Qualifying three
Shane Byrne – 1’24.163
Josh Brookes – 1’24.707
Christian Iddon – 1’24.752
Be Wiser Ducati’s Shane Byrne smashed the lap record on his way to pole and set a new fastest-ever lap around Brands Hatch during the MCE British Superbike qualifying session.
The final qualifying of the year started off in dramatic fashion with Moto Rapido Ducati’s John Hopkins crashing at high speed at Paddock Hill Bend. The red flags came out as the American rider was taken to the medical centre on a stretcher.
JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam currently leads the series, but he had a small off whilst he was third quickest at Druids. He and his ZX-10RR looked OK and he made his way back to the garage. With Haslam out of contention for pole it paved the way for Anvil Hire TAG Yamaha’s Josh Brookes and Tyco BMW’s Christian Iddon to make it on to the front row.
Joining Haslam on row two is showdown rider, Honda’s Jason O’Halloran and his team-mate Dan Linfoot. But no other rider was able to lap the incredible 1’24.163 set by Byrne and he clinched P1 by going five tenths faster than his original outright lap record.
McAMS Yamaha’s James Ellison heads the third row, alongside title chaser, RAF Reserves Kawasaki’s Jake Dixon with Hopkins completing row three.
Qualifying two
Shane Byrne – 1’24.884
James Ellison – 1’24.886
John Hopkins - 1’25.005
Smiths BMW’s Peter Hickman was the only title fighter in the drop zone in Q2 and narrowly missed out on a chance to challenge for pole. If he was one tenth quicker he would have pushed Haslam out of contention in Q3.
But Haslam managed to cling on to his spot and went into the final qualifying session. Guintoli was also close to making it into Q3 but his last lap dash failed to pay off as he joined Hickman in the elimination zone.
Michael Laverty, Richard Copper, Tommy Bridewell, Bradley Ray, Luke Mossey, Jakub Smrz and Glenn Irwin also failed to progress in the session. The only rider to crash during the outing was young-gun Bradley Ray. He fell unhurt at Druids.
But once again it was Byrne who headed the sheets, with Ellison going quick once again to go P2 with Hopkins going third fastest in the second session.
Eliminated
Hickman
Guintoli
Laverty
Cooper
Bridewell
Ray
Mossey
Smrz
Irwin
Qualifying one
Shane Byrne – 1’24.934
Josh Brookes – 1’25.045
Peter Hickman - 1’25.191
Byrne set the pace in the opening qualifying session with a 1’24.934 followed by Brookes and Hickman who completed the provisional front row. It was a debut Superbike qualifying session for Kyle Ryde.
The former World Supersport star is on the FS-3 Racing bike and is standing in for the injured Billy McConnell. He has been improving on the Kawasaki but unfortunately could not make it into Q2.
Ryde is joined in the drop zone by Smiths BMW’s Lee Jackson, Martin Jessopp, veteran racer, Michael Rutter, James Westmoreland, Dean Harrison, Sean Winfield and Zanotti.
All the showdown racers made it into the second qualifying outing, and fortunately there were no major incidences out on the Kent track. One rider who is missing from proceedings this weekend was Bennetts Suzuki’s Taylor Mackenzie. He is recovering from injuries sustained from a crash at Assen.
Eliminated
Jackson
Jessopp
Rutter
Ryde
Westmoreland
Harrison
Winfield
Zanotti
