Brookes And Sykes Focus On Donington Park
The penultimate round of the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Donington Park this weekend with MCE Ducati riders aiming to continue their good form from Oulton Park.
After a challenging season for Paul Bird’s eight times BSB champions, both Midlands-based Aussie Brookes and Yorkshire’s ex-World Superbike champion Sykes, are hoping to atone for not making the championship-deciding Showdown with another good performance on their respective MCE Insurance-sponsored and factory supported Ducati Panigale V4Rs.
In a dramatic round at Oulton Park last weekend, both Brookes and Sykes weighed in with some positive results which saw Sykes claim his best result of the season in sixth place and double BSB champion Brookes record a pair of top eight finishes.
That late season form, combined with the pair’s record around the Donington Park Grand Prix circuit in the past, give optimism that the Lake District-based team from Penrith can challenge for that elusive podium.
Sykes won nine consecutive World Superbike Championship races around Donington Park between 2013 and 2017 and can claim another six podiums and eight pole positions which earned him the nickname ‘Mr Donington Park’. Brookes, meanwhile, took victory on a Stiggy Honda in the World Supersport Championship race at Donington Park in 2008 and has three BSB wins around the GP configuration also.
Josh Brookes: “I’m actually optimistic going into Donington as we were within touching distance of the lead group at Oulton which was a big confidence boost. The full GP track at Donington is more suitable as our bike is strong on the brakes and the power is a strong point too so that should make us more competitive. I’m quietly confident that we can get a set-up to suit us, and the nature of the track will help us. It's a smooth surface too so maybe we can use it to our advantage with a harder setting and get the grip we need. The weather is changeable at this time of year which may be a factor also, but I’ll keep pushing on until the end of the season like I always do.”
Tom Sykes: “If there’s been one track I’ve been looking forward to racing at this year, it’s the Donington Park GP track which has been so kind to me in the past. I’ve enjoyed much success in World Superbikes there so after a relatively good meeting at Oulton Park last weekend, I’m hopeful we can get some good results. It snowed when we were due to test here earlier in the year but hopefully it won’t do that again, but the weather could play a part. We still need to work hard to release the potential but there were encouraging signs at Oulton so let’s see what we can do this weekend.”
Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Josh Brookes (25) and Tom Sykes (66).
