WSB: Brookes finds feeling at Donington

After a difficult start to the season with the Milwaukee BMW team, Josh Brookes headed to Donington Park unsure of what to expect.

While Donington is a circuit he knows well from his time in the British championship, the team had struggled to make headway in finding the feeling he desired, leaving the weekend’s expectations an unknown quantity for the reigning British Superbike Champion.

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However, after a breakthrough between the two races, the Aussie left the Leicestershire circuit beaming with positivity having been able to make the most of a new-found grip under acceleration to enjoy one of his best results of the year.

“That was the first time this year I got a sweat on from fighting with my bike, pushing the tyre into the ground, screwing the throttle on the exit knowing the grip was there,” he told MCN after the race. “I was able to race with people!

“Before I felt like a passenger, just waiting for the time to pass and wasn’t really part of it. Now I’m getting involved with the bike and it’s the first time this year I’ve felt like that.

“It’s only a ninth but no one fell off, it was a well-earned result and from our consistency throughout the race it seems we’ve taken a real step forward. There have been moments so far this year where it’s been on the border of that window but I think this weekend we’ve nudged inside and finally got the feeling we’ve been looking for.”