Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes set the quickest time during the MCE British Superbike test at Oulton Park, lapping 0.6 seconds faster than his own lap record - with his best time of a 1’34.850, and was only one of two riders to reach the 1’34 bracket today.
Brookes had to contend with charges from PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne and the four-time champ was not going to let the Australian take all the glory this afternoon. The ZX-10R rider also reached the 1’34’s but his best time of a 1’34.891 was only good enough to place him second, and even though he did try he couldn’t topple Brookes from the top of the timing-screens.
JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison is still on a high after his first ever career double at Brands Hatch last week and was full of confidence onboard his machine. He was the quickest in the morning session but couldn’t replicate his fast form, and even though he significantly bettered his times throughout the day he had to settle for third quickest – after a 1’35.083 rotation.
Elsewhere Byrne’s team-mate Stuart Easton was having a solid time out on the circuit, and was up the sharp end for the majority of the sessions today. He finished fourth on the timesheets with a 1’35.189, just one-tenth shy of the best time set by Ellison. Tyco BMW’s Tommy Bridewell rounded off the top five.
Initially in the final session it was Bridewell who set the pace, and was the first rider to top the sheets, but Easton responded and put down a super quick lap on the twenty minute mark – a 1’35.189, going two tenths under the lap record. But Brookes decided to join in and pulverised the rest of the grid with a 1’34.850, smashing his own lap record in the process, with just over an hour remaining in the third session.
Byrne was having none of it and the reigning champion edged ever closer to the best time of Brookes, and with 30 minutes remaining the Lambeth born rider lapped a 1’34.891, going 0.041 seconds slower than the Milwaukee Yamaha man. In the end Byrne had to settle for second. Further down the timing-screens RAF Reserves BMW’s Peter Hickman nabbed sixth on the sheets from Buildbase BMW’s Ryuichi Kiyonari.
Meanwhile Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty appeared to have found a setting on his S1000RR that he felt comfortable with, as he was never outside the top ten quickest times all afternoon. At the flag he ended the testing session in eighth, with JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Westmoreland and Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran completing the top ten.
