Josh Brookes to race IOMTT
Double British Superbike Champion Josh Brookes will make a sensational return to this yr’s Isle of Man TT Races with the Australian competing on the occasion for the primary time since 2018.
After becoming a member of FHO Racing on the finish of final season, the 39-year previous has introduced he’ll contest the RST Superbike, RL360 Superstock, and Milwaukee Senior TT Races onboard BMW M 1000 RR machines alongside Peter Hickman in an all-star line-up.
2023 marks ten years since Brookes made his first TT look the place he was an on the spot hit across the Mountain Course, ending tenth within the opening Superbike Race of 2013. He additionally lapped at a mean pace of 127.726mph on his debut, securing the title of the quickest ever TT newcomer on the time.
Brookes returned the next yr with Shaun Muir’s Milwaukee Yamaha staff and repeated his tenth place within the Superbike Race. He was out of luck within the two Supersport Races however ended his week with a robust seventh place end within the Senior, enhancing his private finest lap across the 37.73-mile course to 129.859mph.
Each Brookes and the staff centered on the BSB Championship in 2015 which paid dividends as they clinched the title in dominant trend. Each rider and staff then moved into the World Superbike Championship for 2016, which was when Brookes final rode BMW equipment.
A return to the UK in 2017 meant Brookes was in a position to contest the TT as soon as extra and he did so on quite a lot of equipment. Using for Norton within the Superbike and Senior Races, he took eighth and sixth respectively, posting his first 130mph+ laps within the course of.
He additionally campaigned a Honda CBR600RR for Jackson Racing within the solitary Supersport Race, ending eleventh, after which took a wonderful sixth on board Ryan Farquhar’s KMR Kawasaki within the Light-weight Race.
Brookes, who additionally has World Supersport Championship victories on his extremely spectacular CV, returned to the Island later within the yr for the Basic TT the place, deputising for the injured John McGuinness, he received the Senior Race on the Winfield Paton.
Again with Norton for 2018, one other tenth place was taken within the opening Superbike Race with a brace of sixths then recorded on the McAMS Yamaha within the two Supersport Races, lapping at greater than 126mph on the YZF-R6.
Nonetheless, he saved the very best till final when he completed in a superb fifth on the Norton within the closing Senior TT. A quickest lap of 131.745mph made him the quickest Australian ever to have lapped the Mountain Course and he stays the eleventh quickest rider of all time.
Brookes joined Paul Fowl’s Ducati staff for the 2019 season, remaining there for the next 4 years and, after ending a detailed second to team-mate Scott Redding in his first yr on the Panigale V4R, he duly clinched his second BSB title in 2020.
BSB commitments with the staff meant he was unable to contest the TT, though he did take third and fourth finally yr’s North West 200. With FHO Racing contesting each BSB and the Worldwide highway races, he’s now eagerly trying ahead to his TT return.
Josh Brookes
“I’m happy it’s now on the market and we will announce my return to the TT. It’s one of the widespread topics I get requested all year long at BSB, the followers all the time wish to know; ‘are you coming again to the TT?’, ‘will you ever be again?’, and ‘do you wish to come again?’ It’s good to have the field ticked and now be capable to say it’s occurring!
“Like all the opposite occasions I’ve been to the TT I’m each nervous and excited. It’s an enormous occasion and it’s thrilling, nevertheless it does create nerves and it’s stuffed with emotion. FHO Racing has a terrific background on the occasion with all they achieved final yr. I even have each the right and, doubtlessly, the worst team-mate with Pete!
“The occasion has modified just a little since I final raced in 2018, with the brand new schedule for this season with the change within the apply format and the Senior moved to the ultimate Saturday, however I’m trying ahead to getting caught in and using the Mountain course as soon as once more.”
Group Proprietor – Faye Ho
“I’m very excited to have Josh becoming a member of us for the TT this yr. He has a great historical past on the occasion and has achieved some nice outcomes regardless of an interrupted journey. Though the British Superbike Championship is our essential precedence with Josh for this season, he was eager to return to the TT after a five-year break and we have been completely satisfied to help him within the Superbike, Senior and Superstock Races on the M 1000 RR. I can’t wait to see him in motion on the market, and I believe alongside Pete, we can have a robust presence on the TT.”
