Qualifying three
Josh Brookes 1’35.971
James Ellison 1’36.346
John Hopkins 1’36.463
Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes was the only rider to lap inside the 1’35’s during the MCE British Superbike qualifying session at Assen, and safely made his way to the number one spot on the grid for race one tomorrow.
The Bringelly rider is currently leading the series and a 1’35.971 was more than adequate to put his R1 on the front row. He is no stranger to this track as he was here a few weeks ago competing in the IDM Championship, and the recent experience showed as he went two seconds under lap record pace. Joining the Yamaha man is fellow Showdown rider, JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison.
The Cumbrian will start the opening race on Sunday in P2, after a respectable 1’36.346. Moto Rapido Ducati’s John Hopkins completed the front row, and missed out on second on the starting grid by one tenth.
PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne was nearly two seconds off the best time set by Brookes, and found himself on the second row, after a 1’37.005. The reigning champ is sandwiched between title fighter, Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty who heads up row two with young gun, Danny Buchan rounding the row off in sixth.
Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey crashed, unhurt at Mandeveen while inside the top six with three minutes on the clock. But at the flag he slipped back to the third row, and is joined by Showdown racer, Tyco BMW’s Tommy Bridewell - who will start from ninth.
Mossey was not the only rider to crash; Team WD-40’s Jack Kennedy who had such a strong start to this weekend, fell whilst on a hot lap at Duikersloot. The Dubliner was subsequently taken to the medical centre for further assessment, and remained in eighth.
Qualifying two
Josh Brookes 1’36.631
James Ellison 1’36.738
John Hopkins 1’36.900
In a repeat of the opening qualifying session it was Brookes who placed his R1 on the provisional pole spot with another quick lap - a 1’36.631. But Ellison was not far behind and only 0.1s separated the pair.
Bennetts Suzuki’s Christian Iddon crashed at Strubben with six minutes remaining, while in sixth. But the Stockport rider held on to P8 and was able to progress through to the last qualifying outing.
A last lap dash was not enough to pull Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot out of the drop zone, and he was the only rider in the Showdown who didn’t set a time that was fast enough to go through to Q3, and will start race one from fourteenth on the grid.
Linfoot’s fellow title fighter, Tommy Bridewell was teetering on the edge of the elimination spots and was pushed down to tenth, as Kennedy put down a stellar time to go P5 just as the chequered flag appeared, knocking Bridewell down the pecking order.
Other riders who failed to get through to the final qualifying session included; Cooper, Waters, Milwaukee Yamaha’s substitute rider, Jakub Smrz, Hickman, McConnell, Jackson and Jessopp.
Eliminated
Cooper
Waters
Smrz
Linfoot
Hickman
McConnell
Jackson
Jessopp
Qualifying one
Josh Brookes 1’36.930
James Ellison 1’37.232
Shane Byrne 1’37.303
Brookes started off the session with phenomenal pace and set the first time that was inside the 1’36 barrier, with a 1’36.930. Fellow Showdown riders, Ellison and Byrne completed the top three.
Buchan and Jackson were dangerously close to not going through to Q2, but managed to hold on to a spot in the top eighteen of the timing-screens. Gearlink Kawasaki’s Jed Metcher put in a gallant effort, but to no avail and couldn’t get out of the P19 position.
PBM Kawasaki’s Stuart Easton is still recovering from a broken leg that he sustained at Brands Hatch. He managed to string together a handful of laps but couldn’t pull himself out of the drop zone, and starts race
one from P25 on the grid.
But it looks unlikely that Easton will take part in the races tomorrow as he is still in quite a lot of pain with his injury.
The wee Scot was joined in the elimination spots by Tinmouth, Winfield, Backlund, Zanotti, Mackenzie, Mainwaring and Walker.
Eliminated
Metcher
Backlund
Walker
Mainwaring
Mackenzie
Zanotti
Easton
Winfield
Tinmouth
