PR Racing’s Keith Farmer left it till the last five minutes of the final MCE British Superbike free practice session at the Brands Hatch Indy circuit to top the timesheets in wet conditions.
The Clogher lad clocked a 52.610, and was able to out-pace Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes and Buildbase BMW’s Ryuichi Kiyonari who completed the top three. Brookes and Farmer were the only riders to lap inside the 52 second bracket with the Aussie rider going three tenths of a second slower than the Kawasaki of Farmer.
Initially it was Kiyo who was the first rider to top the timing screens, but that was only to last a few seconds as Smrz clocked a 54.274 to go fastest. But Byrne was not going to be fazed by the wet surface and went one-five hundredths of a second quicker with just over 30 minutes remaining.
Over halfway through the session Halsall Racing’s Lee Costello was not put off by a few drops of rain and was the first rider to lap inside the 53s bracket to out-pace Byrne after a 53.853. The former champ was trying to push hard – but slipped off the track at Clarke Curve and fortunately was declared OK at the track side.
Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes along with team-mate Tommy Bridewell left it till there was twenty minutes left to make another impact in the top five, with Brookes going quickest with a 53.537, with Bridewell going fourth.
After 35 minutes Ellison was not going to be out done by the rest of the pack and went second quickest, only for Kiyo to do one better to top the timing screens with a 53.323, knocking Brookes down to second, and Ellison to third. But the Kendal rider lost some race pace and ended the morning eleventh quickest, just behind Quattro Plant’s Dan Linfoot and Bathams BMW’s Michael Rutter.
Kiyo’s youngster team-mate James Westmoreland wasn’t prepared to let the triple champ take all the glory and went second quickest, but PR Racing’s Keith Farmer, from out of no where soared to the top of the timesheets with the fastest time of the morning a 52.610 with five minutes remaining and that is where he stayed, followed by Smrz and Costello who in the end completed the top five.
Tsingtao WK’s Jon Kirkham succumbed to the slippery conditions and fell at Clark Curve but was uninjured. Minutes later Anvil Hire TAG Racing’s Mitchell Carr crashed at Clearways, unhurt. Westmoreland left it till the chequered flag came out for his crash. He fell at Coopers Straight and was taken to the medical centre to be assessed.
