Brookes: I heard a v-twin and I thought here he is...

"It is just great to be back in the battle as I have so many fond memories as the best races of my career have been against this guy..."
Josh Brookes, Anvil Hire Yamaha, [Credit: Ian Hopgood]
Josh Brookes, Anvil Hire Yamaha, [Credit: Ian Hopgood]
© Media Pictures

Josh Brookes has conceded even though he would have liked to take the battle to Shane Byrne he was thrilled to take a double podium and 'be back in the race again' at the sharp end at Snetterton.

The Anvil Hire Yamaha rider felt he maximised his package having made chassis tweaks which were confirmed with his positive feeling from the YZF-R1 during Friday practice.

Despite an indifferent qualifying, Brookes grabbed second place in race one before leading the opening 14 laps of race two before being reeled in by Byrne over the final two laps.

Brookes says he's content to settle for double second place finishes at Snetterton having been unable to match Byrne for outright race pace but was relishing being back in the fight for wins against a familiar foe.

"It is just great to be back in the battle as I have so many fond memories as the best races of my career have been against this guy," Brookes said. "It is good to be back in the race again.

"I knew coming into the weekend the Hondas and others would be strong here but we kept our heads down and made steps to be ready for the race. I thought about making changes from race one to two but I feared there was more to lose than to gain. Starting off the front row of race two made a difference as I hit the front for a while but then I heard an engine note of a v-twin and I though 'oh, here he is...'

"I kept thinking forward and keeping my lines steady as it is so easy to make a mistake with a lot of heavy braking. I looked to be consistent but it just wasn't enough today so when Shakey came past I had to grit and bear it.

"I happily took second for the Podium Points but I would have liked to battle for the win on the last lap. It is still progression for us as there is now light at the end of the tunnel with the bike and the team. I look forward to more races where I feel a part of it."

Brookes has moved up to fourth in the BSB riders' championship - and 29 points off of leader Luke Mossey - while he has kick-started his Podium Points tally with nine.

Read More