Qualifying three
Shane Byrne - 1’25.331
Josh Brookes - 1’25.332
Michael Laverty - 1’25.716
PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne snatched pole from Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes by 0.001 seconds in the MCE British Superbike qualifying session at Brands Hatch this afternoon.
Both riders went two tenths of a second under lap record pace, with a 1’25.331 and 1’25.332 respectively. Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty was consistently on the pace to clinch his first front row of the season, and was able to cling on to complete the front row, ahead of Anvil Hire TAG Racing’s Richard Cooper - who missed out on a front row start by 0.1 seconds.
Joining Cooper on the second row is PBM Kawasaki’s Stuart Easton, and JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison. Row three is headed up by Milwaukee Yamaha’s Broc Parkes who is coming off the back of arm-pump surgery.
The former MotoGP rider is joined by triple-champ, Buildbase BMW’s Ryuichi Kiyonari and Moto Rapido Ducati’s substitute rider, John Hopkins. Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey will start on tenth in the opening race tomorrow.
Qualifying two
Josh Brookes - 1’25.665
Shane Byrne - 1’25.824
John Hopkins - 1’25.881
It was Brookes who took the spoils in Q2, ahead of rival Byrne by two tenths of a second, but the plaudits had to go to returning BSB rider, John Hopkins, who soared up to third fastest with an impressive 1’25.881, and was only four tenths off lap record pace.
Cooper was teetering on the edge of the drop zone, and could not emulate his top three time from the first session, but he was 0.03s quicker than Tyco BMW’s Tommy Bridewell and that was enough to pull the diminutive rider into Q3.
Bridewell will have to start on the fourth row for race one and will be joined alongside Honda Racing’s Jason O’Halloran. Bennetts Suzuki’s Christian Iddon pulled out all the stops to push his machine into the top ten, but to no avail and has to settle for thirteenth on the starting grid tomorrow.
JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Westmoreland, RAF Reserves BMW’s Peter Hickman, Buildbase BMW’s Lee Jackson, Team WD-40’s Jack Kennedy and Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Howie Mainwaring were all eliminated too.
Be Wiser Kawasaki team-mate’s Danny Buchan and Chris Walker both found themselves near the bottom of the timing-screens and failed to lap a time that entitled them to fight for a possible front row.
Eliminated
Bridewell
O’Halloran
Iddon
Westmoreland
Hickman
Jackson
Walker
Kennedy
Buchan
Mainwaring
Qualifying one
Shane Byrne - 1’26.064
Richard Cooper - 1’26.146
Josh Brookes - 1’26.154
Byrne set the pace in the opening qualifying session, followed by a stellar ride by Cooper, with Brookes bagging a provisional front row start, after lapping the third fastest time with a 1’26.154.
There were some big names who tried, but failed to set a time that was quick enough to go through to the second qualifying session. Most notably, Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot who tried in vain to put down a hot lap, and even a last lap dash was not fast enough to pull him out of Q1.
But he was not alone, and was joined in the drop zone by veteran racer, Michael Rutter, Smiths Racing’s Billy McConnell, Bennetts Suzuki’s Josh Waters and Anvil Hire TAG Racing’s Filip Backlund.
Team WD-40’s Taylor Mackenzie fell at Druids while outside the top twenty and unfortunately wasn’t able to get back on the bike to complete Q1. He was ultimately eliminated alongside Burns, Metcher and Costello.
Walker was close to not making it out of the opening qualifying outing, but on his final lap - just as the chequered flag appeared he crossed the line with a time that was quick enough to put him 20th fastest overall, bumping Riders Motorcycles BMW’s Martin Jessopp down to 21st and out of contention of fighting for a front row start.
Eliminated
Jessopp
Rutter
Linfoot
McConnell
Waters
Backlund
Mackenzie
Burns
Metcher
Costello
