Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Oulton Park, England
May 6, 2019
Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Josh Brookes, Australia (Duc Panigale V4 R), 18 laps, Total Race Time 28:37.183, Best Lap Time 1:34.699
2. Tommy Bridewell, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -2.686 seconds, 1:34.744
3. Danny Buchan, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -7.035, 1:35.082
4. Scott Redding, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), -9.370, 1:35.106
5. Tarran Mackenzie, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -9.614, 1:35.051
6. Christian Iddon, UK (BMW S1000RR), -12.572, 1:35.122
7. Jason O’Halloran, Australia (Yam YZF-R1), -16.142, 1:35.468
8. Keith Farmer, UK (BMW S1000RR), -16.171, 1:35.571
9. Andrew Irwin, UK (Hon CBR1000RR), -20.801, 1:35.728
10. Ryan Vickers, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -20.892, 1:35.685
11. Peter Hickman, UK (BMW S1000RR), -21.027, 1:35.519
12. Bradley Ray, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -23.339, 1:35.638
13. Dan Linfoot, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -25.013, 1:35.951
14. Luke Mossey, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -25.041, 1:35.723
15. Josh Elliott, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -32.748, 1:35.574
16. Luke Stapleford, UK (Suz GSX-R1000), -36.225, 1:36.578
17. Xavi Fores, Spain (Hon CBR1000RR), -44.521, 1:37.043
18. Dean Harrison, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -44.633, 1:36.521
19. Sylvain Barrier, France (Duc Panigale V4 R), -45.299, 1:36.516
20. David Allingham, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -45.406, 1:36.769
21. Claudio Corti, Italy (Kaw ZX-10RR), -45.615, 1:36.685
22. Glenn Irwin, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -50.662, 1:36.324
23. Joe Francis, UK (BMW S1000RR), -59.351, 1:37.508
24. Matt Truelove, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -62.490, 1:37.832
25. Sam Coventry, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -67.368, 1:37.629
26. James Hillier, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -67.607, 1:37.921
27. James Ellison, UK (BMW S1000RR), -9 laps, DNF, 1:36.585
28. Dean Hipwell, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), -10 laps, DNF, 1:37.601
29. Shaun Winfield, UK (Yam YZF-R1), -14 laps, DNF, 1:37.375
Championship Point Stanings (after 4 of 27 races):
1. TIE, Mackenzie/Bridewell, 64 points
3. Buchan, 55
4. Elliott, 52
5. Brookes, 50
6. Redding, 40
7. Andrew Irwin, 31
8. Mossey, 25
9. TIE, O’Halloran/Farmer, 22
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Oh boy! Brookes does the double at Oulton Park
(Above) Josh Brookes.
Josh Brookes got his Bennetts British Superbike Championship title attack firmly back on track at Oulton Park today (Monday) as the Be Wiser Ducati rider celebrated a double race win in Cheshire to fire himself back into the top six in the early standings after a tough opening round.
Brookes had been strong throughout the weekend as the 2015 champion arrived in Cheshire determined to make amends for a non-point score at the Silverstone season opener.
The Be Wiser Ducati ace became the third different rider to claim a victory in 2019 as he held off Tommy Bridewell in the opening race. Ducati became the third race-winning manufacturer so far this season, and marking the first triumph for the new V4R.
Brookes and Bridewell made a breakaway at the front of the pack with the Oxford Racing Ducati rider shadowing the Australian throughout the 17 lap race but he couldn’t find the opportunity to make a pass and, despite piling on the pressure, the Be Wiser Ducati team emerged victorious.
Jason O’Halloran had initially been holding third place over the opening laps but the McAMS Yamaha rider was soon under threat as Danny Buchan carved his way up the order from sixth to close in on the Australian by the tenth lap.
O’Halloran was defending but the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki rider was determined, made his move and gradually edged out an advantage to the finish line. The battle for fifth went down to the wire between Scott Redding and Peter Hickman, with the Bennetts BSB rookie holding off the challenges of the Smiths Racing BMW rider despite his circuit knowledge to claim a hard-fought fifth place.
