Courtesy of Bennetts British Superbike Championship Media
| Josh Brookes held the advantage after the opening day of Bennetts British Superbike Championship action at Oulton Park today (Friday), launching the Be Wiser Ducati to the top of the times by 0.508s to hold off a determined Danny Buchan for FS3-Racing Kawasaki. Brookes set the pace in both sessions, maintaining his momentum from earlier in the season when he claimed a double race win at the Cheshire circuit, to have the edge over his rivals as Buchan chases a place in the top six this weekend ahead of the Showdown. Tommy Bridewell was third fastest on the Oxford Racing Ducati as he bids to close down the Podium Points deficit this weekend to Brookes and the second Be Wiser Ducati of Scott Redding, who held fourth place at the chequered flag. Christian Iddon led the Tyco BMW charge in fifth place ahead of his teammate Glenn Irwin and Bradley Ray on the Buildbase Suzuki who completed the top six. Dan Linfoot was also in close contention on the Santander Salt TAG Yamaha. Peter Hickman was ninth fastest as he fights to edge into the top six, the Smiths Racing BMW rider trailing Andrew Irwin by a single point. In free practice today, he was a single place ahead of Irwin on the timesheets with the Honda Racing rider completing the top 10. Other Showdown hopefuls Tarran Mackenzie and Xavi Forés were 15th and 18th respectively. Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Free Practice 1 result: Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) 1m:34.690s Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +0.528s Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +0.662s Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +0.876s Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) +1.138s Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) +1.28 Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) +1.351s Glenn Irwin (Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +1.708s Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) +2.072s Dan Linfoot (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha) +2.189s Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Free Practice 2 result: Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) 1m:34.075s Danny Buchan (FS3-Racing Kawasaki) +0.508s Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) +0.619s Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) +0.935s Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +0.945s Glenn Irwin (Tyco BMW) +1.401s Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) +1.439s Dan Linfoot (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha) +1.458s Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +1.690s Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) +1.695s Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings ahead of Oulton Park Race 1: Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) 271 Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) 259 Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) 243 Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 191 Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 151 Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) 146 For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com |
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Josh Brookes – Be Wiser Ducati Fastest rider in free practice “I think that having good speed here at the start of the year has made a big difference to the start of today. However we did start out with the settings from Cadwell Park, but to be fair they are not really a lot different to what we ran at this circuit at the previous round. “The bike is in a nice place I think in general from Cadwell Park to now and previous rounds. Things have been refined and good and I already had a good mental space because of winning here earlier in the year. “I got on the track, the bike felt like it should, the track felt familiar from earlier in the year and a familiar feeling with the setting. It all came really natural today; I didn’t have to think too much, or try too hard or do anything to do the laps.” |