Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes didn’t want to risk too much during the MCE British Superbike free practice sessions in wet conditions at Brands Hatch, and the cold temperatures made it hard for the Australian to be ‘confident’ out on track.
Brookes currently leads the series and has a 47 point advantage over rival PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne, with the pair the only riders who have a possibility of clinching the BSB title this weekend.
But it was Byrne who edged Brookes in FP2, but the Bringelly rider will keep working hard with his team on the R1 ready for qualifying and the opening triple-header race tomorrow, where the Milwaukee Yamaha man has the chance to bag his maiden BSB title.
“This morning it was wet, but the cold temperature made it hard to be confident. You had to do your best lap when you came out of the pits, yet you didn’t want to risk too much, because in conditions like that the tyre will get cooler on its side,” said Brookes.
“This afternoon was completely different, with the track drying out. We still had low temperatures, but because it hadn’t rained all day, the track was starting to dry. The wet tyre was squirming around, but with the cold temperatures we couldn’t use an intermediate or a slick.
“It was almost like motocross - on every lap that you came around, the track conditions had changed. Today the track was changing quicker than you could change the setup on the bike. You might go in for a tyre to suit a wet track, but the next time you went back it was patchy, and there was a clear drying line. We will keep working tomorrow and then we will be ready for race one.”
