Josh Brookes to replace John McGuinness in Supersport at TT on Jackson Racing CBR600RR
Josh Brookes has added more duties to his race card at the 2017 IOM TT with the news that the Australian Superbike, Australian Supersport, and British Superbike Championship winning 34-year-old will stand in for the injured John McGuiness on the Jackson Racing Honda CBR600RR at the TT.
Brookes will contest the two Monster Energy Supersport alongside the team’s full time rider Lee Johnston. The Jackson Racing prepared Supersport bikes are held in high regard, and McGuinness rode one to a 126.329mph lap last year on his way to fifth place. Brookes tested the machine for the first time at Castle Combe on Tuesday.
Brookes has already signed to ride the Norton at the Senior TT, and will also ride for Ryan Farquhar’s KMR team in the SuperTwins category.
Brookes first tasted the TT in 2013 on the Tyco Suzuki where he managed a top ten finish, and the honour of being crowned the fastest ever newcomer at the TT with a lap just shy of 128mph.
Josh Brookes has also rode for Yamaha at both the NW200 and the IOM TT in 2014, recording a podium and new outright lap record at the NW200 in 2014, before going on to take seventh in the Senior TT in the same year.
Brookes then stepped away from the road racing duties to concentrate on developing the then all-new Yamaha YZF-R1. On which the Sydneysider rode to British Superbike Championship victory in 2015.
It has been some years since Brookes was on Honda machinery, but in Australia Brookes was renowned for his success on both the Fireblade and the CBR600RR. In 2004 during a wildcard appearance at the Phillip Island round of the World Superbike Championship Brookes took victory in the World Supersport race from countryman Kevin Curtain and Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh.
In 2005 Brookes wrapped up the Australian Superbike and Supersport Championship double for Honda.
