill forced himself over the line to take second by the width of his wheel, and sixth thousandths of a second.

As Byrne powered off the starting grid with James Ellison surging through from row two in pursuit, Hopkins and his Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki team-mate Jon Kirkham drifted inside together to block off Hill.

Starting from behind them, Hill was always up against it and the Swan Yamaha man made an early move to take the Samsung duo on the outside, to no avail, before Michael Laverty edged past Kirkham to shoulder his team-mate Hill.

The race was delicately poised on lap five with Hopkins riding ahead of Hill in third, and Laverty holding off Kirkham in fifth, until Kirkham skidded into the gravel to leave his American stablemate without support.

By lap six, Byrne had opened up a one-second lead on Ellison but all eyes were on the third-fourth contest between the title rivals as Hill’s frustration and desperation built with every lap that passed.

With Australian Josh Brookes flying through the pack and putting pressure on Hill, the British hopeful knew he had to play his final cards on lap 17 of 20, before edging past Hopkins with what seemed to be a title-winning move.

But Hopkins came back again and again, but failed to edge his rival on the final straight leaving Hill to achieve his destiny and finally lift the British Superbike Championship.

Race results:

1. Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda)

2. Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +4.434s

3. John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) +4.440s

4. James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +4.679s

5. Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +4.782s

6. Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +5.785s

7. Michael Rutter (Rapid Solicitors-Bathams Ducati) +12.253s

8. Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +15.963s

9. Peter Hickman (Tyco Honda) +16.130s

10. James Westmoreland (WFR Honda) +24.203s

Final standings:

Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 647

John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki) 645

Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) 625

Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) 601

Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) 598

Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 526