Top ten BSB riders: Michael Laverty.

We at Crash.net recently invited you to cast your vote for your favourite riders in this year's Bennetts British Superbikes season by rating their efforts out of ten.

Now, having crunched the numbers and tapped the calculators we are counting down the riders you believe were most deserving of your plaudits in 2008.

Over the next ten days, we will be revealing the top ten in reverse order, with the winner being revealed on Friday 14 November.

Almost 12,000 votes were cast on the BSB poll, with each riders average score out of ten then being calculated to decide the winner.

BSB Rider of the Year - Ninth place:

Name: Michael LavertyTeam: Relentless Suzuki by TASBike: Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K8Wins:0Podiums: 0Fastest laps: 0Championship points: 141Championship position: 9th

It is the measure of a man who can take defeat on the chin and keep on smiling. Just ask Michael Laverty...

For most, being innocently taken out of a strong second place would be disastrous. Taking a tumble from a race you could have won would certainly raise the frustration levels. Yet, while both of these occurrences befell Laverty this season, his cheery demeanour ensured that he wouldn't dwell on it.

Still, despite those incidents at Silverstone and Cadwell Park, the graduating British Supersport champion still had plenty of reasons to be happy with his 2008 season.

Aboard the solid Relentless Suzuki, he joined Simon Andrews in sitting on the cusp of the leading riders and occasionally getting amongst them to shake up the order.

Indeed, three top five finishes in the first six races raised Laverty's stock, while his front row grid slots at Cadwell Park and Knockhill were further evidence that he is likely to be a future race winner.

As it happens, Laverty didn't quite squeeze onto the podium this year and a dismal run of luck in the final few rounds saw him drop to ninth in the standings.

Nonetheless, he made his point in 2008, as well as plenty of fans, so expect someone to snap him up for an assault on the 2009 top flight.

9th - Michael Laverty10th - Simon Andrews

Tomorrow: Who did you vote eighth in the BSB Rider of the Year poll?