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Silverstone BSB: Lowes takes record-breaking pole

Qualifying three

Alex Lowes 2’05.724

Shane Byrne 2’06.278

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PJ Jacobsen 2’06.320

Samsung Honda’s Alex Lowes pulverised the rest of the pack after clocking a 2’05.724. The Derby lad set a new lap record in the final MCE British Superbikes qualifying session, and was only rider to lap inside the 2’05 bracket.

Lowes dominated every session this afternoon and was easily able to hold off the charge of Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne. The current champ had a crash in free practice this morning at Luffield, and it was touch and go as to whether the rider would make it out for qualifying. He just scraped into Q3 but was able to pull out a 2’06.278 lap to place him on the front row.

Tyco Suzuki’s PJ Jacobsen completes the front row after he got the better of team-mate Josh Brookes. The Australian was at the sharp end at the start of the activities but the diminutive American went four tenths of a second faster, and Brookes now heads up row two after a 2’06.770.

Buildbase BMW’s Jon Kirkham and GBmoto’s Peter Hickman had solid rides in qualifying three and join Brookes on row two. Rapido Sport Racing’s Matteo Baiocco heads up row three, and clinched his best start ever in the British Superbikes. The Italian shares the row with Milwaukee Yamaha’s Tommy Bridewell and title contender, Buildbase BMW’s James Westmoreland. Padgett’s rider Jakub Smrz rounds off the top ten.

Qualifying two

Alex Lowes 2’06.224

PJ Jacobsen 2’06.545

Josh Brookes 2’07.122

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Lowes once again topped the Q2 timesheets with his best lap of 2’06.224. But it must have felt like déjà-vu for the Tyco boys, as once again Jacobsen and Brookes ended the session second and third fastest respectively.

The leading trio where not the only riders who had something to smile about, Baiocco made it into qualifying three for the first time ever, after he clocked the fourth quickest time.

But it was a very close call for the hobbling Byrne. The injured reigning champ only went around the Silverstone track four times and was inside the top five quickest times, but towards the end slowly fell down the standings and made it into Q3 by the skin of his teeth, as he ended up tenth on the timesheets.

But there was an unexpected twist to the championship involving title contender Milwaukee Yamaha’s James Ellison. The rider was on course of putting in a super fast lap time, that would have placed him right up the sharp end, but the Cambrian crashed at Loop. Ellison failed to complete a single lap as he fell into the gravel on his first outing in Q2, and will start race one tomorrow from the sixth row.

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Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Noriyuki Haga, was forced down into the elimination zone after Hickman put in a lap that placed him seventh and pushed the Samurai of Slide down to eleventh. He was joined at the end in the drop zone by Bathams Michael Rutter, Quattro Plant’s Chris Walker and PR Racing’s Karl Harris.

It was not a good session for the Halsall Racing team, as both, Josh Waters and Lee Costello failed to make it out of the elimination places throughout the whole session.

ELIMINATED

Noriyuki Haga

Michael Rutter

Dan Linfoot

Chris Walker

Josh Waters

Karl Harris

Aaron Costello

James Ellison

Qualifying one

Alex Lowes 2’06.752

PJ Jacobsen 2’07.351

Josh Brookes 2’07.423

Lowes was the fastest rider in Q1 and dominated the session after setting continually fast lap times. The Derby lad stayed out on track longer than any other rider as he was testing a new setup on his bike, and whatever his crew did appeared to have worked as he set a 2’06.752.

It was the battle of the Tyco Suzuki team-mates as to who could out pace the other, but it was Jacobsen who had the slight edge over Brookes, going one tenth of a second quicker with a 2’07.351.

Byrne, who is suffering from a bruised hip, still managed to storm to the top of the timesheets with thirteen minutes remaining, and de-placed Ellison in the process with a 2’07.604. The current champ only needed two laps to safely put himself in to qualifying two, as he ended the session fourth quickest.

It was touch and go for Walker and Smrz who were dangerously close of not making it into Q2. Ryuichi Kiyonari’s replacement for this round, Freddy Foray was hovering around the danger zone in eighteenth for the majority of the session, but Halsall Racing’s Lee Costello put in a last lap dash which pushed him out of the drop zone and into eighteenth pushing Foray down the timesheets and out of contention for Q2.

Quelch Motorsports Jamie Poole, Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Barry Burrell and Tsingtao WKbikes Howie Mainwaring Smart never made it out of the drop zone. The trio were joined by Riders BMW’s Martin Jessopp, STEL Suzuki’s Aaron Zanotti and Bathams Honda wildcard rider, Danny De Boer who were also eliminated.

Two Wheel Racing’s Jenny Tinmouth crashed at Stowe Corner towards the end of the session, putting a premature end to her qualifying campaign. Motodex Spearmint Rhino’s Stefan Cappella suffered a technical issue and was swiftly shown the black and orange flag and quickly retired to the pits.

ELIMINATED

Freddy Foray

Danny De Boer

Barry Burrell

Aaron Zanotti

Martin Jessopp

Jenny Tinmouth

Howie Mainwaring Smart

Jamie Poole

Stefan Cappella

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