Qualifying three
Josh Brookes 2’03.984
John Hopkins 2’04.281
Christian Iddon 2’04.530
Milwaukee Yamaha’s Josh Brookes set the fastest ever Superbike lap at Silverstone during the MCE British Superbike qualifying session this afternoon. The Bringelly rider pulled the pin and pulverised the rest of his Showdown rivals with a phenomenal 2’03.984.
But Brookes was the only title fighter on the front row, as PBM Kawasaki’s Shane Byrne appeared to struggle in Q3 and will start race-one in tenth on the grid. He heads up row four after a 2’05.215, over one second off the pace of the Australian.
Moto Rapido Ducati’s John Hopkins and Bennetts Suzuki’s Christian Iddon mixed it up inside the top ten and the Showdown spoilers bagged P2 and P3 respectively, with times both well inside the 2’04’s.
Showdown racer, JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison starts row-two, and is joined by Quattro Plant Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey and Milwaukee Yamaha’s Jakub Smrz.
Fellow title challengers Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty and Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot round off row three, with RAF Reserves Peter Hickman getting the better of both riders to start seventh tomorrow.
Qualifying two
Josh Brookes 2’04.360
Shane Byrne 2’04.720
John Hopkins 2’04.986
Brookes was on fire and after only two rotations lapped a 2’04.360 to go straight to the top of the sheets. Byrne also put down a hot lap with a 2’04.720 to go on to the provisional front row, alongside American rider John Hopkins.
JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s newest recruit, Motorpoint British Supersport regular Luke Stapleford didn’t clock a time that placed his ZX-10 into Q3 and will start race-one in P20. It was not the strongest of sessions for the Buildbase BMW team as all three riders did not make it through to the final qualifying outing.
One of the biggest shocks of the session was that Showdown rider, Tyco BMW’s Tommy Bridewell was pushed out of the top ten after Hickman went from eleventh to seventh at the flag. The Devizes Swearbox was not the only one in the drop zone. At the end of Q2, PBM Kawasaki’s substitute rider Danny Buchan could only make it to P12, alongside McConnell, Waters, Jessopp and Mainwaring.
Eliminated
Bridewell
Buchan
McConnell
Cooper
Waters
Jackson
Kiyonari
Jessopp
Mainwaring
Stapleford
Qualifying one
Josh Brookes 2’04.986
Jakub Smrz 2’05.612
Luke Mossey 2’05.706
Brookes set the pace in the opening qualifying session and almost immediately went into the 2’04 bracket after only three laps, with his team-mate Jakub Smrz making it a Milwaukee Yamaha one-two.
Showdown rider Byrne completed the top three, with youngster Mossey rounding up the top four.
Honda Racing’s Julien Da Costa, who’s deputising for the injured Jason O’Halloran failed to make it out of the drop zone and narrowly missed out on progressing through to the second qualifying session.
The World Endurance rider was not the only one who couldn’t make it through to challenge for a possible pole position; his garage buddy Jenny Tinmouth, Backlund, Mackenzie, Zanotti, Winfield, Lo Turco and Metcher were also outside the top twenty.
McConnell made it through to Q2 by the skin of his teeth, to place his Smith Racing bike in P20 in the opening qualifying session, but Harms fell into the elimination spots and out of contention for a front row start.
Team WD-40’s Jack Kennedy did not take part in the session as he broke his metatarsal in his left foot in free practice two yesterday.
Eliminated
Harms
Da Costa
Backlund
Mackenzie
Zanotti
Winfield
Ingram
Tinmouth
Lo Turco
Metcher
