That allowed Sykes to take the win by over two seconds. With Chaz Davies third on his Ducati, it was an all-British podium for the huge home crowd to savour.
Fans enjoyed a new campsite on the infield, with live entertainment and rider appearances. In addition, the new open paddock policy meant fans were able to get much closer to the riders, with a packed Paddock Show schedule attracting hordes of people throughout the three days of action.
Fans basked in superb weather conditions, with action from two further World Championships, and three national motorcycle series also.
Donington Park managing director Christopher Tate said: “We’ve been delighted by the many positive comments sent our way over the weekend, and the very strong crowd has enjoyed a superb weekend of action both on and off the track.
“Our many years of investment since we re-opened has finally allowed us to showcase what we really want to do, and our new initiatives are what we’ve been wanting to do since we reopened.
“Our congratulations of course go to Tom Sykes and the Kawasaki team for a remarkable achievement, and we now look forward to more top-class action at the Park this summer.”