“It’s for sure possible”: BSB rising star sets sights on first win at Brands Hatch

Bimota’s Max Cook says it’s “for sure possible” for him to win a the final BSB round at Brands Hatch although he knows it “won’t be any easier” than at other rounds.

Cook had been through a rough patch in the middle part of the season, crashes at Oulton Park and Thruxton having hit his confidence. Heading to Donington for the penultimate round he was without a podium since Race 3 at Brands Hatch in July.

But he stood back on the rostrum in BSB Race 3 at Donington, ending the run of four rounds without a podium finish by finishing second, ahead of Ryan Vickers, after leading for multiple laps in the first half of the race before being overhauled by Scott Redding.

Cook said the race had brought back some of the confidence he’d been missing through the summer.

“I feel amazing,” Cook told Crash.net after Race 3.

“It’s nice to be back on the podium, it’s nice to be leading races again – it’s just what I needed going into Brands. It’s just been building blocks since Oulton and Thruxton, and now we’re here getting some trophies again. 

“With regards to the race, it was a lot easier starting from the front row because it gave me a clear run through and I managed to get the holeshot. My pace has been really good so I just got my head down straight away.

“I do get a tyre drop and as soon as I got that drop, Scott [Redding] saw that I was a bit vulnerable and pounced straight away. He had some crazy pace, so he was able to just gap me that couple of tenths each lap and I was just doing everything out there that I could. 

“It was good enough for second, but not good enough for the win or to fight, really. So, for sure we’ve been getting closer each race over the past few weeks and now it’s coming.”

Cook now takes that confidence to Brands Hatch where he was third in all three races earlier in the year and where he feels a victory is “possible” but will be tough to achieve.

“I think it’s [a race win] for sure possible, but it’s not going to be any easier because a lot of people have upped their game,” he said.

“People are on form now, they’re at one with their machines, late on in the year. Obviously, the weather’s probably going to throw a curveball into it, so it isn’t going to be easy.”