Stiggy Honda's Leon Haslam is on the provisional front row for Sunday's World Superbike double-header after setting the second fastest time in qualifying this afternoon, four-tenths slower than pole man Michel Fabrizio.
Sterilgarda Yamaha's Ben Spies finished third fastest, half a second off the Italian's pace while former British Superbike Champion Gregorio Lavilla rounds out the front row, just one tenth slower than the American.
The hour-long first qualifying session began wet with BMW's Ruben Xaus setting the inital pace and team-mate Troy Corser not far behind. As the track began to dry, the British riders began to make their mark, with Haslam, the Airwaves Yamaha pairing of Leon Camier and James Ellison, plus Sterilgarda Ducati's Shane Byrne and Ten Kate Honda's Jonathan Rea all fighting in the top four.
With 25 minutes gone, Althea Honda's Matthieu Lagrive went quickest on a 1'46.556 and MSS Colchester Kawasaki's Simon Andrews pulled himself from 16th to third.
Andrews hit the top of the timesheets on the half hour with a 1'45.621 lap but was quickly shuffled down the order as the solif dry line began to appear and the pace was upped.
Just after the half-hour, Guandalini Ducati's Jakub Smrz went a full four seconds quicker than Andrews, knocking the bar down to 1'41.148 and from then on, the times plummeted.
Haslam was back on top with 20 minutes left to run, setting a 1'34.872 and Rea was one tenth behind him in second. Xerox Ducati's Michel Fabrizio made his bid for the lead, lapping in 1'32.731 but was quickly usurped by Ten Kate Honda man Carlos Checa, who went a full second quicker.
Camier got his finger out with 13 minutes remaining, putting in a 1'31.692 but he was demoted to second by Spies only to go back to the top again with eight minutes left.
The final five minutes was a real bunfight with Spies and Fabrizion swapping times for the lead but Fabrizio's final lap was too much for the American who had to settle for third after Haslam put in a 1'31.191.
Byrne ended the session in fifth despite crashing on his last lap, Camier finished sixth, Tom Sykes 11th, James Ellison 12th, Rea 15th and Andrews in 26th.
