Josh Brooks claims BSB double at Brands Hatch

Josh Brookes ended his season drought with a winning double in an incident-packed sixth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch.

Brooks was running ahead of four-time title winner and series leader Shane Byrne when the PBM Kawasaki rider crashed out of contention at Westfields shortly after his team-mate Stuart Easton had crashed at the same point.

The Milwaukee Yamaha rider Brookes took the victory by half a second from Richard Cooper riding the Anvil Hire TAG Kawasaki while Byrne's team recovered his bike and frantically repaired it to get him back on track for the second race.

Byrne repaid their efforts by leading the first seven laps before Brookes swept ahead at the Druids hairpin to charge to victory by over three seconds, with Cooper finishing third.

Sydney-born Brookes has now closed within five points of Byrne at the halfway stage of the series.

BSB Round 6, Brands Hatch GP, West Kingsdown, Kent.

Race 1 results:

1 Josh Brookes (Aus) Yamaha 30mins 20.450secs

2 Richard Cooper (GB) Kawasaki 30:20.957

3 James Ellison (GB) Kawasaki 30:21.143

4 Tommy Bridewell (GB) BMW 30:21.208

5 Michael Laverty (GB) BMW 30:24.992

6 John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 30:25.076

7 Luke Mossey (GB) Kawasaki 30:26.208

8 Dan Linfoot (GB) Honda 30:26.851

9 James Westmoreland (GB) Kawasaki 30:27.578

10 Billy McConnell (Aus) BMW 30:27.637

Race 2:

1 J Brookes (Aus) Yamaha 28mins 53.720secs

2 S Byrne (GB) Kawasaki 28:57.154

3 R Cooper (GB) Kawasaki 28:58.336

4 J Ellison (GB) Kawasaki 29:00.607

5 M Laverty (GB) BMW 29:02.004

6 B McConnell (Aus) BMW 29:08.461

7 L Mossey (GB) Kawasaki 29:08.650

8 C Iddon (GB) Suzuki 29:09.016

9 J O'Halloran (Aus) Honda 29:10.367

10 B Parkes (Aus) Yamaha 29:11.797

World Championship Standings

1 B Shane (GB) Kawasaki 221.0pts

2 J Brookes (Aus) Yamaha 216.0pts

3 J Ellison (GB) Kawasaki 147.0pts

4 S Easton (GB) Kawasaki 139.0pts

5 J O'Halloran (Aus) Honda 103.0pts

6 T Bridewell (GB) BMW 99.0pts

7 M Laverty (GB) BMW 98.0pts

8 R Cooper (GB) Kawasaki 76.0pts

9 B McConnell (Aus) BMW 53.0pts

10 R Kiyonari (Jpn) BMW 52.0pts.

Manufacturer:

1 Kawasaki 281.0pts

2 Yamaha 216.0pts

3 BMW 164.0pts

4 Honda 139.0pts

5 Suzuki 59.0pts

6 Ducati 10.0pts

7 MV Augusta 0.0pts