Kawasaki's Tom Sykes has almost dismissed out of hand his second-row start for tomorrow's Phillip Island World Superbike double-header, saying that racing is a different story.

Under the new three-to-a-grid rules, the Huddersfield man will start from the second row Down Under but said that he learned last year that qualifying is one thing but it's all about what happens when the lights go out.

“The new look Superpole rules have not suited us because we could have had a nice front row start. We are on row two but obviously we have done a good job to get so close, so fast, after having been forced to skip two days testing and then riding injured," said Sykes.

"I learned last year that qualifying is qualifying and racing I another story, so I am a decent spot for tomorrow’s races. It will be two long races, in hot conditions from what I have heard, so let’s see. We have a bit of thinking to do tonight to decide in exactly which direction we will go but I do not feel we are in a bad situation at all. Let us see how tomorrow goes.”