Qualifying three
Alex Lowes 1’48.106
Shane Byrne 1’48.493
Josh Brookes 1’49.072
Samsung Honda’s Alex Lowes stormed his way to pole position for the opening MCE British Superbike race at Snetterton tomorrow, and smashed his best lap record in the process, with an impressive 1’48.106 time, which firmly cemented his place at the top of the timesheets, and his third pole position on the year.
Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne could not improve on his 1’48.493 lap, but will start from second on the grid, but could not find the extra three tenths of a second to topple Lowes off pole.
Tyco Suzuki’s Josh Brookes could not find that extra pace to lap in the 1’49’s but does start from the front row after clocking the third fastest time. There will be two Samsung Honda machines on the front row, as the rejuvenated Ryuichi Kiyonari set a time fast enough to place him fourth.
Milwaukee Yamaha’s James Ellison was only two tenths of a second off a front row start and takes up the first position on the second row after lapping a 1’49.318, and he will be joined by Quattro Plant’s Chris Walker, Bathams Honda’s Tommy Bridewell and Padgett’s Jakub Smrz.
Both Buildbase BMW team-mates Jon Kirkham and James Westmoreland will start race one tomorrow from the third row of the grid. There was some drama in the Buildbase garage, as Kirkham experienced a technical problem at Bombhole at the end of Q2 and his team were in a race against time to get his bike ready and working in time, but they managed it and the tall Englishman was able to put in some consistent laps out on track to finish the session ninth fastest.
Qualifying two
Alex Lowes 1’48.419
Shane Byrne 1’48.859
James Ellison 1’49.225
Lowes again set the quickest time with a 1’48.419 lap, with BSB stalwarts Byrne and Ellison completing the top three fastest times in Q2.
Veteran racer Chris Walker was in danger of failing to get through to the final qualifying session as he only clocked times good enough to place him tenth fastest overall, with his best lap of 1’49.867. Tyco Suzuki’s PJ Jacobsen was only one tenths of a second too slow to overtake Walker in the timesheets and the New Yorker found himself in the drop zone, alongside Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Waters, and Rapido Sport’s Matteo Baiocco.
It was not a good session for the GBmoto team this afternoon as both riders failed to make it through to Q3. Dan Linfoot and Peter Hickman both tried last lap dashes but to no avail and were not able to clock times outside the 1’50’s and faced elimination alongside Halsall Racing’s Lee Costello and MH Kawasaki’s Howie Mainwaring Smart.
Doodson Motorsport’s Robbin Harms crashed during Q1 at Oggies while he was in fourteenth position, which meant he was able to progress into Q2. But his bike was too damaged and he failed to make it out of the pits during the session.
ELIMINATED
PJ Jacobsen
Josh Waters
Matteo Baiocco
Dan Linfoot
Peter Hickman
Lee Costello
Howie Mainwaring Smart
Robbin Harms
Qualifying one
Alex Lowes 1’49.337
Shane Byrne 1’49.363
James Ellison 1’49.680
With six minutes left to the session Lowes stormed to the top of the timesheets to place himself firmly into Q2, after setting a time that was only two hundredths of a second slower than his best lap record that he clocked only a few hours before.
Byrne was never too far behind and in the opening session had to settle for second fastest, with Ellison in third with a 1’49.680.
Rider’s Mainwaring Smart and Hickman were dangerously close to succumbing to the drop zone, and failing to progress into Q2, but it the last minutes of the session they were able to go faster than Bathams Honda’s Michael Rutter who narrowly missed out on making his way into the second qualifying session.
The veteran racer was eliminated alongside Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan.
Riders BMW’s Martin Jessopp, who is still recovering from a coccyx injury that he sustained at Knockhill, Two Wheel Racing’s Jenny Tinmouth and MH Kawasaki’s Michael Howarth, were never in contention of making it out of Q1 and never made it out of the drop zone throughout the whole session.
Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki's Keith Farmer still has not recovered from the injuires he sustained after crashing in free practice this morning and did not take part in the qualifying sessions.
ELIMINATED
Michael Rutter
Danny Buchan
Martin Jessopp
Jenny Tinmouth
Michael Howarth