Josh Brookes says he forced himself to return to his aggressive riding style in an effort to beat his title rivals in an exciting second MCE British Superbike race of the weekend at Silverstone.
The Australian has garnered a reputation in his three years on the
BSB scene following a handful of high-profile incidents, most recently his disqualification for a collision with Michael Rutter at Cadwell Park, clashes that he admits have taken a toll on his approach in recent races.
However, having conceded to being too cautious in the first race, Brookes says him 'being pushed around' at the start of race two would prompt him to fight back, a strategy that paid off as he worked his way to a second win of the season for Relentless by TAS Suzuki.
“That was one of the most satisfying wins of my career. In the first race I was a bit cautious and was worried about getting tangled up with anyone, as I knew I'd get a hard time about it. But in the second race after getting pushed around myself on the opening couple of laps I thought, 'stuff it, I'm bringing the old Josh Brookes back and if they don't like it too bad!'
“I had the speed and the pace in race two, as the team gave me a great bike today and I just rode as hard as I could. I really enjoyed it and moving into third place in the championship table is a bonus. I'm looking forward to Brands now.”
The result moves him above Michael Laverty and Shane Byrne for third in the
BSB standings, though he remains 41 points off John Hopkins in the lead with three races remaining.