Irish veteran racer Jeremy McWilliams took individual honours in the Phillip Island International Challenge at the weekend leading the UK team but even a spectacular crash by BSB man Josh Brookes failed to stop the marauding Australians in the team event.

McWilliams, on a Bridgestone R10-shod Suzuki XR69, joins a distinguished list of top points' scorers and International Challenge champions in recent years: Steve Martin in 2010, 1987 World 500GP champion Wayne Gardner in 2009, two-times Australian Superbike champion Malcolm Campbell in 2008 and Rob Phillis in 2007.

Despite only arriving in Australia on Thursday, the former 250cc Grand Prix winner posted a win, two further third-placed podiums and a fourth place giving him a slender two-point winning margin overall. Beau Beaton riding a classic Vincent was second, with six-time Australia Superbike champion Rob Phillis third on a Suzuki Katana.

"It wasn't ideal preparation arriving a bit late this year due to circumstances beyond my control, but I love competing at this event and I wouldn't have missed it. The XR69 Suzuki is a great big bike to ride and the combination of great bike, enthusiastic rider and Bridgestone tyres was the winning formula," he said.

"I won the final race but would have liked another, but like last year I've shown that consistency is the key to the overall victory here. I've had a great time as usual so big thanks to the organisers, Roger Winfield for the bike and Bridgestone for great rubber. Hopefully I can come back and make it a hat-trick in 2013."

Brookes, meanwhile, was spat off his XR when the exhaust decided the best place for it to be was trapped in the rear wheel which saw the Bringelly man launched into the scenery through the fearsomely fast Doohan Curve. He bounced well for a man of his advancing years and was unhurt.

But to add insult to injury, Brookes' minivan broke down on the 10-hour drive home and he had only the 'help' of Leon Camier to fix it…