Qualifying three

Josh Brookes 55.093

Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes will start the opening MCE British Superbike race of the season on the front row, after clinching pole position in what can only be described as a crash-fest in difficult conditions.

Brookes fell on his arse in the rain, not once but three times, completing a hat trick of crashes just as the chequered flag came out at the end of Q3. But it didn’t matter as the Aussie already set a 55.093 to place him on pole - the 20th of his career, followed by Kiyo and BSB returnee Tyco Suzuki’s John Hopkins.

All three on the front row crashed during Q3, but were fortunate enough to set times to place them on the front row – but none of the bikes were able to get back to parc ferme. Buildbase BMW’s Ryuichi Kiyonari was on course to do his fastest lap of the day and was in the provisional pole spot, but slid off the track at McLaren, unhurt. But it was not all bad news for the triple champ as he did enough to land himself on the front row after his quick time of 55.796.

Hopkins slipped off at Cooper Straight just before Brookes did the triple on the same spot, but can be pleased that his best lap of 56.253 was enough to place him third on the starting grid.

Row two is headed up by GBmoto’s Chris Walker, followed by Buildbase BMW’s James Westmoreland. Last year’s Supersport challengers Anvil Hire’s Richard Cooper and Gearlink Kawasaki’s Ben Wilson made it through all the way to Q3 and will start from the second and third row respectively. PR Racing’s Keith Farmer was having a solid session but crashed at Paddock Hill Bend and will round off row three, alongside Bathams BMW's Michael Rutter.

Qualifying two

James Westmoreland 56.633

Ryuichi Kiyonari 56.992

Westmoreland left it till his last lap and when there was only one second left of Q2 to clock the fastest time of the session - a 56.633. The Hull rider was able to get the better of his team-mate Kiyo, to go three tenths of a second faster. Sandwiched between the two was Brookes, who managed to stay on his bike to set a 56.855 lap.

Kiyo started off strongly and again in a repeat of Q1 kept improving his times to retain his place on provisional pole, with Patric Muff never too far behind in the wet conditions, that continued to get worse throughout the session.

The Bathams BMW lad must have felt a bit too confident as seconds after clocking the second fastest time of the afternoon crashed at Graham Hill bend, and was unable to take part in Q1.  Wilson was not fazed by the rain, and last years Motorpoint Supersport challenger made it into Q1.

GBmoto Kawasaki’s James Ellison crashed in the opening moments of Q2, but did clock a 58.838 to place him tenth, but other riders went faster and slipped out of the top ten, after falling at Clearways and was taken to the medical centre.

Buildbase BMW’s Michael Dunlop was on course to pull himself in to Q1 but fell just as the chequered flag appeared. But the biggest shock of the day was that Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne failed to make it through to the final session, ending his chances of competing for a potential pole position.

ELIMINATED

Tommy Bridewell

Michael Dunlop

Shane Byrne

Josh Waters

Martin Jessopp

James Ellison

Jenny Tinmouth

Josh Wainright

Simon Andrews

Peter Baker

Qualifying one

Ryuichi Kiyonari 57.354

Patric Muff 57.359

Kiyo had a dominant session and continued to better his race pace throughout the 20 minutes of lappery. When the chequered flag appeared he set a 57.354, followed by Buildbase BMW wild-card Michael Dunlop and Bathams BMW’s Patric Muff.

Q1 was a crash-fest. Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes crashed at Clearways on his opening lap, followed by Halsall Racing’s Lee Costello -  he tumbled unhurt at Cooper Straight. Brookes’ team were in a race against time to get his bike ready again, and they did it as Brookes went back out again for qualifying one.

Millsport Ducati’s Jakub Smrz crashed at Surtees and walked back to the pit and was another rider who was up against it in terms of trying to get his bike ready for the rest of the session, but the bike was too damaged to continue, meaning the former World Superbike contender failed to progress into Q2, and will have to start near the back of the grid. But it was not Brookes’ day as he crashed again, at Paddock Hill bend, and managed to get back on his bike once again, and he rode around with no screen, but did enough to clock the eighth fastest time to secure his place into qualifying two.

But the triple champ of Byrne crashed with two minutes left but set a time of 58.258 and comfortably made his way into Q2. His team-mate Stuart Easton seemed to have problems as he failed to make it into the top twenty quickest times and was hovering between nineteenth and 20th place for most of the session, but could not find the pace to better his performance.

FFX Yamaha’s Ian Hutchinson was so close to going through to Q2, but in a last lap dash by Jenny Tinmouth meant that she went 17th fastest knocking Hutchinson from 20th to 21st, ending his qualifying campaign.

As soon as Brookes succumbed to his second crash GBmoto’s Chris Walker quickly followed suit, followed by Halsall’s Harry Hartley and RAF Reserves Honda Simon Andrews who fell with two minutes remaining. But Walker and Andrews both clocked fast enough times for a chance to battle it out in Q2, but Andrews bike was not ready in time ending his chance of aiming for a front row.

ELIMINATED

Ian Hutchinson

Mitchell Carr

Stuart Easton

Dan Linfoot

Jakub Smrz

Aaron Zanotti

Harry Hartley

Barry Burrell

James Hiller

Rhalf Lo Turco

Lee Costello

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