DAO Racing rounded out what was a challenging weekend in a positive fashion on Sunday afternoon, with Josh Brookes breaking into the top ten and Lee Jackson collecting a solid haul of points at the Hampshire circuit.

The weekend would get off to a contrasting start for the team, with Jackson enjoying a positive start throughout the free practice sessions, which would see him progress directly into the all-important Q2 session on Saturday, following the ‘pre-qualifying’. However, Brookes experienced a challenging start with rear grip issues, due to the abrasiveness of the Thurxton circuit, and he would be forced to fight it out in Q1.

Saturday’s qualifying would once again be a challenge, with Josh qualifying 18th on the grid after failing to progress into Q2, despite posting his personal best lap of the weekend by over four tenths of a second. Jackson, who had one bite of the cherry in Q2, would qualify 15th on the grid for the opening 20-lap race of the weekend, posting a 1:15.738, just 0.040 away from his personal best lap time.

Later that afternoon, under the scorching English summer sun, the opening ZYN BSB feature race got underway, and after positive launches off the line for the pair, Jackson would sit 11th with Brookes 14th. As the race progressed, they would find themselves embroiled in an eight-man battle for 10th. By half-race distance they would remain in the fight for tenth, with Lee holding 11th, however Brookes had dropped back to 20th due to a distinct lack of rear grip. The pair would continue to fight hard for position, however with three laps to go the race would be stopped, due to an incident, and a result declared, meaning Lee would take the flag in 11th, with Josh 19th.

After an evening of number crunching, the team headed into Sunday with renewed confidence, and following a positive morning warm-up both riders were confident of positive results.

By virtue of their lap times achieved in race one, Lee would start the afternoon’s 12-lap sprint race from 14th and Brookes 19th.

From the lights both made great starts and after the first circulation, Lee sat 12th with Josh 17th. Over the following sequence of laps, the pair then found themselves in a battle for 12th, part of a six-man dog fight.

By half-race distance Lee had dropped back to 14th, but he was nipping at the heels of Ilya Mikhalchik, however Brookes had joined the party and sat in 15th after making a move on Storm Stacey.

With two to go, the teammates were in a battle with each other for position, and on the last lap Brookes made his move for 12th place and held his position to the flag. Jackson experienced a difficult final lap due to rear grip, and dropped to 15th at the line.

Courtesy of their lap times set in the short sprint race, Lee would start the final 20-lapper 13th on the grid, with Josh two places behind in 15th.

Under bright sunshine, and with soaring track temperatures, the race got underway and the pair made good starts off the line, with Lee making up two places to 11th and Josh dropping to 17th after being caught up in an incident involving Jason O’Halloran and Scott Redding.

By lap five Jackson continued to hold onto 11th, and started to break away from the group behind, as he hunted down the 10-man battle for the lead. He quickly began to post consistent times, whilst maintaining the grip from his Pirelli rear tyre. Brookes also regrouped well, working his way into 16th, and started to chase down the battle for 12th which included three other Honda riders.

With nine laps to go, Lee had inherited 10th place after a crash for Joe Talbot, however the group ahead had pulled a manageable gap over the Lincolnshire man, although try as he might he just couldn’t catch the group ahead, as his rear grip began to fade.

With two laps to go, Lee lost out in the battle with his teammate, and started to drop down the field. At the flag he crossed the line 13th, rounding out a challenging weekend with a haul of Championship points.

Brookes however enjoyed a late race charge, working his way into 11th with five laps to go, and went in pursuit of his teammate Jackson. With two laps to go he made his way passed Lee and began to get his head down to break away, in which he did, crossing the line ninth.

Josh Brookes: “All in all it’s been a positive finish to the weekend, but it has been a challenge for sure, and we’ve had so many hurdles to jump across. We have struggled to get the bike gripping out of the turn and even upright in the middle of the tyre. It’s very common that superbikes will spin a lot on the edge of the tyre, but not so common that they do it when they’re upright.

“We’ve worked hard to try and make improvements on that, and in truth we did do that. I was trying to ride conservatively to save my tyres in race one and race three, in the hope my times would come good towards the end of the race, and it did work well for me.

“We’ve worked hard as a team across the weekend, I can’t fault the boys, they’ve given everything for me. To come home ninth in the final race was a positive, and we’ll move onto Cadwell now and try to improve our fortunes.”

Lee Jackson: “Coming to Thruxton I had a clear and open mind because I didn’t get to race here in 2025 due to injury, and from Friday we have been chasing set-up all weekend really. We had pace to do one lap, but we struggled to make a tyre last for 15 or 16 laps. We made a good step in Sunday’s warm up, but it just didn’t translate in the races, I couldn’t maintain my speed, I couldn’t be smooth and it’s so frustrating because at the end of the races I had nothing in response to anyone.

“So, we do have a bit of work to do in the run up to Cadwell, I am disappointed with how this weekend has panned out, however I’m excited to head home to Cadwell Park, it’s my favourite circuit on the calendar and I can’t wait to get going there.”

Team manager Jonny Bagnall: “This weekend has been a challenge for sure, however leaving here inside in the top ten and with a good haul of Championship points is a positive to end the weekend on. We have struggled a lot with rear grip over the three days, and honestly we have worked around the clock to make the package better for both Josh and Lee but frustratingly the results just haven’t been there for us.

“As a team, we’ll head to Cadwell Park and do our best to turn our fortunes around, we don’t give in, we’ll work harder than ever to make sure we’re back up the sharp end.”

Lee Jackson now sits 13th in the 2026 ZYN British Superbike Championship on 101, with Josh Brookes 14th on 88. The team’s focus now shifts to round eight of the Championship at the famous Cadwell Park, over the August Bank Holiday weekend.