Brookes takes race one glory as Ellison breaks wrist

Josh Brookes has become the new leader of the MCE British Superbike championship, after taking his third race win in a row at Thruxton. The Milwaukee Yamaha rider was able to take the lead early on both occasions in the red-flagged race to take advantage of a struggling Shane Byrne.

Byrne was fourth, behind Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot and BSB podium newcomer James Westmoreland, on the JG Speedfit Kawasaki.

“Having these two guys on the podium pushes Shakey just off it – and gives me the championship lead. It’s of course a good feeling to have that, but it comes with pressure too; it’s a double-edged sword.

“I need to thank the team for putting together a great bike for me – you’d have seen from the TV coverage that I didn’t have any problems out there, the tyre was in good shape at the end, and I had the speed I needed, too; it was good enough to pass. No complaints, just smiles today!”

John Hopkins was the only rider able to go with Linfoot and Brookes, but a broken exhaust ruled the American out of the action while battling for second, and leaving the final podium spot to Westmoreland, who was able to break free of a battling group headed by Byrne.

The original race was red flagged after five laps, when Anvil Hire TAG Kawasaki’s Richard Cooper’s machine exploded and laid down oil. Both James Ellison and Christian Iddon went down on the spill despite their best intentions, with Ellison breaking his wrist in the fall.

They weren’t the only fallers in the race, though, with a last corner collision between Tommy Bridewell and Danny Buchan, running strongly in the top six, leaving the Tyco BMW racer heavily battered and bruised.