Gearlink Kawasaki's Alastair Seeley snatched Motorpoint British Supersport pole position with the chequered flag out by posting the fastest ever middle-weight lap around the Cheshire circuit.
The session was red flagged after just ten minutes after cup leader Jake Dixon crashed out at the exit of the Brittens chicane. When the green flag was dropped and the riders allowed back on track, reigning champion Glen Richards set the fastest lap but he didn't hold on to pole position for long with Stuart Easton posting a lap time of 1'37.876. The Mar-Train Yamaha rider came within five hundredths of a second of Jack Kennedy's fastest lap.
Easton then set the fastest sector times in both one and two, seeming to be on cue for setting the fastest ever Supersport lap but remarkably the wee Scotsman pulled into pit lane, ruining what was due to be his fastest lap. Gearlink Kawasaki's Ben Wilson came within 0.007 of a second of taking pole but had to settle for second and it appeared to be Easton's third pole of the year.
However, championship leader Seeley came through with the chequered flag out to steal pole position, with his lap time of 1'37.725. The Northern Irishman finished 0.151 of a second ahead of Easton, who will be followed on the front row by Ben Wilson and Aussie Glen Richards.
Heading the second row is Samsung Honda's Jason O'Halloran, with Billy McConnell behind him in sixth. Appleyard Macadam's Graeme Gowland will have to settle for seventh after crashing out at Shell hairpin whilst on a lap time that appeared to be good enough for pole. Richard Cooper will start this afternoon's sprint race from eighth, just 0.8 of a second adrift of the pace setter, Seeley.
Oxford TAG Triumph's Scott Smart heads the third row ahead of Tyco Suzuki's Taylor Mackenzie, Appleyard Macadam's Deane Brown and Mar-Train Yamaha's Glenn Irwin.