Brookes wins opening bout at Snetterton
Josh Brookes is on course for a hat-trick of victories in the triple race seventh round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Snetterton having won the Saturday afternoon race ahead of his HM Plant Honda team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari.
That third victory of the season for Brookes takes him 13 points clear of Worx Crescent Suzuki rider Tommy Hill who finished third on what had earlier been a problematic afternoon, as his team had to work hard and against the clock to solve an electrical problem.
Hill is promising to hit back in the two Sunday afternoon races but Brookes is full of confidence and relishing the challenge of adding to his latest victory: “Now that would be something special,” said the Aussie as he considered a hat-trick bid, adding “But I always ride for wins.”
The Saturday race had been held over from the weather ravaged Knockhill round, with the starting grid decided on the basis of the first race at the Scottish circuit putting Brookes on the second row. He compounded that with a poor get-away to be running ninth on the opening lap as Kiyonari set the pace ahead of Michael Laverty and his Relentless Suzuki team-mate Alastair Seeley with Hill fourth.
Brookes was on the charge, picking up places to be attacking Hill for second place on the seventh lap, taking him next time around and the closing in on Kiyonari but the former two times winner of the title was intent on taking his sixth victory at the Norfolk circuit.
Kiyonari looked set for victory but Brookes nosed inside and ahead at Riches on the last lap to take the win by 0.549secs. “I was lining up Kiyo for several laps, but he had the better of me at the chicane, so it came down to a last lap lunge as I knew that if I could get ahead of him, I could hold him off,” said Brookes.
Earlier in the afternoon Brookes had come close to matching the lap record as he claimed his second pole start in as many races ahead of Sunday afternoon’s first race.
He had set the pace in the first two elements of Swan Combi Roll for Pole grid deciding session, but saved the best for last putting in a lap of 1m 04.803secs while Hill who had suffered electronic problems to his bike throughout thanked his team for rectifying them when it mattered most as he secured the all important front row start, albeit in the third slot.
Rutter, the Knockhill race winner, separated them aboard his RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati while Kiyonari ran fourth fastest.
James Ellison, underlining his returning to full fitness after breaking his thigh in practice for the second round at Thruxton back in April, headed the second row on the Swan Honda with a lap in 1m 05.337secs to be ahead of Relentless Suzuki riders Michael Laverty and Seeley and Gary Mason aboard the MSS Colchester Kawasaki.
Dan Linfoot, riding the Motorpoint Yamaha, and Buildbase Kawasaki’s John Laverty completed the top ten qualifiers while Steve Brogan, riding the Jentin Yamaha, was the fastest of the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO class riders, starting from the fifth row of the grid.
Bryan Staring’s guest ride in the 1000cc British Superstock Series continues to go well with the youngster consolidating sixth place on the grid. Happy with his progress the HM Plant Honda team have asked Bryan to also compete at Brands Hatch next month.
Superbike: Results – Saturday, race one – 18 laps
Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 19m 41.650s
Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.594s
Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +4.475s
Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +4.989s
Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +5.485s
Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +5.889s
James Ellison (Swan Honda) +9.148s
Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +11.305s
Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +14.364s
Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +14.386s
Championship standings
John Brookes 191
Tommy Hill 178
Ryuichi Kiyonari 168
Michael Laverty 156
Michael Rutter 152
John Laverty 112
Alastair Seeley 112
Superbike – top ten qualifying times for opening race on Sunday
Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 1m:04.803s
Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +0.333s
Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.473s
Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.524s
James Ellison (Swan Honda) +0.534s
Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.574s
Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.676s
Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +0.708s
Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +0.744s
John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +0.833s
