BROOKES, HICKMAN
SHARE THRUXTON BSB WINS
J
osh Brookes (Anvil TAG
Yamaha) and Peter Hickman
(Smiths BMW) became two new
race winners in the 2017 Brit-
ish Superbike Championship at
Thruxton, August 5-6, as they
became the fifth and sixth differ-
ent race victors this year.
Brookes scored his first victory
of the season in the opening
race, stealing the lead from Hick-
man in the closing stages in the
first high-speed duel of the day.
Pole sitter Jake Dixon (Kawa-
saki) had fired himself off the line
fastest to lead on the opening lap
ahead of Hickman and Brookes,
as Shane Byrne (Ducati) dropped
down the order after a mistake at
the chicane that caused him to
run on.
Two laps later and the BMW
Safety Car was deployed when
Billy McConnell (Kawasaki)
crashed out, but when the race
resumed, Dixon was instantly
under attack from Hickman. The
Lincolnshire ace took the lead on
the brakes into the chicane on
lap nine, pushing Dixon into the
clutches of Brookes.
Brookes, though, was deter-
mined, and by lap 15 he was in
the lead. With three laps to go,
he was able to edge out a slight
advantage, which he held until
the checkered flag to give the
team their first race victory in the
premier class.
Hickman had been embroiled
in a battle with Dixon throughout
the closing stages but was able
to fend off the attack over the
final two laps to give the local
team a podium finish, with Dixon
IN
THE
WIND
P42
Josh Brookes (25) took his first
win of the year but crashed out
of contention in race two.