Keith Farmer was the leading Tyco BMW to cross the finish line at the chequered flag, claiming seventh place as teammate Christian Iddon was forced to retire despite battling in the top five during the opening stages of the race.
At the start of the second race Brookes again launched to the front of the pack on the Be Wiser Ducati ahead of O’Halloran and Bridewell, but the Oxford Racing Ducati rider was instantly on the attack and on the second lap and moved ahead of the McAMS Yamaha.
O’Halloran was fighting hard but he was soon under pressure from Iddon and Buchan. Iddon edged the Tyco BMW down the inside at Old Hall on lap four with Buchan then diving down the inside at Lodge to push O’Halloran back down the order.
Redding was also on the move and he was shadowing O’Halloran for fifth place; which he grabbed on the run into Old Hall at the start of the sixth lap as Mackenzie closed in on the pair. Mackenzie was pushing his teammate and he also made a move as the Australian continued to push on despite still suffering from a shoulder injury from last week’s test.
As Brookes held off Bridewell for the win in the closing stages, Buchan celebrated his third consecutive podium finish for FS3-Racing Kawasaki, with Redding holding fourth after fending off the final push from Mackenzie over the closing laps.
Iddon claimed his best result of the season in sixth place for Tyco BMW ahead of O’Halloran and Farmer who battled with his McAMS Yamaha rival until the finish. Andrew Irwin managed to get the better of rookie Ryan Vickers in the closing stages to finish ninth ahead of the Superbike rookie.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Race 1 result:
1. Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati)
2. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) +0.204s
3. Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +3.543s
4. Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +7.307s
5. Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) +10.529s
6. Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +10.648s
7. Keith Farmer (Tyco BMW) +15.758s
8. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +16.147s
9. Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki) +16.859s
10. Josh Elliott (OMG Racing Suzuki) +19.364s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Race 2 result:
1. Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati)
2. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) +2.686s
3. Danny Buchan (FS3-Racing Kawasaki) +7.035s
4. Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) +9.370s
5. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +9.614s
6. Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +12.572s
7. Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +16.142s
8. Keith Farmer (Tyco BMW) +16.171s
9. Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) +20.892s
10. Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki) +21.027s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Oulton Park:
1. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 64
=. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) 64
3. Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 55
4. Josh Elliott (OMG Racing Suzuki) 52
5. Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) 50
6. Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) 40
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Josh Brookes – Be Wiser Ducati
Double race winner
“It has been a really great weekend and the result that the Be Wiser Ducati team deserved and we can move on from Silverstone.
“Race one was a really positive start and then before race two I knew Tommy was going to be a big threat. But I was also a bit worried about Danny because I knew he’d come through the pack quite strong in race one, and in that race he was starting a lot further up the grid so I was thinking it could be the three of us battling out at front.
“I just wanted to try and stay clear of any trouble, and I knew Tommy was right behind me in both races. I just put as many fast laps together as I could, the race pace was a lot quicker in race two than race one, so I just looked at my board and I kept seeing plus zero.
“I knew that one of us (Bridewell) was going to have to break but finally I was able to get a little buffer and then it kind-of crept out so it made the end of the race a bit easier for me but this was a perfect weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Be Wiser Ducati:
Brookes At The Double As Redding Impresses At Oulton
After a disappointing opening round of the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship, the Be BrookesWiser Ducati team bounced back in superb fashion at round two at Oulton Park this Bank Holiday weekend, capped by Aussie Josh Brookes scoring a double victory for the Lake District-based squad and team-mate Scott Redding posting a fourth and fifth place finish.
Former BSB champion Brookes qualified the factory-backed Be Wiser Ducati Panigale V4 R four tenths of a second inside the lap record to start race one from pole position and topped the leaderboard during the morning warm-up held in wet conditions meaning he went into the afternoon’s opening race in confident mood.
Ex-MotoGP rider Redding, meanwhile, qualified in seventh place on the grid on his Oulton Park debut and overcame a morning warm-up crash to line up on row three of the grid.
