Be Wiser Ducati’s Josh Brookes has taken pole position for this afternoon’s opening Bennetts British Superbike race at Brands Hatch but team-mate and title rival Scott Redding will have to start from the outside of row three.
Redding’s Panigale V4R ground to a halt on his outlap in qualifying three and there was not enough time for the former MotoGP rider to get it back to pitlane, so Redding will line up in ninth place for race one.
Brookes, meanwhile, didn’t have it all his own way as FS-3 Kawasaki’s Danny Buchan led the way for a majority of the third session.
The Essex boy set a 1’25.972 on his first flying lap and it looked like it would be enough but Brookes was having none of it and clocked a 1’25.860 with his final effort.
Tyco BMW’s Christian Iddon completes the third row with his 1’26.201 while Tommy Bridewell, who is the only rider aside from Brookes and Redding who can win the title, ended in fourth place.
Peter Hickman, on the Smiths BMW, finished just behind Bridewell with Jason O’Halloran on his McAMS Yamaha next along. It was such good news for team-mate Tarran Mackenzie who launched his R1 into the trees at Stirlings and he didn’t make it out of Q3.
OMG’s Mossey was the fastest of the Suzukis in seventh with the Buildbase version belonging to Brad Ray next along. Redding starts ninth with youngster Alex Olsen completing the top ten on his Smiths BMW.
Taylor Mackenzie was looking like a Q3 contender but Ray’s lap put him out of the action while James Ellison ended in 12th. Luke Stapleford, Ben Currie and Dan Linfoot rounded out the top 15.
