Josh Brookes scored a podium finish at TT Circuit Assen during a strong debut in the Superbike*IDM championship last weekend as a replacement rider for Team Yamaha MGM.

With Kev Coghlan unfit to race after a crash at the previous round at Schleizer Dreieck, Team Yamaha MGM went into the seventh round of the International German Championship with Josh Brookes as a solo rider. The Australian leads the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship after riding his YZF-R1 to four consecutive race wins. Last weekend he went on to show the YZF-R1M's high potential in the IDM challenge, bringing home a trophy after scoring a third and fourth place.

Brookes started the first qualifying on Saturday morning with an extremely fast pace, setting a 1'37.153 lap. He improved this time by 0.659 of a second during the second session and went into Superpole as the fastest rider of the field. The Australian used the ten-minute session as an opportunity to showcase the incredible pace of the YZF-R1M. As Brookes didn't get a good feeling from the qualifying tyre, he decided to go set his hot lap on a race tyre instead and dropped a time of 1'36.175 for second place on the grid, just 0.043s from pole.

Brookes kept the momentum going on Sunday. Slotting into fourth position at the start for the first 15-lap race, he quickly found his rhythm and fought his way towards the front. He passed Xavi Fores midway through the race in a fight for the remaining podium spot and successfully defended the position as he crossed the line in third place, 1.358s from first.

The second race saw more of the same, Brookes again worked his way up from fourth to third, but this time he was unable to hold the position due to a minor issue with the rear wheel. He continued to fight bravely and took the chequered flag in fourth place, 1.887s from the front.

The eighth and final round will be held at Hockenheimring on September 25-27.

Josh Brookes - Race 1 - 3, Race 2 - 4