Tyco Suzuki's Josh Brookes snatched the second MCE British Superbike race win at Assen today, mugging race-one winner Shane Byrne into the final chicane to take the championship lead by just two points with two rounds left to go.
Brookes had got past the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki man at the fast Stekknwal with two laps to go but the veteran rider was back in front very quickly. However, on the final lap Brookes went past Byrne on the brakes into Geert Timmer who was then baulked by back-marker Aaron Zanotti and forced to take the long way round.
The win gives Bringelly's Brookes a slight margin at the top of the points table while reigning champion Tommy Hill retains third despite not scoring in the first outing and getting pushed back to fourth on the last lap by WFR Honda's Alex Lowes after a race-long scrap.
The Lincolnshire rider leapfrogs Michael Laverty in the points table as the Samsung Honda man again struggled with tyres in race two. He changed from the SC1 to the harder SC2 for race two but still hadn't enough grip and plunged to seventh place after leading on lap one.
He was passed Tommy Bridewell and Noriyuki Haga while James Westmoreland staked his claim for the best of the rest title with another eighth place. Danish rider Robbin Harms claimed ninth place on the Doodson Tunstall Honda with Stuart Easton rounding out the top ten.
Victor Cox was given a scare on the final lap when his rear wheel collapsed at the chicane, depositing the youngster onto the grass, fortunately unhurt.
