AUSTRALIAN Josh Brookes, riding the Milwaukee Yamaha, took a step closer the MCE British Superbike Championship title yesterday after the Aussie took a brace of wins at the penultimate round at the Silverstone circuit.
With just the season's final showdown round at Brands Hatch left to go, Brookes put one hand on the 2015 title with his title rival Shane Bryne clinging to his tail but is now 47 points behind Brookes with 75 points up for grabs next time out.
In race one, it turned out to be a three-way rider scrap for the front with Brookes, Bryne and James Ellision making the race their own with Americian John Hopkins on the Ducati holding onto a fourth place for the duration of the race.
In the end, Brookes just had that extra bit in hand in race one and took the win from Bryne with Peter Hickman on the RAF Reserves BMW snatching a surprise third place.
Race two saw six riders clamber for the lead with Brookes down in seventh after four laps but had worked his way up into second place by lap eight of the fourteen Silverstone laps.
On lap nine he took over the lead from James Ellision and Shane Bryne with Michael Laverty, Dan Linfoot and Christian Idoon all on the leader's tail.
By lap 11, Brookes had opened up a half second lead over Linfoot, Ellision, Laverty and Bryne with the race for second place well and truly hotting up.
Brookes, however, continued to command his lead lap by lap at the chequered flag and he had a winning margin of almost four seconds.
A fantastic ride by Toombridge rider Michael Laverty, on the Tyco BMW, saw him take second place from Honda's Dan Linfoot in third place with Christian Iddon fourth and Shane Bryne fifth, respectively.
In the first of the two Supersport 600 races, Luke Stapleford, riding a Truimph, took victory and the 2015 British Supersport 600 title after he took the race win from James Ripsoli on the Traction Control Yamaha, with Carrickfergus man Glenn Irwin third on the Gearlink Kawasaki third.
Race two turned into a fantastic affair between James Rispoli and Glenn Irwin who dominated the lead during the 12-lap race after newly-crowned champion Stapleford retired on lap three.
Rispoli looked to have the race under control but Carrickfergus rider Irwin had other plans and took the lead with four laps to go, and went on to take his third win of the season with Rispoli second and Sam Hornsby third. Portadown's Marshall Neill finished in a fine 10th place.
Meanwhile, Enniskillen's Josh Elliott clinched the British Superstock 1000 title after he finished in second place behind race winner Hudson Kennaugh.