The sun came out for the opening race and both riders got a great start to complete the opening lap with Josh in the lead and Scott up to fifth. As the race wore on, the duo found themselves locked in their own individual battles with Josh battling with fellow Ducati rider Tommy Bridewell for the lead and Scott doing similar with Peter Hickman for fifth.
There was never much in between each pairing but the end result was the same with Josh getting the better of Bridewell by 0.2s for a superb win, which was his and the team’s first of the season, along with the first in the UK for the new Be Wiser Ducati Panigale V4 R, with Scott doing the same to Hickman to take an equally impressive fifth.
The second race later in the afternoon saw Brookes start from the middle of the front row in second with Redding again in seventh and the duo completed the opening lap in first and sixth places respectively. Just like the first race, 2015 champion Brookes went head to head with Bridewell but he again led for the entire race distance and on this occasion, his victory was more dominant as he was able to pull away in the final third of the race for an eventual 2.6s victory.
Redding, meanwhile, rode brilliantly and after sitting in sixth place initially, he made his first move on lap six when he overhauled Jason O’Halloran at Old Hall Corner and at two thirds race distance he dived up the inside of Christian Iddon at Hizzy’s for fourth, a position he held all the way to the chequered flag.
After two rounds, Brookes has moved up to fifth in the championship on 50 points with four-times GP winner Redding one place behind in sixth on 40 points meaning both riders occupy one of the important top six places in the series at this early stage going into round three at Donington Park over the weekend of May 24/26.
Josh Brookes: “When you ride for the PBM team, people expect you to win and it’s hard to maintain that level, so I’m delighted to get my first wins for them at round two, especially as Oulton Park is their local circuit. Neither race was easy, but we made good progress at the test last month and it meant we could come here this weekend and just make small refinements to the bike rather than big changes which enabled me to be quick from the off. My pace was stronger in the second race and although Tommy came with me again, I was able to break him in the final third and it’s always nice going into the last lap with a bit of a buffer. What happened at Silverstone was just one of those things and I think a few people were a bit more down than perhaps they should have been, but this is the perfect way to bounce back.”
Scott Redding: “It wasn’t the perfect weekend as I felt a podium was within reach, but I came into the Reddingweekend wanting two top six finishes, so I have to be pleased with fourth and fifth today. I learned a lot and I felt good particularly in the second race where I lapped as quick as I did in qualifying so that’s why I’m perhaps a bit frustrated as I had one hand on a podium position. At the same time, I understand the bike more, I understand the circuit more and both of those things can only benefit me as the season progresses and today has been good for my confidence. I’m taking it round by round but we’re building all the time.”
John Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “Josh has been on the pace right from the very first free practice session and when you’re at the sharp end like that, you hope the wins come, and when they do, it makes for a perfect weekend. It’s a big boost for the whole team after what happened at round one and the work we’ve done since then has certainly paid dividends. As for Scott, he’s been phenomenal and has shown what a class rider he is. To come here for the first time and get fourth and fifth is simply superb with his lap times being extremely strong and both riders can now head to round three in a confident frame of mind.”
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing BSB Press Office:
CHALLENGING WEEKEND FOR HONDA AT OULTON PARK
It has been a challenging second round of the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship for Honda’s trio at Oulton Park, with intermittent weather conditions hampering progress for Xavi Forés (BSB), Andrew Irwin (BSB) and Tom Neave (STK) aboard the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2.
Working through set-up proved difficult over the weekend at the undulating Cheshire circuit with various disruptions to the schedule and changeable weather. Race one took place in near-perfect conditions and was a stark contrast to the morning’s warm up, which greeted the riders with cold temperatures and a rain-soaked track.
Lining up on the grid Irwin was ahead of his teammate in 16th place, with Forés 26th, but as soon as the lights went out it wasn’t long before both Honda riders had made up places and set about hunting down the pack ahead. By half race distance Irwin had made up substantial places and the top ten was in sight. Deep in battle with Josh Elliott during the closing stages of the race, Irwin crossed the line 11th, missing out on tenth place by just 0.022 seconds. Forés also made good progress throughout the race distance and came home 16th.
