Brookes reigns at Silverstone ahead of Brands Hatch season finale
Results
Race one result:
1: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha)
2: Shane Byrne (PBM Kawasaki) +0.688s
3: Peter Hickman (RAF Reserves BMW) +1.923s
4: John Hopkins (Lloyds British Moto Rapido Ducati) +2.745s
5: James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +3.254s
6: Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) +3.480s
Race two result:
1: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha)
2: Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) +3.568s
3: Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) +3.748s
4: Christian Iddon (Bennetts Suzuki) +5.050s
5: Shane Byrne (PBM Kawasaki) +5.463s
6: Richard Cooper (Buildbase BMW) +8.158s
Championship standings after Silverstone:
1: Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) 653
2: Shane Byrne (PBM Kawasaki) 606
3: James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 573
4: Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) 553
5: Dan Linfoot (Honda Racing) 534
6: Tommy Bridewell (Tyco BMW) 531
Report
Josh Brookes celebrated a Showdown double win at Silverstone at the penultimate round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship to maintain the advantage ahead of the triple-header season finale at Brands Hatch in two weeks’ time (16-18 October).
The Milwaukee Yamaha rider had to work hard for the two wins at the Northamptonshire circuit; in the opening race he had to overcome the challenges of America’s John Hopkins and then James Ellison in the early stages of the race, before arch rival Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne joined the fray.
Brookes had been holding third place with three laps to go but then he pulled a decisive move on Byrne and then Ellison to hit the front. The pair tried to launch a retaliation but the Australian had the edge to win ahead of Byrne whilst in third place Ellison was mugged on the penultimate lap by Peter Hickman onboard the RAF Reserves BMW and Hopkins, who claimed his best result of the season in fourth place.
Byrne elevated himself up the grid for the second race and he started from pole position for the PBM Kawasaki team. He claimed the lead on the opening lap as Ellison began his charge to hit the front of the field by the third lap with some committed moves on the defending champion, Dan Linfoot and Hickman.
Linfoot had been holding third behind Ellison and Byrne, but Brookes was carving his way up the order after running eighth over the opening laps. The Milwaukee Yamaha rider was up to fourth by the eighth lap and then made a move on both Byrne and Linfoot to move to within striking distance of Ellison.
A lap later and Brookes made the final move on Ellison that would put him back at the front of the field and then he forged a margin to claim his second victory of the day. Meanwhile the intense battle for the final podium positions raged with Linfoot and Laverty trading places with the Tyco BMW rider emerging ahead to score his best result of the season.
On the final lap Byrne and Christian Iddon were dicing for fourth place but the Bennetts Suzuki rider was able to get the better of the defending champion to score his strongest finish of the season.
Ellison meanwhile drastically dropped down the order over the final laps after challenging at the front of the field due to a severe drop in rear tyre grip, finish 17th.
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