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Thruxton BSB: Brookes wins action packed race-one

Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes now leads the MCE British Superbike Championship and has a seven point advantage of PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne, after the Australian stormed to the race-one win at Thruxton.

Brookes had a four second gap over eventual second place finisher, Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot, with JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Westmoreland bagging his first podium of his BSB career after getting the better of Byrne to clinch third.

It was an eventful opening race at the Hampshire track. With fifteen laps remaining the red flags appeared after Anvil Hire TAG Racing’s Richard Cooper’s ZX-10R blew up and spilled oil on to the track. JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison and Bennetts Suzuki’s Christian Iddon got caught up in it and slipped on the oil at Church, while they were fighting for a top five position. Ellison was taken to the medical centre for further assessment.

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In the fifteen lapper restart, Hopkins who got the hole-shot, followed by Brookes, Linfoot, Bridewell and Byrne, with the reigning champ swapping to an SC0 tyre for part two of proceedings.

On lap six of fifteen the front three of Brookes, Linfoot and Hopkins pulled away and Byrne was locked in a battle with Bridewell for fourth, five seconds behind leaders. But the Devizes swearbox made a mistake allowing Buchan, Mainwaring and Westmoreland though.

But there was drama at the front, and while fighting for the win John Hopkins experienced a technical problem with only five laps remaining, and unfortunately for the Moto Rapido Ducati team he retreated to the pits with an exhaust problem.

With the former MotoGP star out of contention it pushed Westmoreland up to third, and a possible podium. But on the final lap Be Wiser Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan and Tyco BMW’s Tommy Bridewell crashed while dicing for fourth at the Club Chicane, and fortunately both riders walked away from the incident.

Before the flag and the restart, it was Brookes who got the hole-shot, from Hopkins and Mossey, only for the young Cambridgeshire lad to go past the American a lap later. But Linfoot surged on ahead and at Club got the better of the pair to go into second behind Brookes, but then the red flags appeared on the side of the track.

Finally at the end of the race, and at the chequered flag Byrne clinched fourth with Mainwaring in fifth. Mossey, Kennedy, McConnell, Laverty and Jessopp completed the top ten.

Substitute rider's PBM Kawasaki's Ian Hutchinson, and Milwaukee Yamaha's Adam Jenkinson, who are riding in the place of crocked Stuart Easton, and Broc Parkes finished thirteenth and twelfth respectively. Be Wiser Kawasaki's Chris Walker was the last of the points finishers.

There were a few other fallers including, Buildbase BMW’s Lee Jackson who tumbled at the Chicane, but walked away from the crash. His team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari experienced a DNF. RAF Reserves Peter Hickman was riding high inside the top ten, but experienced a technical problem and swiftly retired to the pits.

Iddon did attempt a re-start but also made his way back to the garage after an issue with his GSXR. Honda Racing’s Jenny Tinmouth fell at Goodwood, but was declared OK at the trackside.

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