Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes stayed top of the MCE British Superbike free practice timesheets during the final timed session at Cadwell Park. Even though he set the fastest time of the morning, with a 1’26.966 he couldn’t quite manage to better the outstanding lap from FP2 on Friday.
The Bringelly rider lapped under lap record pace, with a 1’26.594 yesterday and was four tenths off that in FP3. With two minutes left pace-setter Brookes crashed unhurt at the Chicane while on a hot lap, but he had already done enough to cement his place at the top of the sheets. It must of been a case of deja vu for Be Wiser Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan as once again he had to play second fiddle to Brookes.
But the Essex lad was able to better his time that he clocked in FP2, with a 1’26.981 and broke the 1’26 bracket this morning. Tyco BMW’s Tommy Bridewell was only 0.1 seconds off a 1’26 rotation but pulled his S1000RR up to third fastest followed by Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey and Smiths Racing’s Billy McConnell.
The reigning Motorpoint British Supersport rider rounded off the top five but on his last lap he fell, uninjured at the Chicane. Buildbase BMW’s newest rider, Richard Cooper improved to lap a 1’27.493 to go sixth on the combined timing-screens followed closely by Iddon, Westmoreland, Hopkins and Laverty, who completed the top ten.
The Wales-based rider was unable to better his 1’27.671 from FP2, and was nearly a second off the pace this afternoon. Jessopp, and local rider, RAF Reserves BMW’s Peter Hickman ended the outing eleventh and twelfth respectably. Louth’s finest did take a tumble at the Chris Curve on his final rotation but was able to hobble away from the incident.
PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne appeared to continue to struggle to find the pace at the Lincolnshire track and ended the final free practice twelfth on the timesheets with Linfoot in fourteenth.
Buildbase BMW’s Ryuichi Kiyonari crashed after only fifteen minutes out on track at Park Corner, but was declared OK at the trackside. He fell onboard 2014’s S1000RR machine, as new team-mate Richard Cooper is competing on this year’s model.
With seven minutes left in FP3 the red flags appeared after Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot’s engine went bang on the start and finish straight and a clean up ensued.
One rider who was missing from proceedings was Team WD-40’s Taylor Mackenzie. He was taken to hospital after the first free practice session yesterday with suspected appendicitis, and will have his appendix taken out today.
