Tyco Suzuki's Josh Brookes has stormed to the top of the second MCE British Superbike free practice timesheet at Oulton Park this afternoon, holding on to a one-second lead in wet conditions until Alex Lowes and Alastair Seeley reeled him in the final minutes of a shortened session.
The Bringelly man set a blistering 1'48.494 with almost half of the 30-minute period left on the clock and it remained the top time until the chequered flag came out. Team-mate Seeley jumped into second with only a handful of laps remaining on a 1'49.025 before WFR Honda's Lowes closed the gap further with a 1'48.757.
Moto Rapido Ducati's Scott Smart proved this morning's fourth place was no fluke, holding on to the same place in session two and cutting his lap time by a second to 1'49.08, demoting fellow Kent man Shane Byrne to fifth with his final circuit. The Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki man is seventh tenths off the pace on a 1'49.191.
Reigning champion Tommy Hill, quickest this morning, slipped down to sixth on a 1'49.394, just ahead of James Westmoreland, on the second WFR Fireblade, in seventh. Acknowledged rain main Michael Rutter slipped from an early fourth place to eighth, just in front of Samsung Honda's Michael Laverty, also a master of tricky conditions.
Gary Mason, who is standing in for the crocked James Hiller, placed tenth while Noriyuki Haga, on the second Swan Yamaha, got up from a crash at Hizzy's to bag 11th. His lap of 1'49.998 is 1.5s off the pace. Jon Kirkham, Ian Lowry, Graeme Gowland and Tommy Bridewell round out the top 15. Stuart Easton is still recovering from an operation and ventured out for a few exploratory laps.
