Round 3 Oulton Park 5-6-7 May BROOKES OUTGUNS RIVALS WITH LATE SALVO Results Top six – free practice one: 1. Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 1m:36.385s 2. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +0.553s 3. Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.722s 4. Alex Lowes (WFR Honda) +1.205s 5. Chris Walker (Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki) +1.389s 6. Ian Lowry (Padgetts Honda) +1.648s Top six – free practice two: 1. Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) 1m36:325s 2. Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.103s 3. Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +0.223s 4. Alastair Seeley (Tyco Suzuki) +0.414s 5. Ian Lowry (Padgetts Honda) +0.552s 6. Chris Walker (Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki) +0.557s Report Aussie Josh Brookes out-gunned his early season title rivals with the fastest time in free practice ahead of the three races, the first of which is on Sunday afternoon, the other two on Bank Holiday Monday, in the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park. The Tyco Suzuki rider underlined his determination to continue where he left off in the previous round with a hard-charging fast lap of the Cheshire circuit in the final minute of the afternoon session. His time was just enough to head off the threats posed by former two times winner of the crown Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne aboard the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki and the reigning title holder Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill who had been fastest in the morning session. “I’m feeling good, not over confident and have to keep working on it, but I am focused on the job and concentrating on doing my own thing,” said Brookes who goes into these races trailing the series leading Ian Lowry by two points in the overall standings. Alastair Seeley riding the second Tyco Suzuki set the fourth fastest time, just ahead of Lowry, who took his maiden victory in the championship at the previous round. The Ulsterman is on the pace again, running in the top six in both sessions aboard his Padgetts Honda. For more information please visit www.britishsuperbike.com More, from a press release issued by Swan Yamaha: CONFIDENT START FOR SWAN YAMAHA AT OULTON PARK The Swan Yamaha team got the third round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park underway today (Saturday) as Tommy Hill and Noriyuki Haga ended the opening two free practice sessions in third and eleventh respectively. Reigning champion Hill had set the pace in the first session on his return to the Cheshire circuit, edging ahead of his rivals, whilst Haga reacquainted himself with the track that he last visited in 2004. The Swan Yamaha team-mates are both feeling confident that some final changes tomorrow will give them an extra boost ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying session and opening race (postponed from Brands Hatch). Hill said: “We had a good start to the weekend; we were faster this year than we were in the corresponding session last year so it shows that we have just been able to get stuck in. Everyone is raising the bar and we have a few changes still to make before qualifying tomorrow but it will only be fine tuning. We had a few issues at the start of the session and went out on used tyres but didn’t get the chance to put in a new tyre in the closing stages. I am pretty happy despite our issues and now we are all set for tomorrow and getting it right in qualifying and the first race.” Haga said: “To start with I was learning the track again as I had not been here since 2004 and I needed to remember the bumps, the corners and the different points. I think maybe to look at one section, Brittens is where I need to find more in the final free practice tomorrow. I did good lap times that I was quite happy with, despite one moment when I nearly had a big highside! In the second session we definitely found a new direction for tomorrow that we can try. I like to ride loose but I think here I need to be smooth to get the faster lap, it will come!” For more information visit www.swanyamaha.co.uk