Qualifying three

Shane Byrne 1’26.131

James Ellison 1’26.385

Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne will start the first MCE British Superbike race at his home circuit of Brands Hatch on pole, but he had the GBmoto Kawasaki duo of Chris Walker and James Ellison hot on his heels - and they were not giving up on the chase.

At the chequered flag it was Byrne who had the slight edge and went 0.06 seconds quicker than Walker, with his team-mate rounding up the front row, with a 1’26.385.

Walker was the first rider to set the pace, quickly followed by Byrne on a 1’26.131, with the home rider going faster than anyone else. At the flag Buildbase BMW's Ryuichi Kiyonari  and Millsport Ducati's Jakub Smrz were pushing each other round the track and looked like they were gunning for the pole position, as both rider’s were upping their pace in the first and second sectors. But they lost time in sector three, leaving the Czech Republic rider and the Japanese legend starting race one from the second row.

The pair will be joined by Milwaukee Yamaha’s Tommy Bridewell who starts fifth on the grid. Row three is headed by Tyco Suzuki’s John Hopkins and Anvil Hire Tag Racing’s Richard Cooper, with Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Dan Linfoot completing the top ten.

Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes was on course for a pole setting lap but ended up crashing for the second time today – but this time at Sheene Curve. The ride was unhurt but the bike didn’t come off so well. The Bringelly rider finds himself on the third row sandwiched between Hopkins and Cooper.

Qualifying two

Josh Brookes 126.669

Smrz was the first rider to get out of the pits to put down a 1’26.659 which was enough to head the timesheets. Linfoot was quietly making his attack on the top five, but put in an impressive 1’26,653 to head the timesheets for the first time in BSB.

The Englishman was only one-sixth thousandths of a second faster than the former World Superbike contender, with Brookes completing the provisional front row.

Byrne had to settle in eighth, and was close to going out of Q1. He was not the only rider who was teetering on the edge, Hopkins was only a tenth away from, going out of Q2, but managed to hang on to go through the final qualifying session.

Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Howie Mainwaring could not replicate his team-mates good form, and ended the morning 11th fastest, meaning he failed to make it out of the second qualifying session.

The tall haired racer was joined in the elimination zone by, Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki's Stuart Easton, Halsall Racing’s Jon Kirkham, RAF Reserves Honda’s Peter Hickman and Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Waters – all who failed to make it inside the top ten for the 12 minute outing.

Eliminated

Mainwaring

Easton

Kirkham

Hickman

Waters

Burrell

Rutter

Hutchinson

Jackson

Ingram

Qualifying one

Ryuichi Kiyonari 1’26.859

James Ellison 1’26.993

Kiyonari left it till the chequered flag came out to top the opening qualifying timesheets, edging ahead of Brookes and Ellison in the process. The triple-champ clocked a 1’26.859, only one-four hundredths of a second quicker than the Aussie.

The session was red flagged with 12 minutes remaining after Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes crashed at Westfield and the session was stopped as the bike was in a dangerous position out on track. But the Aussie was already the fastest rider out on track with a 1’26.897 – before he took a tumble, and all the bike sustained was a broken foot-peg. He ended Q1 second fastest but had already done enough to go through to the second qualifying outing.

Lee Jackson was getting a tow from his team-mate Kiyonari to try and get out of the drop zone – and it worked. The Japanese rider was able to help his much younger counterpart to go 12th on the sheets, with Kiyo going one better and topping the timing-screens at the flag, pushing Brookes to second.

Anvil Hire Tag Racing’s substitute rider, Gary Mason failed to get into Q2 on his first time back in the BSB championship for a while. The veteran rider was joined by Zanetti, Jessopp and Farmer.

Gearlink Kawasaki’s Ben Wilson tried to make it out of the top 20, but he couldn’t – but he was not alone, as Tinmouth and Lo Turco and Muff also failed to go any further in the qualifying session.

Eliminated

Zanotti

Lo Turco

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