Editorial Notes: American James Rispoli rode his Everquip Racing Yamaha to ninth place overall and seventh in class in British Supersport Race Two, which was won by Kyle Ryde on his GP2-class R5 Racing Kalex. The top finisher on a production-based motorcycle was David Allingham, who got third overall on a EHA Racing Yamaha YZF-R6. After 12 of 24 races, Jack Kennedy leads the Championship with 240 points and Rispoli is fifth in the standings with 126 points.

American Brandon Paasch rode his Microlise Cresswell Racing Mahindra to fourth place in British Motostar Race Two, which was won by Jake Archer on his City Lifting/R5 Racing KTM. After eight of 18 races, Archer leads the Championship with 195 points and Paasch is sixth in the standings with 75 points.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship

Brands Hatch GP Circuit, England

July 22, 2018

Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Josh Brookes, Australia (Yamaha), 20 laps, Total Race Time 28:40.671, Best Lap Time 1:25.523

2. Glenn Irwin, UK (Ducati), -0.090 second, 1:25.531

3. Leon Haslam, UK (Kawasaki), -5.658 seconds, 1:25.498

4. Jake Dixon, UK (Kawasaki), -6.419, 1:25.735

5. Tarran Mackenzie, UK (Yamaha), -7.684, 1:25.757

6. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW), -11.436, 1:25.940

7. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Suzuki), -14.916, 1:25.967

8. Danny Buchan, UK (Kawasaki), -15.110, 1:26.026

9. James Ellison, UK (Yamaha), -15.230, 1:26.040

10. Peter Hickman, UK (BMW), -20.891, 1:26.396

11. Michael Laverty, UK (BMW), -21.630, 1:26.113

12. Andrew Irwin, UK (Ducati), -21.646, 1:25.952

13. Luke Mossey, UK (Kawasaki), -23.096, 1:25.825

14. Chrissy Rouse, UK (Suzuki), -25.645, 1:26.618

15. Jason O’Halloran, UK (Honda), -26.960, 1:26.571

16. Bradley Ray, UK (Suzuki), -28.613, 1:26.393

17. Gino Rea, UK (Suzuki), -30.201, 1:26.727

18. Mason Law, UK (Kawasaki), -30.555, 1:26.736

19. Martin Jessopp, UK (BMW), -35.670, 1:26.654

20. Dean Harrison, UK (Kawasaki), -41.800, 1:26.663

21. Fraser Rogers, UK (Kawasaki), -49.563, 1:27.603

22. Luke Hedger, UK (BMW), -53.458, 1:27.925

23. Shaun Winfield, UK (Yamaha), -53.489, 1:27.881

24. Aaron Zanotti, UK (Kawasaki), -86.836, 1:29.061

25. Sylvain Barrier, France (BMW), -4 laps, DNF, 1:27.262

26. Richard Cooper, UK (Suzuki), -15 laps, DNF, 1:25.772

27. Dan Linfoot, UK (Honda), DNS

Championship Point Standings (after 12 of 26 races):

1. Haslam, 242 points

2. Dixon, 162

3. Glenn Irwin, 145

4. Brookes, 130

5. Ray, 115

6. Buchan, 111

7. Shane Byrne, 98

8. Iddon, 88

9. Laverty, 78

10. Hickman, 68

More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:

Monster weekend for Brookes as he is crowned King of Brands

Josh Brookes conquered the opposition at Brands Hatch to score his first Bennetts British Superbike Championship win of 2018 and then make it a double to celebrate the Yamaha R1 20th Anniversary in style with the McAMS Yamaha team and bolster his title aspirations.

Brookes had been charging throughout the weekend and in the opening race he launched off the line to hit the front of the pack ahead of Glenn Irwin and Tarran Mackenzie. Instantly Brookes and Irwin were dicing for the leading position but by the start of the second lap the Be Wiser Ducati rider had the edge.

Christian Iddon was moving through the order and soon the freight train of riders at the front had turned into Brookes, Irwin, Iddon, Leon Haslam and Mackenzie. Iddon had moved into second with a move at Druids on lap four.

Irwin was instantly on the attack and reclaimed the position from his Tyco BMW rival. Dan Linfoot’s tough weekend continued as the Honda Racing rider crashed out at Westfield on the sixth lap and he was forced to sit out race two with a suspected fractured scaphoid.

