Parkes goes for three in a row

From Yamaha Racing

Yamaha World Supersport Team rider Broc Parkes has been racking up record laps and pole positions this season but in the approach to the Brands Hatch round he will be going for three in a row in the most valuable contest there is, securing race wins.

For the past two seasons Parkes has won the World Supersport race at Brands Hatch and this year, having already notched up a race win at Qatar, he has already proved that his new YZF-R6 is up to the job once again.

In the most recent rounds Parkes has scored five poles in a row but each time an unexpected development on raceday itself has seen Parkes not quite able to secure more race victories to add to his Qatar triumph.

Joining Parkes for the Brands and Donington WSS rounds, substituting for the injured Fabien Foret is local rider Karl Harris. No stranger to the WSS paddock, Harris normally rides a YZF-R1 Superbike in the BSB series but has been drafted into the top Yamaha WSS team to make best use of his vast Brands Hatch experience, and of course to help Parkes in his championship challenge.

In the championship table, after eight rounds have been completed, Andrew Pitt leads on 133 points with Josh Brookes on 101 and Parkes, overall third, on 100.

"I just want to do my thing and get a good result at Brands because we will have one month off immediately afterwards," Parkes said. "We have five races remaining in the championship and we are 33 points behind. I wasn't happy with the result at Brno so I want to have a really good race result in the UK this weekend. I have won for the last two years in a row, so I'm out to make it three.

"Brands is a special track because you can hear the fans sometimes, they are really enthusiastic and so close to you. It's not a very long track but it is one of the most flowing and the data tells us that the corner speeds are generally high. Our bike seems to work very well there, its character seems to suit the race track."

A sixth place finish for Michele Pirro (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) at Brno sees him fifth overall going into Brands, still the leading Yamaha Superstock 1000 FIM Cup rider at present.

Loris Baz (YZF Yamaha Junior Team) continues his personal duel with Honda rider Patrick Vostarek in the European Superstock 600 class, now seven points ahead with four rounds to go.