Guy Martin has taken pole position for Saturday’s Superbike races at the Ulster Grand Prix with the Tyco BMW rider’s final lap of 132.235mph edging out Kiwi Bruce Anstey by just over two tenths of a second. Ian Hutchinson completes the front row just a further two tenths of a second behind.
It was Martin who was quickest on the first flying lap with a speed of 131.011mph and that gave him a slender 0.3s advantage over Lee Johnston with Ian Hutchinson and Anstey also over the 130mph mark.
Next time around, the top three was as you were but Dean Harrison moved up to fourth although the red flags were out soon after due to an incident at the Flowbog Crossroads.
The session resumed after a delay and it was Anstey who made the first moves, indeed he was the first rider to break the 132mph barrier on the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda.
Martin responded with a lap of 131.974mph but Peter Hickman, in just his second year of racing at Dundrod, made everyone sit up and take note as he moved to third only slightly slower at 131.938. Hutchinson was only a fraction behind and on the next lap he took over third with a lap of 131.969mph.
Anstey failed to go any quicker in the closing stages but with the chequered flag out, martin flashed over the line and his lap of 132.235mph gave him pole by 0.269s.
Hutchinson held onto third with the second row comprising Hickman, Johnston and William Dunlop. All six were over 131mph and were separated by 1.4s.
Michael Dunlop’s last lap allowed him to take seventh and the top ten will be completed by Harrison, Keith Amor and Dan Kneen. The top ten were all over 130mph with Conor Cummins and Ivan Lintin just missing out in 11th and 12th.
