Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes keeps his place at the top of the overall MCE British Superbike championship standings, and bagged maximum podium credits after he was victorious in the second race at Oulton Park.
He had to start from the tenth row in race-one yesterday, but he was on the front for race two and started off strongly to get back on to the top step of the podium. His rival, PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne also came out of the starting blocks all guns blazing but while he was battling for the win with Brookes he experienced a technical problem with a handful of laps remaining, paving the way for Brookes to take another win.
Be Wiser Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan went one better than yesterday and benefited from Byrne’s misfortunes to clinch second, and his best result in BSB to date. Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot completed the rostrum and a third place finish has helped his Showdown ambitions no end, and he is now only eight points adrift of a top six place.
At first it was Byrne who got the hole-shot only for Brookes to snatch the lead on the opening lap. Things were going well for Tyco BMW’s Tommy Bridewell and he was holding on to the leading bikes of Brookes and Byrne, but he crashed at Cascades after a big high-side whilst in third on lap five.
The Devizes rider, who has now secured his place in the Showdown was taken to the medical centre for further assessment. Meanwhile with ten laps to go the fight for third intensified into a four-way battle between Linfoot, Mossey, Buchan and Ellison.
While the foursome were dicing away, Brookes and Byrne had a seven second advantage over the rest, and were pulling away from the competition. It was Linfoot who was leading the charge, only for Buchan to power on ahead and made a move going into Cascades to take third.
Behind Buchan were Showdown contenders, Mossey and Linfoot and the pair were setting consistently similar lap times to keep everything tight within the group. Ellison has already secured his place inside the top six, and is still in a lot of pain after breaking his wrist only a month ago, but he still managed to hold on to the leading group.
On lap thirteen of eighteen Buchan pulled the pin and pushed his ZX-10R away from the other three racers, and edge an extra two seconds out of his machine to push closer to the leading duo of Brookes and Byrne. But the current champ was closing in on rival Brookes, but experienced a technical problem at Hizzy’s and came to a halt, ending his chance of bagging some podium credits.
With Byrne out of the race it pushed Buchan onto the podium, along with Linfoot, who bagged a podium credit to help in his quest for Showdown glory.
When the chequered flag came out Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey ended the race in fourth, with Ellison completing the top five. Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty has clinched his Showdown spot and moves up to fourth in the overall standings after ending race two in seventh, followed by Cooper, Iddon and Westmoreland rounding up the top ten.
PBM Kawasaki’s Stuart Easton did not line up on the starting grid, and will miss both races today. He was nursing some injuries coming into this race weekend after crashing at Brands Hatch a few rounds ago, but in race one yesterday he crashed and was declared unfit to take part today. The Scot is currently sixth overall and is still in with a shot of a Showdown place.
There were a few incidences out on track, and the first rider to experience a technical problem was Team WD-40’s Jack Kennedy, who came to an abrupt stop at Island, whilst in eighth.
Smiths Racing’s Billy McConnell retreated back to the pits with an issue too. Moto Rapido Ducati’s John Hopkins retired to his garage with two laps remaining with a problem with his Panigale.
