McAMS Yamaha’s Josh Brookes will have to remove his handlebar moustache after taking the Bennetts British Superbike double win at Brands Hatch this afternoon.
The 2015 champion said he would shave off the Melchett should he take two wins in Kent and it came to pass as he took a lights-to-flag victory, beating Glenn Irwin by less than a tenth of a second with Leon Haslam in third place.
Brookes was never headed in the second encounter but, as with race one, Be Wiser Ducati’s Irwin pushed him all the way but just didn’t have enough to steal the victory on the final lap. Haslam was in contention until the final laps but his pace fell away and he finished 5.6s in arrears.
Haslam’s podium means he moves further away from Jake Dixon, who was fourth again, at the top of the championship chase while Brookes leapfrogs Bradley Rea for fourth.
Dixon had the terrier Tarran Mackenzie snapping at his heels and the little Scotsman bounced back from his race one crash for fifth place.
Christian Iddon was easily the quickest of the BMWs in sixth place while Tommy Bridewell took the Moto Rapido Ducati to seventh place on only his second race with the squad. Danny Buchan took eighth place with James Ellison and Peter Hickman completing the top ten.
Michael Laverty, Andrew Irwin, Luke Mossey, Chrissy Rouse and Jason O'Halloran rounded out the points scoreres with Bradley Ray 16th. Dan Linfoot did not start as he has a suspected broken scaphoid after his race-one crash.
