Smiths BMW’s Peter Hickman, who went from hospital to rostrum at Thruxton BSB on Sunday, opened his 2018 Ulster GP account with the fastest time in Wednesday Superstock qualifying.
In a session that was run concurrently with the Superbikes - and red-flagged after a crash between Derek McGee and Seamus Elliott - Hickman topped the Stock times after only four laps with a 3’23.167.
He was 2.4s ahead of Dean Harrison’s Silicone Racing Kawasaki but the Yorkshireman had focused on his Superbike performance.
The unfortunate McGee was third quickest but will take no further part as he suffered broken bones in the crash. The increasingly-impressive Davey Todd took fourth place with a 3’27.096 with Conor Cummins putting the Padgetts Honda in fifth.
Lee Johnston was one place further back on the works Honda with Paul Jordan next along. Superstock supremo David Johnson, making his debut for Tyco BMW, was eighth with Adam McLean and Michael Sweeney completing the top ten.
Dan Cooper, Brian McCormack, David Jackson, Dominic Herbertson and Mark Goodings rounded out the top 15.