At the front the lead group of five started to edge ahead of the chasing pack with Brookes holding off Glenn Irwin, Iddon, Mackenzie and Haslam. The second McAMS Yamaha was on a charge as Mackenzie moved up the order and into third, but it was a disaster for the Superbike rookie as he crashed out on the penultimate lap from a potential first Bennetts BSB podium finish.

Irwin was pushing to attack for the lead on the final lap but it wasn’t enough and Brookes had a 0.227s edge at the finish line with Haslam promoted to third after Mackenzie’s crash. Dixon had carved his way back up the order to snatch fourth place from Iddon on the final lap with Peter Hickman able to hold off the challenge from Richard Cooper in seventh place.

Knockhill double podium finisher Danny Buchan was eighth ahead of Andrew Irwin and Michael Laverty who completed the top ten.

In race two Brookes again fired off the line into the lead ahead of Glenn Irwin and Cooper who had a storming start to move into third in front of Haslam, Buchan and Dixon. But then there was disaster for Cooper though as he crashed out unhurt at Paddock Hill Bend.

Dixon though had moved into fifth place, making a decisive move down the inside at Druids to grab the position. At the front the leading trio began to break the chasing pack with Brookes, Glenn Irwin and Haslam holding a small advantage over Dixon, Iddon who had moved up the order, and Mackenzie.

Irwin was trying to make a last lap attack, but Brookes had the advantage and held him off to the line by just 0.090s to bag another five Podium Points for his championship challenge with Haslam holding on to the final podium position for JG Speedfit Kawasaki.

Dixon had been under threat from Mackenzie but the RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki rider managed to hold him off in the closing stages of the race with Iddon scoring sixth place for the Tyco BMW team.

Tommy Bridewell had an impressive performance to finish seventh and give the Moto Rapido Ducati team their best result of the season on his debut weekend, passing Buchan on the final lap. James Ellison and Hickman completed the top ten.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, Race 1 result:

1.Josh Brookes (McAMS Yamaha)

2.Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +0.227s

3.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +3.114s

4.Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki) +7.937s

5.Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +8.830s

6.Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +13.285s

7.Richard Cooper (Buildbase Suzuki) +14.192s

8.Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +14.591s

9.Andrew Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +16.673s

10.Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) +16.862s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, Race 2 result:

1.Josh Brookes (McAMS Yamaha)

2.Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) +0.090s

3.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +5.658s

4.Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki) +6.419s

5.Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +7.684s

6.Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +11.436s

7.Tommy Bridewell (Moto Rapido Ducati) +14.916s

8.Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +15.110s

9.James Ellison (Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha) +15.230s

10.Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +20.891s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Brands Hatch:

1.Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) 242

2.Jake Dixon (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki) 162

3.Glenn Irwin (Be Wiser Ducati) 145

4.Josh Brookes (McAMS Yamaha) 130

5.Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) 115

6.Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 111

The seventh round of the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship take place at Thruxton on August 3./4/5. For more information visit www.britishsuperbike.com

Josh Brookes

(McAMS Yamaha)

Double race winner

“It’s a fantastic timing to get the double for Yamaha on the 20th Anniversary of the R1. It’s a perfect gift for them and it was their birthday a couple of weeks ago so I’m sure this will go down well!

“Those opening laps were quite fun for me in race one. This year has been quite frustrating on the track for me not able to reach my potential and the opening lap but today I felt good and we were making passes so I thought ‘why not, we’ll show our hand and see what we can do’.

“As you’re leading the way it feels like you’ve got to find where the limit is. I tried to keep the lead and I felt comfortable for most of the race. Then I made a mistake in turn one and lost the front a little bit as I turned in, then I went wide onto the dusty surface and started to lose the front again and I put my head down and then got better focus and the end of the race was a lot stronger for me.

“I listened to what Glenn said in the post-race interview in race one and I looked where I needed to improve for the second one. Obviously leading most of race one I didn’t see anyone else’s speed or strategy or the way their bike works.

“I knew there were areas that I needed to improve if I was going to keep him behind in race two so I set about trying to not make no mistake and push hard. There was a point where I was starting to edge a gap and then towards the end of the race I started to lose rear grip; it’s natural pushing that sort of pace.

“We were pushing fast lap times all the way through the race. When you are doing that something’s got to be getting worn, either you or the tyre or both, so last two even maybe three laps I was like ‘oh I’m in trouble here’.

“I didn’t have the drive I needed to continue that pace. But fortunately having that tiny gap that I had was enough to keep it right. I came into the last turn and I could hear the thump of the Ducati right behind me but I wasn’t ready to give it up after leading the whole way!