Brookes will run the number four plate in 2010.

The countdown is now on to the opening round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch on 2-5 April as the teams ended their pre-season testing in Spain at Guadix yesterday.

HM Plant Honda had set the pace on the second day with Australian Josh Brookes setting the standard with a 1:13.6 but as the team returned to the UK the remaining teams upped the pace on the final day, dropping Brookes to third overall for the test.

“It has been a pretty successful day for me overall. We did lose out yesterday unfortunately due to the weather but we have made some really steady progress today and I am now definitely feeling more confident about the first round at Brands Hatch,” Brookes said. “We still have a few areas that we can work on when we are back testing in the UK, like the suspension and fuelling but we are leaving here happy with the work we have done.”

The Swan Honda team had a steady start to the final day but as the conditions improved in the afternoon both James Ellison and Stuart Easton targeted longer runs on track and consistently ran in the mid to low 1:13 lap times.

Easton ended the test quickest with a 1:13.4, with new teammate Ellison second just one tenth of a second behind.

“It has been a successful test for us and I am really pleased with the work we have done both here at Guadix and from last week at Cartagena,” Easton explained. “We have refined the settings and we are now in a really good position before we start testing again later in the month. We have improved the bike so much from when we were here last year and my lap times were consistently coming.

“I did a good run of laps in the low 1m:13s so we have seen a big improvement. We have another test coming up at Cadwell Park and after doing some longer stints today I think we should be ready for a strong start at the first round at Brands Hatch.”

Ellison is also pleased with his progress since switching to Honda after a season with Yamaha last year.

“We have really made some good progress out here in Spain and today we have managed to test so many different settings – we definitely are leaving here feeling happy,” he commented. “The Swan Honda seems to really fit me and I am feeling comfortable on track. We have been able to get some consistent laps together and the times have just been coming. It has been great working with the team again and they have done a fantastic job, we are now looking forward to getting back out on track again in the next few weeks.”

The Worx Crescent Suzuki team had been working through various changes to the electronics following some teething problems on the final day, but with many of the other teams finishing earlier Tommy Hill and Yukio Kagayama were formation flying as they put in their best laps of the day in the final stages.

Simon Andrews and Gary Mason had their second full day on circuit, with Andrews dramatically improving his lap time on the last day after adjusting to the new electronics package, whilst Mason adapted to the Kawasaki and targeted chassis settings. The MSS Colchester Kawasaki team are now preparing for their next test at Brands Hatch next Wednesday.

UNOFFICIAL OVERALL TIMES:
1. Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) 1:13.4
2. James Ellison (Swan Honda) 1:13.5
3. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 1:13.6
4. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 1:13.8
5. Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 1:14.0
6. Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) 1:14.1
7. Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 1:14.6
8. Martin Jessopp (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 1:14.7
9. Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) 1:14.9
10. Gary Mason (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) 1:15.9