Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes was crowned the ‘King of Brands’ after clinching maximum points during the MCE British Superbike double-header at the Brands Hatch GP circuit.
Brookes was able to once again, out-pace PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne to bag his first double of the year, after getting on to the top step of the podium not once, but twice at the Kent track.
With 50 points this weekend, Brookes is now only five points off Byrne in the overall championship standings. At the flag the Bringelly rider had a 3.4 second advantage over Byrne, and third place finisher Anvil Hire TAG Racing’s Richard Cooper.
The diminutive rider had his best race weekend ever and successfully held off the charge from JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison, to hold on to the final step of the rostrum this afternoon.
Initially it was Byrne who got the hole-shot ahead of Brookes and Cooper. Byrne led until lap eight until Brookes got underneath him coming out of Druids to take the lead for the first time in the race.
Further down the field with ten laps to go Tyco BMW’s Tommy Bridewell was hot on the heels of Ellison, and got the better of the Cumbrian at Paddock Hill, and the Devizes rider was up to fourth. But his reign up the sharp end was not to last as he crashed one lap later at Surtees.
With Bridewell out of contention of a solid points finish it pushed Ellison up to fourth, with Laverty and McConnell in tow, with eight laps to go. Meanwhile Brookes ploughed on ahead and edged out a two second advantage over Byrne and Cooper on lap fifteen of twenty.
Moto Rapido Ducati’s. substitute rider, John Hopkins was riding high inside the top ten, but with over third of the race distance completed the American retired to the pits with what appeared to be a technical issue.
When the chequered flag appeared Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty rounded up the top five, ahead of Mossey, McConnell and Iddon. Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran and Milwaukee Yamaha’s Broc Parkes completed the top ten.
Riders Motorcycles BMW’s Martin Jessopp was the last of the points finishers, but it was not a good race for triple-champ Buildbase BMW’s Ryuichi Kiyonari, who in a repeat of the first race failed to get inside the points and ended race two in eighteenth.
There were few incidences out on track, but fortunately not as many as race one. Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot crashed at Westfield. He appeared unhurt and was able to walk away from the crash with fifteen laps remaining. Be Wiser Kawasaki’s Chris Walker’s ZX-10R engine went pop at Clearways, and smoke started pouring out of his bike, bringing an abrupt end to his race two ambitions.
