Josh Brookes was back on top in the British Superbike Championship at Knockhill today, leading the combined Free Practice times in the wet conditions to fire the DAO Racing Honda team ahead of the chasing pack.
As always, the hectic Fife circuit produced incredibly close results with the top 19 riders covered by just 0.921s. However, Brookes mastered the conditions to lead Fraser Rogers by 0.188s, as the TAG Honda rider continued to show his impressive wet pace at Knockhill after sealing his debut BSB podium finish in Scotland last year.
Jason O’Halloran completed an all Honda top three on combined times, keeping the Honda Racing UK team ahead of Storm Stacey on the Bathams AJN Racing Ducati, with Max Cook getting his first wet weather experience on the new AJN Steelstock bimota in fifth position.
Home hero Rory Skinner was sixth fastest on the Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha, edging out Christian Iddon and Sencat Racing Honda and McAMS Yamaha’s Bradley Ray.
Honda riders completed the top ten with Lee Jackson and Ryan Vickers, easing Ilya Mikhalchik into eleventh by just 0.017s for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad British Superbike Race team.
Championship leader Kyle Ryde ended the opening day in 17th position and 0.862s adrift of Brookes’ pace-setting time, with the Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing rider choosing to sit out the second session.
The BSB Pre-Qualifying session was postponed until tomorrow (Saturday) with a revised bumper schedule for Super Scottish Saturday awaiting the Knockhill fans.
Josh Brookes – DAO Racing Honda:
“It was the same for everybody and we are all trying no matter what the conditions. For me, we made a lot of changes to the bike before we even set off for the first laps. We have wiped the slate clean and have just started again in a new position and try to forget about what we have been trying to improve with the bike as I feel that we were compromising good areas of the bike, to try to fix weaknesses.
“We set out this weekend with a new frame of mind, a new set-up on the bike and from the roll out it felt good. We have been improving, the track has good grip in the wet, so we have good feedback. It may not reflect what the bike may feel like in the dry, so we have that to try again and I really hope, like everybody, that it will be dry and we can continue to work in this new direction.
“It is really nice to be in a strong position and start the weekend off on the right foot.”
British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, combined Free Practice times:
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda) 51.335s
- Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) +0.188s
- Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing UK) +0.202s
- Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing Ducati) +0.262s
- Max Cook (AJN Steelstock bimota) +0.282s
- Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha) +0.285s
- Christian Iddon (Sencat Racing Yamaha) +0.318s
- Bradley Ray (McAMS Yamaha) +0.343s
- Lee Jackson (DAO Racing Honda) +0.357s
- Ryan Vickers (Honda Racing UK) +0.399s
For more information visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Session-6219
