May 3, 2022

Brookes And Sykes Rack Up Points At Oulton Park

MCE Ducati’s Josh Brookes took two hard-fought top ten finishes in the second round of the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship races at Oulton Park today with eighth and tenth seeing him maintain his 12th position in the early season championship table. 

Teammate Tom Sykes took a best finish of 11th in the final race where he also posted his quickest lap time of the weekend for Paul Bird’s Lake District-based team.

 

With good conditions all day at the Cheshire venue, the opening 18-lap race saw Josh start from the third row of the grid with Tom four rows further back with the duo completing the opening lap in sixth and 16th respectively.

The pairing soon found themselves locked in their own respective battles but when the safety car was deployed on lap seven after a crash, Australian double BSB champion Brookes found himself shuffled back to tenth with ex-WSBK champion Sykes fighting his way up to 14th.

 

When racing resumed three laps later, Josh was unable to do anything about the riders ahead of him and crossed the line in tenth whilst Yorkshire-born Sykes moved up another spot to take 13th at the chequered flag.

 

The results meant they started from the fifth row of the grid for the final race of the weekend, where both riders made early progress and by lap six, they were both running inside the top ten.

 

Brookes elevated himself to a battling eighth place at the chequered flag with Sykes putting in his strongest ride of the weekend in terms of both lap times and position to claim 11th.

 

Josh Brookes: “The first race today was disappointing as we made the wrong changes to the bike, and it just didn’t work out. I went backwards and faded pretty much from the start, so it was disappointing for all concerned. We put the bike closer to how it had been yesterday and had the information to make only a small change and the bike worked better albeit not with the lap times to compete for the podium. It was obviously difficult starting a long way back on the grid too, but I was happy to recover some form at the end. We definitely need to make improvements with the bike as we’re running a similar pace to 2019 and 2020 but things have obviously moved on since then.”

 

Tom Sykes: “It’s been a little bit challenging this weekend but at least we now understand some of the parameters much clearer, so we have a good idea of what changes we need to make to the MCE Ducati. The laps in qualifying were the very first ones I’ve done on the bike in the wet and we had a great feeling, but with the information we’ve gained at both the test and in the three races, we have a positive direction in which to go. I’m expecting we can find a big improvement for the next round at Donington Park.” 

 

John Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “After fourth in Sunday’s race, we were looking to make a further challenge for the podium positions with Josh today but, unfortunately, it didn’t pan out that way. The lap times stayed the same and we again paid for starting on the fourth and fifth rows. I’ve said it before but if you’re not on the front three rows, you’re up against it. He fought hard until the end of each race though and picked up points and we all know how valuable they are, however big or small. For Tom, today was a lot better day and he continually improved so much so that his best time of the three days came in the final race of the weekend. It’s testament to him that he kept going like he did, and it will certainly help him when we return to Oulton Park later in the year. The next round is at Donington Park, a circuit he knows well and what’s required from a bike to go quick round there so I’m sure we’ll see him a lot closer to the front there.”

 

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (18 laps)

1 Bradley Ray (Yamaha)

2 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)

3 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

4 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha)

5 Rory Skinner (Kawasaki)

6 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)

10 Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati)
13 Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati)

 

Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three (18 laps)

1 Lee Jackson (Kawasaki)

2 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati)

3 Bradley Ray (Yamaha)

4 Rory Skinner (Kawasaki)

5 Leon Haslam (Kawasaki)

6 Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha)

8 Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati)
11 Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati)

 

Championship standings

1 Ray 102pts

2 Glenn Irwin 96

3 Skinner 86

4 Ryde 81

5 Jackson 80

6 O’Halloran 60

12 Brookes 35
14 Sykes 13

 


Images courtesy of Double Red: Josh Brookes (25) and Tom Sykes (66).

