Qualifying three
Tarran Mackenzie – 53.549
Jason O’Halloran – 53.603
Scott Redding – 53.607
TARRAN Mackenzie laid down the fastest ever lap of the Silverstone National Circuit this afternoon as he scored his very first pole position for tomorrow’s first Bennetts British Superbike race.
McAMS Yamaha’s leading rider edged his team-mate Jason O’Halloran off the top spot after the Aussie had led most of practice this weekend.
Mackenzie needed just one flying lap to clock the quickest time of the weekend, and soon went even faster as he chopped another tenth off his best to chalk up a 53.549.
O’Halloran shot forward to second, but Scott Redding soon joined him in the 53.6s bracket to slot into third and four laps into the session the former MotoGP man was just 0.054s off pole.
But as the flag flew to bring the session to an end, no one could beat Mackenzie as he held on to start tomorrow’s opening race of 2019 in the best possible way.
OMG Racing Suzuki’s Josh Elliott and Luke Mossey lead the second row from Santander Salt TAG man Dan Linfoot.
Oxford Ducati’s Tommy Bridewell, Tyco BMW’s Christian Iddon and Buildbase Suzuki rider Luke Stapleford complete row three.
Qualifying two
Jason O’Halloran – 53.821
Tarran Mackenzie – 53.876
Dan Linfoot – 53.918
Linfoot led as the first man into the 53s bracket before Bridewell and Elliott joined him in the top three, but practice leader O’Halloran took over as he and team-mate Mackenzie made it a McAMS one-two.
Redding came out of the pits with a few laps remaining, but his fast lap was only enough to get onto the sweat line in ninth, but he made amends the very next time around as he moved comfortably up into the Q3 order with a 53.977 that put him fifth quickest in session.
Luke Stapleford squeezed through in eighth to lead the Buildbase Suzuki charge ahead of final Q3 contender Christian Iddon, while factory Honda boys Xavi Fores and Andrew Irwin had to settle for 10th and 11th as they exited qualifying.
Eliminated
Andrew Irwin
Fores
Corti
Vickers
Buchan
Glenn Irwin
Ray
Allingham
Qualifying one
Luke Mossey – 54.002
Scott Redding – 54.051
Tarran Mackenzie– 54.115
Drama ensued just a few laps into the start of Q1 as Josh Brookes’ Ducati V4 gave up the ghost and coughed smoke and oil, prompting red flags and the end of the Aussie’s qualifying effort.
Mossey hit the top of the timesheets with a 54.002s lap out of the gates, but Redding followed him up the order with a 54.051 on just his third lap, nudging Mackenzie and O’Halloran back to third and fourth.
Farmer jumped up into contention with just over five minutes to go as he moved into contention for Q2, nudging Ray out of the top-18.
Ray made amends moments later as he went 15th quickest to knock Xavi Fores out of contention, but EHA Racing’s David Allingham shocked with a fast lap that put him into the top 10 briefly before Ray knocked him back to 11th.
But factory Honda man Fores squeezed into Q2 just as the chequered flag flew, knocking Ben Currie out of the rest of the day’s action.
Eliminated
Currie
Farmer
Hickman
Barrier
Truelove
Francis
Winfield
Ellison
Harrison
Rogers
Hipwell
Hillier
Coventry
Cummins
