Qualifying three
Scott Redding –1’24.971
Josh Brookes –1’24.978
Jason O’Halloran –1’05.296
Scott Redding stole his very first Bennetts British Superbike pole position this afternoon while disaster struck for Tarran Mackenzie as he crashed out heavily.
Two laps into the final qualifying session after the Be Wiser Ducati rider had pipped team-mate Josh Brookes to the top spot by 0.007s, Mackenzie hit the deck hard and was stretchered off for medical checks.
At the start of Q3 it was Christian Iddon who narrowly avoided disaster at Stirlings with a big moment on his Tyco BMW before bad news followed for the McAMS Yamaha squad as Mackenzie lost the front at Clearways and marshals immediately threw red flags.
After the pint-sized Scotsman was taken to the medical centre and with just over four minutes remaining in the session, it was a frantic scramble for the top spots but after just one flying lap, Iddon, Redding and Brookes, who had all avoided the chequered flag, sat up – content with their previous times.
With just one flying lap needed to clock the fastest time, Redding secured pole ahead of Brookes and O’Halloran, while Bridewell will head up row two with Linfoot fifth and Iddon sixth.
Hickman, Ray and Mackenzie – the latter provisionally awaiting to pass fit – round out row three.
Qualifying two
Josh Brookes – 1’25.105
Tarran Mackenzie – 1’25.296
Jason O’Halloran – 1’25.319
Brookes was straight on the pace with a 1’25.105 to lead the order over O’Halloran and Linfoot, who were no more than three tenths behind.
Mackenzie moved up into second just 0.025s adrift of his team-mate, just as Buchan blasted into Q3 contention as he took over eighth ahead of Farmer.
While Ray laid down a late flyer to nudge Farmer out and into 10th as the Suzuki man went seventh quickest, Hickman quickly deposed him of his spot as the TT ace knocked Ray back to eighth and Bridewell to ninth.
And despite crossing the line with a second to spare and laying down a last ditch attempt to move to Q3, Buchan missed out by just 0.048s.
David Allingham ended any chances of advancement as he crashed out on his EHA Racing Yamaha with just a minute to go.
Eliminated
Buchan
Mossey
Farmer
Andrew Irwin
Glenn Irwin
Stapleford
Elliott
Allingham
Ellison
Qualifying one
Josh Brookes – 1’25.442
Scott Redding – 1’25.471
Dan Linfoot – 1’25.562
Linfoot shot to the top of the times with his first flyer, leading Iddon, Brookes and O’Halloran, but it was bad luck early on for Joe Francis who dumped his Lloyd & Jones BMW on the Cooper Straight and looked to put an end to his session.
Redding powered to the top of the times with a 1’25.471 on his third lap, nudging Linfoot back to second as Brookes slotted into third.
But moments later, Luke Stapleford joined the attrition queue at Westfield as he tipped off into the gravel. And it was trouble for the Buildbase Suzuki squad as Brad Ray was on the bubble in 18th with less than 10 minutes to go.
Brookes pipped his team-mate for the top spot by just 0.016s moments later before Bridewell and Mackenzie shot forward into the top eight.
Ray’s last-ditch effort came good as he powered up to eighth, while Ellison survived as he slotted into 17th to move through to Q2.
Eliminated
Fores
Corti
Barrier
Truelove
Barbera
Francis
Winfield
Coventry
Hipwell