Superpole
Shane Byrne 1’14.315
Tommy Bridewell 1’14.590
Dan Linfoot 1’14.594
Be Wiser Ducati’s Shane Byrne did just enough to claim top spot in today’s MCE British Superbike final qualifying session despite finding a false neutral between fourth and fifth early in his single lap to finish a little under three-tenths faster than Tommy Bridewell.
Byrne blasted to a new outright lap record in the second session but was a little slower in Superpole while Bridewell ‘hung his nuts out’ on his lap - the first time in Superpole and his first time using the SC0 Pirelli this weekend to claim second place.
Honda’s Dan Linfoot bagged the final front row spot after finishing just 0.004s behind Bridewell. Luke Mossey ended in fourth place, just ahead of Michael Laverty, Lee Jackson, Billy McConnell, Alastair Seeley and Jake Dixon.
Qualifying two
Shane Byrne 1’13.843
Dan Linfoot 1’14.457
Tommy Bridewell 1’14.462
Byrne absolutely blitzed the field and the outright lap record he set yesterday with a 1’13.843 - a second faster than the race lap record held by reigning champion Josh Brookes - as he shot to the top of the sheets to depose Linfoot.
The Honda man set his fastest time of the weekend so far and was also well inside the lap record with his 1’14.457, just ahead of local boy Tommy Bridewell on the Bennetts Suzuki while McConnell got himself into contention with a 1’14.574 to set fourth.
Laverty only just squeezed into Superpole, taking ninth place but it was more disappintment for JG Speedfit as netiher Leon Haslam not Peter Hickman made it through, the big Lincolnshire man missing out by just 0.007s.
Honda’s Jason O’Halloran also didn’t make it through after trying to avoid giving people a tow and missed out by two tenths of a second with his final lap. Martin Jessopp set a quick opening lap but then crashed and couldn’t improve.
Eliminated
Peter Hickman
Jason O’Halloran
James Rispoli
Jakub Smrz
Christian Iddon
Leon Haslam
Ryuichi Kiyonari
Richard Cooper
Martin Jessopp
Qualifying one
Shane Byrne 1’14.574
Luke Mossey 1’14.944
Dan Linfoot 1’15.005
Byrne almost cruised through the opening qualifying session, using one flying lap of 1’14.574 to secure his place in the second session while Mossey adopted the same tactics to sit in second. Linfoot put in some extra circuits, seven in all, to do some more setup tweaks. The Yorkshire drinking straw currently has the award for most spectactular rider, crossing the line facing sideways more often than not.
It was disaster for James Ellison and the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team who missed out on Q2 by some margin while team-mate Haslam was on the bubble and struggling to keep any kind of grip longevity with the SC0 tyre on top of finding any kind of lap time and he finished 17th.
Dixon just squeezed through with his final lap to take 18th place while Luke Stapleford couldn’t quite find enough pace for Q2. Glenn Irwin crashed his Be Wiser Ducati at Campbell early doors but was unhurt.
Eliminated
Filip Backlund
Stuart Easton
Jack Kennedy
Danny Buchan
James Ellison
Glenn Irwin
Luke Stapleford
Jenny Tinmouth
Shaun Winfield
Aaron Zanotti
Josh Wainwright
Josh Hook
