Josh Brookes is just six points off the lead of the British Superbike Championship after three top four finishes at Oulton Park. The Australian was third in the first two races, run in contrasting weather conditions, and took fourth in the final race and feels he is already in a strong position to qualify for the championship showdown.
“I'm happy with the podiums this weekend but obviously a little disappointed not to get my first win at Oulton. It was a tough weekend with changeable weather conditions and we've come away with solid points; that's always a bonus. We led the championship briefly after race two but we're still within striking distance. We're in the right place and if I can keep racking up podiums and credits then I'll be a in a good position come the cut off.”
Tyco Suzuki teammate Alastair Seeley also lies in the top six after three events and the Ulsterman is satisfied with that after a tough weekend which saw him fail to make the podium.
“It was good to be back up at the sharp end in that first race, especially after the crash in qualifying. We're finding our feet again with the Superbike and scored enough points to get ourselves into that all-important top six. I think we maybe could have scored some more points in that last race, but overall a decent enough weekend.”
Team Manager Philip Neill admitted to having mixed feelings after missing out on a victory but all things considered, he is happy with their position ahead of the next round at Snetterton.
“To be honest that was a pretty tough weekend with mixed weather, cold temperatures and a three race schedule keeping everyone on their toes. After being right on the pace all weekend we probably were hoping for a little more, however for one reason or another we didn't quite have a winning package this weekend – although the new GSX-R1000 still performed extremely well and we can be very satisfied with what was a solid weekend for Josh.”
“Alastair also showed a return to form setting him up nicely for our next event, the North West 200. I think it's clear already that this is going to be a very close season with multiple race winners and with that in mind consistency will certainly be key. With five podium finishes from six race starts, our guys can justifiably feel proud at this point of the year. Although it is very early days, we currently have both inside the all-important tip six, so that's another positive.”