Sykes And Brookes On Record Pace At Snetterton Test
The MCE Ducati British Superbike Championship Team successfully concluded the three-day official test in great conditions at Snetterton with 2022 riders Tom Sykes and Josh Brookes both inside the top four and bettering the existing lap record.
Yorkshireman Sykes, who won the World Superbike Championship in 2013, was making his debut at the Norfolk track’s 300 configuration and gradually upped the pace for Paul Bird’s Penrith-based team to record his best time on Saturday afternoon with a 1:46.643, over half a second inside Shane Byrne’s five-year-old lap record set on a PBM Ducati.
Double BSB champion Brookes was also on lap record pace, topping the second session on Saturday with a best lap of 1:46.686 on the factory-supported MCE Ducati V4R, to put the Australian in fourth overall at the conclusion of today’s sessions, two of which both PBM riders sat out.
Tom Sykes: “Day three at Snetterton saw the weather start out a bit tricky so we missed the first session this morning, but we’d only planned on doing one anyway today. We used it just to try a few things and understand the package a little bit more, but overall, it has been a really positive three-day test. We got lucky with the weather, everything seems to have gone to plan, and now I understand quite a lot more. Now we need to look where we need to improve and keep working. We have the next test at Donington Park on Thursday but looking at the forecast it doesn’t look like we are going to get as many blessings there, but the season is getting closer and after these three days I definitely feel more prepared. The main thing was to get an understanding on where we need to improve. The Ducati has a lot of strong areas and I know there are areas also to work on and so it has been a positive start at this test in that respect.”
Josh Brookes: “We’ve had a great test at Snetterton, the weather has been unbelievable for the time of year, and we’ve managed to work through some key points. Today was critical to finish the circle of changes. The session we did wasn’t particularly important for the lap time that we could achieve, but more the feeling that I was getting from the bike. Yesterday’s bike I was happy with, we were under the lap record, and I was able to do competitive times, today’s bike was more difficult to ride, so that gives everyone in the team a clear direction of which way to go, and I think moving forward now we can make some good progress. A big thanks to the team and my crew who put a big shift in this weekend, and we are looking forward to seeing what Donington brings us next week.”
John Mowatt, Team Co-Ordinator: “We have had a solid test at Snetterton, and the team and riders have made excellent progress. We had everything dialled in by Saturday evening, but we just wanted to try one more thing which we did today in the one session we competed in. We have a good direction and it’s great to see both riders with smiles on their faces. Josh has some good chassis and engine settings he’s happy with and it’s as if Tom has never been away from the team. He has slotted right in and when you consider it’s his first time on the new track at Snetterton on a bike with different electronics to what he’s used to, he’s done a fantastic job. We will see what the weather is like for Donington on Thursday and hope we can get some more positive testing in there.”
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, R&G Official Test, Snetterton, combined session result:
1. Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 1m:46.571s
2. Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati) +0.072s
3. Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.098s
4. Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati) +0.115s
5. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +0.164s
6. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +0.540s
7. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +0.585s
8. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +0.743s
9. Danny Kent (Buildbase Suzuki) +0.746s
10. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.821s
The opening round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship takes place at Silverstone over the Easter weekend of 15/17 April.
Images courtesy of Double Red: Josh Brookes (25) and Tom Sykes (66).
