Yakhnich Yamaha’s Sam Lowes will start the last World Superbike race of the year on pole, after a super fast last lap dash clinched his position on the number one spot on the grid, with a 1’43.118.

Lowes looked a sure bet to take an easy pole position, but that was not the case as with two minutes to go ParkinGO MV rider Roberto Rolfo snatched pole from the newly crowned champion, and it remained that way till the chequered flag appeared and Lowes rained on his parade and took pole.

MAHI Racing’s Kenan Sofuoglu claimed the final spot on the front row with a 1’43.611. Lowes’ Russian team-mate Vladimir Leonov was setting similar lap times to that of his English colleague, and was at the sharp end for the majority of the session. But in the end he slipped to fourth, and heads up row two alongside Pata Honda’s Michael van Der Mark.

PTR Honda’s Danny Webb just missed out on a top ten grid position, and was unable to out-pace Sheridan Morais. The young Brit will start from eleventh, and shares row four with MAHI Racing’s Fabien Foret.

DMC-Lorenzini’s Kev Coghlan and Rivamoto rider Jack Kennedy will start from 19th and 20th respectively, with PTR Honda’s Lee Johnston and SMS Racing’s Fraser Rogers filling the 23rd and 29th grid positions. The session was red flagged after a crash involving Pata Honda’s Lorenzo Zanetti, but the rider was unhurt.