Following a solid test at Oulton Park last Thursday, Josh Brookes is looking to challenge this Bank Holiday Weekend with the improvements made on his Anvil Hire Yamaha.
Brookes ended the test in fourth place, only four tenths of a second off his own lap record set back in 2015, and only two tenths behind second place.
The Australian worked through many different settings during the test and is happy with the improvements made to the bike.
Brookes said: “We had an ok test last week, a few things didn’t go to plan but considering the problems we had, to end the day fourth quickest is a positive position to be in. The bike felt better on the first laps of the test than the first laps at Brands Hatch, so I think the bike is in a better range, and that’s a better situation to be in, and the team have made some good improvements in the right direction.
“Oulton Park is a circuit that lends itself to wheeling so you try not to focus on those points, because it doesn’t matter what bike you ride they’re all going to do a similar thing, so there is no point in focusing on a character of the circuit.”
Brookes currently sits fourth in the championship, 38 points behind series leader Leon Haslam, after picking up one podium finish and three other top 10 finishes.
The last time Brookes raced around Oulton Park he finished on the podium twice, and smashed the lap record in the process.
Despite this impressive achievement last time round, Brookes had admitted that he isn’t the biggest fan of the Cheshire circuit.
He added: ““I don’t really like Oulton Park, I’ve not really had fond memories there and I find it difficult to ride and it’s quite frustrating as a rider because the bike is so crucial at that event, but the capturing feature is the lay of the land, how the track wraps itself around the trees and it has a good character in that respect, but you don’t have to like a circuit to go quick there.”
As round three of the championship takes place over a Bank Holiday Weekend, qualifying will take place on Sunday afternoon at 16:07.
The racing action will then take place on May Day, at the usual times of 13:30 and 16:30 respectively.
