Destination Donington For Brookes And Redding
Round three of the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Donington Park Josh Brookesthis weekend with the Be Wiser Ducati pairing of Josh Brookes and Scott Redding looking to build on their previous round results.
Round one at Silverstone wasn’t too kind to Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team with ex-GP star Redding’s podium in race two the highlight on the factory-supported Be Wiser Ducati Panigale V4 R.
They bounced back in fine style at Oulton Park earlier this month with 2015 BSB champion Brookes claiming a fantastic double win whereas Redding, on his debut at the tricky Cheshire track, posted a fourth and fifth place finish to occupy fifth and sixth places respectively in the early title race.
Significantly, both riders have won World Championship races at Donington Park in the past with Brookes winning the European round of the World Supersport Championship in 2008 and a 15-year-old Redding rewriting the history books all round with his stunning victory in the British 125cc Grand Prix the same year.
But this time there’s a little bit of a difference given it’s the first time since 2002 that a Bennetts BSB round has been held on the shorter Donington Park National circuit and importantly, it’s the first of three triple-header meetings this season
36-year-old Brookes, from Bringelly in New South Wales, Australia, hopes to add to his double BSB victory he scored back in 2012 whereas 26-year-old Redding, from Quedgeley followed up that sensational debut victory with a podium in the corresponding race the following year.
Josh Brookes: “I guess I have a lot to live up to after the last round but I’m really looking forward to it. It’s important that our bike works at all tracks and we are not just strong at certain places. We have a very good feel for the Be Wiser Ducati Panigale V4 R right now, but we still have to find where the strong points are so we’ll be doing our best this weekend and I think Donington will suit us. Hopefully we will be fast from the start and it’s down to me to make things happen.”
Scott Redding: “Oulton Park was an eye-opener for me, but I came away having really enjoyed myself and we got a couple of decent results. I have great memories of Donington Park as it wasn’t all that long ago we raced GPs here, but it’s still going to prove a big challenge, especially on the shorter track. I did a track day a few weeks ago on a road bike and I think we have lots of potential here so I’m feeling good.”
There is live action on television with Sunday’s main race day being broadcast on free-to-air channel Quest between 13:00 and 18:00 with highlights throughout the week repeated on both Eurosport and ITV4.
For further information, please visit the team’s website, www.pbmuk.net and the official website of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship www.britishsuperbike.com.