2019 British Superbike Championship
Round 9 – Oulton Park
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.
Josh Brookes
“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.”
Friday Practice Onboard Video Highlights
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.
Billy McConnell had been called up to replaced Josh Elliott this weekend on the OMG Suzuki Superbike but unfortunately the South Australian crashed in FP2 and broke his collarbone.
Source: MCNews.com.au