For the second race of the day Irwin again pushed hard from his 13th place grid position and by the first lap had moved into 11th. Keeping consistent lap times throughout the race, he carved his way up the order to finish ninth, collecting further points towards the championship where he’s currently seventh. Forés also pushed on from his starting place of 23rd, moving through the pack he was sitting 15th at one point, but dropped back at the end to cross the line 17th.
In the National Superstock 1000 Championship Neave was also a victim to the weekend’s track disruptions, and before today’s race had only managed 36 flying laps. Conditions were declared wet for the shortened 14-lap race and Neave lined up 13th on the grid. Getting pushed back in the opening lap, he dug deep and started to make his move back up through the field. By lap six the Lincolnshire man had made his way to the top 10 and with consistent lap times he eventually crossed the line eighth. The results from the weekend see Neave hold his position in the overall championship standings where he’s sitting sixth with 26 points.
The team now look forward to the third round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, which will be a triple-header event at Donington Park’s National Circuit on 24-26 May.
Xavi Forés
#6
Oulton Park is a tough track! But honestly the second race for me was a bit better; I kept my pace and was a little faster than the first race. I struggled a lot all weekend to get traction and to make the Fireblade strong, but I do feel many positives with the bike; we’re strong braking and also turning on the speed cornering, but when I open the gas I am missing a lot of traction, so this hasn’t helped over the weekend. We now have a lot of data for the next time we visit Oulton later in the season, so we should be less on the back foot. Now we try again at Donington, it will be another kind of track for me, but it’s a track I know from the past, and I think the Fireblade will go quite well there. We will keep working and try to keep calm – when things aren’t so easy is when you have to work hard and also with the team, so lets try again at the next round and see what we can do.
Andrew Irwin
#18
It has not been the best weekend really and there’s no hiding from it, at Silverstone the results were better, but you have to make the most out of bad weekends and we did that! Maybe I should have been 10th this morning and got past Elliott, but I didn’t and that’s how racing goes sometimes. In the second race we finished ninth and I think that’s the best we could have hoped for today. I got a bit tied up in the middle of the race and then at the end I didn’t have much to be able to catch onto Jason and Keith, who were a few seconds ahead by the time I’d made a pass on Ryan – so it was a big ask to get close to those guys. Coming away with an 11th and ninth isn’t so bad; it’s more points and I’ve been consistent throughout with my lap times so I can’t really complain. As long as we keep making points in bad races, then with the good races hopefully we can get closer to the top six, which is where I believe we can be and we’ll keep working hard to get there.
Tom Neave
#68
Today’s race was fun but I did make it hard work for myself starting from 15th on the grid! We did have really tricky conditions with a skinny dry line so you couldn’t really pass anywhere, but I did manage to make passes and work my way up through the group. Next time I really need to work on getting a better qualifying position and making my life a bit easier! The weekend was made harder as we didn’t get many laps in with red flags and bad weather, then warm-up being cancelled this morning, but I think we made the best of a bad job and were able to salvage what we could. We got another top-ten finish and points towards the championship, so yeah I’ll take that!
Havier Beltran
Team Manager
This weekend has been extremely difficult and challenging at times, and not the results we believe we are capable of getting. But throughout all the conditions we found ourselves making some progress. I appreciate we have work to do for Xavi and to get him comfortable and understanding the Fireblade better in order for us to move forward through Free Practices and Qualifying. I’m happy with Andrew’s progress and for him to move through the group from 13th to finish in ninth is making progress, again we just need to close that gap in Qualifying and make sure we can get ourselves in a better position starting the races. In the Superstock race, Tom had very tricky conditions and I’m really happy with his progress. He started 15th and got through to finish eighth, so fair play to him! It’s all about building and a key point for us is to get the first few rounds under our belt. I’m looking forward to Donington Park; I know he’s going to have a good run there on the short circuit and I’m pleased we’re keeping the consistency, and moving forward, developing and learning.