BSB: Brookes airs frustration with race one issues

Josh Brookes’ hopes of clinching the 2017 MCE British Superbike title look to be over after a number of issues hampered him in the opening race at Brands Hatch.

The Aussie was struggling with the bike moving about throughout the 16-lap race and a cracked exhaust, which Brookes believes was avoidable as he pointed the issue out to the team earlier in the weekend, left him frustrated to cross the line third while title rival Shane Byrne led the way.  

“I put everything I had into that race,” he told MCN after the race. “If I’d done any more I would have crashed. I nearly crashed a couple of times. That shows I’m at the limit and if I’d pushed further we’d end up where we were this time back in July – on the floor.

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“I gave it everything I had, tried to push on where the bike wasn’t moving around and squirming but that was the most I could do. We split an exhaust in the race and frustratingly, I mentioned on Friday that the exhaust didn’t sound right and said a new one should be fitted. Either they don’t have a new one or don’t want to put a new one on because of the cost of it, but we broke one in the race… That is an illustration of what I have been dealing with this season.

“I can’t win it tomorrow, but I can end up winning it if something happens to the others. It’s a long shot, but it’s a mathematical possibility.” 

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