Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes is the new MCE British Superbike Champion for 2015 after taking the opening race win at Brands Hatch in style.
At the start of the race Brookes was locked in a battle for the lead with title rival, PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne but on the eleventh lap of twenty made a move that stuck coming out of Stirling’s and never looked back, and went on clinch his maiden BSB title.
At the flag Brookes had a three second lead over Byrne, with Moto Rapido Ducati’s John Hopkins finishing in third, bagging his team’s first podium of the season.
It was Brookes who got the hole-shot followed by Buchan and Byrne, but then the quadruple-champ overtook the Essex lad at Druids to go into second and right behind rival Brookes.
But two rotations later Byrne made his way into the front going into Surtees after Brookes went wide and up on the curve. Meanwhile Hopkins edged ever closer to the battling duo and was on the back wheel of the title chasers, with Iddon in tow.
With nine laps remaining the leading racers pulled away leaving Buchan and Mossey fighting for fifth. At Stirling’s with nine laps to go Brookes overtook Byrne and charged into the lead.
Brookes pulled the pin and had a three second advantage over Byrne with four laps to go. The Australian was not holding back and on his final lap extended his advantage over his rival.
Elsewhere at the flag Iddon held on to fourth, with Buildbase BMW’s Lee Jackson powering through to end the opening race in an impressive fifth. Showdown racer JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s
James Ellison held on to bag sixth from Mossey, Buchan and Laverty with Milwaukee Yamaha’s Jakub Smrz completing the top ten.
Buildbase BMW’s Richard Cooper had been ruled out of race with concussion after an earlier qualifying crash. Team WD-40’s Taylor Mackenzie stopped with a technical problem at Graham Hill Bend, and his team-mate Jack Kennedy also retired to the pits.
