Be Wiser Ducati’s Shane Byrne clinched pole position after a well-timed fast lap, during the final MCE British Superbike qualifying session. On lap two the reigning champ clocked a 1’34.016 just before the rain started to fall on the Oulton Park circuit.
When the weather changed for the worse Byrne had already done a time that was only 0.1s off his outright lap record, and looked secure to bag his first pole position start of the season.
No other rider during the eight minute Q3 outing was able to better the time set by Byrne on the Ducati, and for the current title holder the Panigale is just getting ‘better and better’ - and that was true to see out on the track today.
“I feel really happy. We have been chipping away with the bike and the little bits of effort effect the bike in different ways and we have been modification the thing throughout qualifying and the bike got better and better,” said Byrne at the track.
“So many riders look for us three, it’s like we have got a target on our backs - it drives you crackers. We do a lap on our own no problem but when you got someone who that deliberately waits up in the middle of the track waiting for you it drives you crazy and I had that in Q2. My Q2 lap was not great at all, when you over ride the Ducati it really pushes you.
“I tried to get out in Q3, as we all knew the rain was coming but when I went out Christian Iddon was just in front of me and I thought I cant get so angry at a rider from Q2 and then follow around another rider in Q3, so I gave him a bit of a gap and I then had the track to myself and when I started my lap it started to spit with rain - and I kind of committed and spots of rain started to fall on my visor and your heart is telling you to go and your head is saying not yet - either way it was a half decent lap and enough for pole position.”
