WFR Honda's Graeme Gowland has set the fastest time in today's opening British Superbike test session a Brands Hatch, leading team-mate Alex Lowes by less than a tenth of a second while the top 21 riders are covered by one second on the 1.2-mile Indy circuit.
Gowland went quickest on a 46.192 a with a couple of minutes in hand and then promptly crashed unhurt at Surtess while Lowes left it until his last lap to demote long-time leader Shane Byrne, on the PBM Kawasaki, to third. Tyco Suzuki's Jodh Brookes nabbed fourth with series favourite Michael Laverty putting his Samsung Honda in fifth.
Stuart Easton, who only came out on track half-way through the hour, nabbed sixth place ahead of the second Tyco-liveried bike of Alastair Seeley. The diminutive Irishman is only four-tenths off the pace with veteran Chris Walker's Primo Kawasaki behind him. Walker also had a off but walked away (see below).
James Westmoreland, on the third WFR bike, took ninth while Ian Lowry rounded out the top ten but less than half-a-second in arrears. Michael Rutter has cleared the custard pie from his vision and put the Bathams Kawasaki in 11th with Jon Kirkham 12th. Reigning champion Tommy Hill is suffering with fuelling issues and could only manage 13th with Tristan Palmer and Dan Linfoot completing the top 15.
