Features 13 Jan 2015

Fast Thoughts: Josh Brookes

BSB title contender speaks out on a range of topics.

Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes has established himself as one of international motorcycling’s elite as one of the British Superbike Championship’s true title threats, coming from a career that has included championship victories at home and a successful stint in the world championships. CycleOnline.com.au tracked down the 31-year-old to get his opinion on all kinds of topics.

Source: BSB.

Source: BSB.

Yamaha’s 2015 YZF-R1…

I think it’s what every brand needs, is a new model. That’s what inspires sales and it’s what keeps development alive. If the brands put money into development, we get to race better equipment and then that transfers to the people. When there’s a new model, people want to buy that. Through the recession and things that have happened the past few years, you can understand why it’s been slow coming, but I think for every brand they’ve got to keep releasing new bikes and models.

Jack Miller’s MotoGP move…

It’s good. Australia needs a rider in there and he’s got the opportunity to do it, so you’d almost be stupid not to. If any rider with the want, the will and the determination to try and reach their best, if they’re handed an opportunity or have bought an opportunity – however it comes – then you’re going to take it. It doesn’t surprise me that he wants to be in MotoGP and so do the rest of us. I think the ones that haven’t had the opportunity yet are envious.

Old school motocross…

It’s just a human nature to remember certain periods of your life. Growing up I was racing motocross, studying all the magazines, looking at the bikes and gear that top riders ran, and as a kid you just fantasized about stuff you wanted – whether it was the gear or the bike that you thought was cool or your hero was racing at the time at the time. When you’re young it stays in your head, so now I guess you could say that I’m older, I want to keep remembering those moments and times. That’s why I try to buy bikes that remind me of a certain period or of a certain rider. Potentially like, say our fathers’ generation would be collecting a Torana or a Mustang, and I’m doing the same thing, but with old dirt bikes because that was part of my fond memories.

Aussies flooding BSB…

It makes sense, because people are searching for opportunities and it seems like the BSB is the least corrupt – you can still search a ride on talent, whereas in other categories it’s all about money. Moto2, MotoGP, Moto3, World Supers is all dependent on whether you’ve got a sponsor or if you can pay your way in. British Superbikes seems to be the highest level that you can still get in with just rider ability, or so it seems. I don’t know how long it’s going to last or how far down the grid that filters, but it makes sense that riders are trying to find opportunities and they’re popping up in BSB.

Source: BSB.

Source: BSB.

World championship aspirations…

Yeah, four sure. I only left the world championship trying to find a salary. I came third in the World Supersport Championship, as you know, in 2008 and in ’09 I could only get a paid salary in BSB. It wasn’t through wanting to go to BSB, it was because I was forced to when I couldn’t get paid in the world championship. Ever since I’ve had the desire to be in a better place, whether it be Moto2, World Superbikes or any world championship really. I’ve wanted to be there, but it’s just trying to find a way to be that chosen one. If that’s by getting results or securing a big sponsor or something, I’m just trying to find my way back there. At the moment, the closest thing I can see as an opportunity is with Yamaha giving us a couple of wildcards this year and there’s talk of them returning to World Superbikes with a factory team or factory-supported team at least in the future, so I’m hoping by what I’m doing at the moment that it’s maybe positioning myself at the top of the list – hopefully I can be chosen to make that step back into World Superbikes.

Spending the off-season at home…

It’s one of the highlights of my year. I really appreciate Australia now after traveling the world, seeing how other countries and cultures live, I’ve realised how cool Australia is. I really cherish every day and moment I’ve got here – I kind of count the days as they tick by before I have to go back to the cold and rain of Europe. But that’s where the racing is and racing’s what I want to do, so that’s one of the sacrifices that I make.

Racing the Isle of Man TT…

It wasn’t really something I wanted to do for years, but it just sort of came onto me after visiting as a spectator. It caught me like a bug, so I worked to get and opportunity to race it and once I raced it… it’s difficult to put into words. I mean, there’s so many other riders doing the same thing on the same day at the same track, but in your moment on the bike you feel like you’re doing something really amazing – like you’re going to the moon or something! It’s so extreme, the feeling, sense of thrill, excitement, danger and achievement, it’s just so raw and strong that it hooks you and makes you want to do it again.

BSB’s ‘Showdown’ title format…

I’ve been affected by it in good and bad ways. I’ve been in a position in the championship where on regular points I couldn’t have gone for the championship, but the system brought me back into the game. And then in 2012 I won the championship on correct points, but didn’t within the BSB structure. So it’s screwed me over and it’s helped me at different times, but the concept is good. We get 40,000-odd spectators to a round and hundreds and thousands of viewers on TV, so obviously in its concept of keeping people entertained, it’s efficient. I don’t love it, but whilst it keeps the racing alive and strong then we have to embrace it, not fight it. You’ve got to accept that that’s what keeps the cogs turning.

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