IRWIN AND HAGER PBM DUCATI WRAP-UP SUCCESSFUL TESTING PROGRAMME

April 24, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team and rider Glenn Irwin have completed another successful R&G Official test at Oulton Park, with the opening round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship now just over a week away. Irwin and the team have spent the last two days at the Cheshire track, grabbing as much track time as possible in the final days on track before the season begins. After ending last weekend’s Donington Park test on top, the team was keen to continue to push in the final two days, working through a busy schedule and trying a host of new components and ideas. Irwin ended the test second quickest overall after clocking the best lap of Thursday afternoon’s final session, banking a 1min 33.313s lap on his last run. He leaves feeling confident about next weekend’s opening round and can’t wait to get back out. Glenn Irwin: “That’s us finished pre-season testing and I’m feeling good. We’ve been working, working, working and the bike felt better today but we still have a bit of work to do. “It’s been really, really enjoyable, we’ve tried a number of different things and I think now we’re finding a bit of a balance. Today we unlocked something in that middle session, I did a good few 33s in that run so I think we’re strong. “It’s definitely been very productive. We haven’t gone for lap times, we’ve been focussed on getting the bike right and when that happens, the lap times come. That’s what we’re starting to see and I think we’re in a good place to come back next week and start the season.” Frank Bird Jnr, Team Co-owner: “It’s a mega way to finish, this puts us in really good stead for the season and we’ve got a lot of boxes ticked off with the bike. All the boys are working well, we’ve got everyone back into the swing of things and Glenn seems to be riding well, so we’re in a good window for the first round. “It’s been a long winter but all the hard work seems to be paying off and we’re right in the mix. It means we can come here for Round One and we’re in a great place to start from.” The opening round of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship roars into action at Oulton Park over the May Bank Holiday weekend, May 3-5.

IRWIN AND HAGER PBM DUCATI END SUCCESSFUL SECOND TEST ON TOP

April 19, 2025
THE Hager PBM Ducati team continued its strong testing form at Donington Park as rider Glenn Irwin once again ended the two days fastest overall. Although the team is still not concentrating on lap times, Irwin picked up where he left off at Circuito de Navarra earlier this month as he led the way on Friday before going even quicker on Day Two with an impressive fastest lap of 1min 27.015s in the final session. After a strong first test where he topped the timesheets at Navarra, the team headed to the second R&G Official test at Donington Park looking to work on a number of different things. Irwin was consistently quick across the opening day, ending Friday fastest overall with a 1:27.022sec lap in the final session to end the day at the top of the timesheets with what was the fastest ever BSB lap of the iconic track. Along with most of the pack, he opted to sit out of Saturday morning’s first session due to track conditions, heading out for the second to work through a few more things. He again shot to the top of the timesheets with a lap of 1:27.468, before later going one better in the final session to clock his new fastest ever lap. Glenn Irwin: “It’s been really good, like Navarra, we’ve continued with a plan. Yesterday we had a really, really strong bike here and conditions were a little better. Today conditions were tougher with the wind but everyone still finds a way to go fast. “We probably persevered with a bike which is suited to the final sector, perhaps Turn One as well. As the day went on I realised we were losing a bit in some places but we stuck with it. “It’s pleasing because I would say that isn’t the bike of choice for here, perhaps maybe yesterday's bike was better, but to top today feeling like that, to do a lot of laps in the 27s with improved pace on old tyres is good. The test has definitely been a success.” John Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “I think it’s been a positive test where we’ve confirmed a number of test items over the two days. We had slightly better conditions yesterday than today but I think we’ve ticked a lot of boxes, gone fairly quick so it’s all positive – roll on Oulton Park. “The plan there is more of the same, just keep trying to understand the new tyre, try and work with it. I think longevity is going to be the key now for Oulton Park, we’ll do a couple of race runs, see how the tyre lasts and then get ready for Round One.” The team will now prepare for the final test at Oulton Park next Wednesday and Thursday, April 23 and 24 which will be the last chance to get everything ready ahead of the first round of the 2025 season at Oulton Park over the May Bank Holiday weekend.
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