Season Concludes With Top Ten Finishes For MCE Ducati
The MCE Ducati team concluded their 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season at Brands Hatch this afternoon and they did so with three top ten finishes from a possible four, as Josh Brookes ended his year strongly with seventh and ninth place finishes whilst teammate Tom Sykes added another top ten finish to his haul.
The opening race of the day saw Tom and Josh line up beside each other on the fifth row in 13th and 14th respectively but both riders made good starts and as early as lap two they were running in ninth and 11th, Tom leading the way on the factory-supported MCE Insurance Ducati Panigale V4R.
That’s how it remained until lap seven when former double BSB champion Brookes moved up to tenth and the teammates then swapped positions on lap 10, half race distance. The duo were battling with Charlie Nesbitt and the Suzuki man managed to overhaul them both in the closing stages.
However, a last lap incident between Jason O’Halloran and Andrew Irwin, who were battling for a podium finish, saw O’Halloran crash out and Irwin penalised 20 seconds, the net result being Josh was classified in ninth place and Tom tenth.
Josh had the higher starting position for the final race of the year although it was Tom who completed the opening lap better placed in ninth, compared to Josh’s 12th. They were soon running in tenth and 11th but from mid-race onwards, Josh was the stronger of the two riders and whilst ex World Superbike champion Sykes was placed in an eventual 11th, Australian ace Brookes continually moved forward.
Maintaining a strong pace throughout the 20 laps, he overtook Christian Iddon and Kyle Ryde and then closed up to 2022 Champion Bradley Ray and Danny Kent in their battle for sixth. He overhauled Kent in the closing stages to end his four-year tenure with the team in a strong seventh place.
The results from the weekend meant Tom took 12th place overall in the final championship standings with Josh two places further back in 14th.
Josh Brookes: “It’s a sad day for me as I’ve grown to love the MCE Ducati and I’m going to miss riding the bike as I think anyone who rides a Ducati will say its infectious, like motorbikes are in general. I’ve enjoyed my time with the brand and the team as we’ve had a good time together but who knows what the future will bring. As for today, I’d say it’s been my best day on the bike this year so it’s nice to end on a positive note. Seventh is not the result I want but in terms of lap times and consistency, and staying strong right up until the end, I felt better than I have done all year. I kept pushing and was running close to the British Champion so that’s a good achievement in our final race together.”
Tom Sykes: “I can’t deny it’s been a disappointing season as I came to BSB and the PBM team to get involved and fight for the title. Unfortunately, we had some restrictions and whilst we showed what we could do at a big circuit like Donington we ultimately couldn’t do that often enough. I’m upset for myself and the team as the level of talent at PBM, in all areas of the garage, deserves a lot more. Sometimes you have difficult seasons and, unfortunately, 2022 has been one of those years. I’m obviously very grateful for the opportunity at PBM and they’ve been a pleasure to work with all year so would like to wish them all the best.”
Johnny Mowatt, Team Co-ordinator: “It’s nice to see Josh end the year, and his time with us, strongly in the final race of the year and no one can fault his commitment, dedication, or professionalism for the entire four years he’s been with us. The MCE Ducati PBM team have made some good friends in Josh and his wife Aimee, and we all wish him well for the future. Tom obviously hasn’t been with us as long but it’s been a pleasure to have an ex-World Champion riding for the team and he’ll be moving to pastures new in 2022 so, again, we wish him well. We’d also like to congratulate Bradley Ray and the Rich Energy OMG Racing Team on their title success and also thank all of our sponsors for their commitment and loyalty.”
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race two (20 laps)
1 Peter Hickman (BMW)
2 Danny Buchan (BMW) +0.622s
3 Glenn Irwin (Honda) +2.702s
4 Kyle Ryde (Yamaha) +13.381s
5 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati) +13.494s
6 Danny Kent (Suzuki) +13.902s
9 Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati) +18.912s
10 Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati) +20.511s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship race three (20 laps)
1 Glenn Irwin (Honda)
2 Andrew Irwin (BMW) +0.672s
3 Danny Buchan (BMW) +1.956s
4 Tommy Bridewell (Ducati) +5.474s
5 Peter Hickman (BMW) +5.679s
6 Bradley Ray (Yamaha) +11.000s
7 Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati) +11.334s
11 Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati) +19.156s
Championship standings
1 Ray 1192pts
2 Irwin 1171
3 Bridewell 1141
4 Jackson 1095
5 O’Halloran 1087
6 Ryde 1077
12 Sykes 187
14 Brookes 161
Pictures courtesy of Double Red: Josh Brookes (25) and Tom Sykes (66).
