Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty had his best MCE British Superbike qualifying result of the year at Oulton Park and will start race one from the third row, after his team changed the electronic throttle on his S1000RR this afternoon.
Laverty has had some issues with the BMW and his crew have been working hard to find a solution to his problems. The Wales-based rider is confident that his team have overcome any issues, and that the electronic throttle was the root of many problems. Now he can fight and challenge for some solid points in the double header on Monday.
“It is funny as in the wet session we tried something with the throttle and we didn’t get to try it in the dry till now. I am really happy that we got to the bottom of the problem and it's weird that its all boiled down to the electronic throttle - before everything was happening a few milliseconds after it was meant to and now it doesn't. It was good and we are in the ball park and Oulton Park is a tough circuit for me,” said Laverty, speaking to bikesportnews.com at the track.
Laverty made it all the way to Q3 and was close to matching the race-pace of team-mate Tommy Bridewell and other title challengers, like JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison. Now he wants to get a good start and to begin winning podiums so he can edge ever closer to a potential Showdown spot.
Laverty said: “I was close to the pace of James Ellison and I am not that far off the race-pace of Tommy and hopefully in the races we can get some good points and get into the top six which is where we need to be, and after this round hopefully I can do a test before Snetterton.”
