Qualifying threeScott Redding –1’14.803
Tommy Bridewell –1’14.862
Peter Hickman –1’15.305
Scott Redding stamped his authority on another new track after stealing another Bennetts British Superbike pole position at Thruxton.
Be Wiser Ducati’s leading rider conquered a late dash amid intermittent weather in the final qualifying hampered the pace.
Just as the top nine headed out to begin the session, drops of rain were reported in all sectors of the Hampshire circuit.
But the conditions didn’t faze Christian Iddon or Tommy Bridewell as they clocked the first times of the final qualifying, though over four seconds off the pace of Q2.
Just as Andrew Irwin set a lap over two seconds faster than the leading duo to hit the top, Iddon hit straight back to go quickest before Glenn Irwin topped the timesheets.
Iddon went quickest again, beating Glenn with over 0.6s with just over six minutes to go, but Redding hit provisional pole moments later as Glenn and Andrew slotted into the front row spots.
Times continued to tumble as Hickman split Redding, who returned action into the 1’14 bracket, and Glenn to go second fastest. But seconds later, Andrew beat his brother off the front row to slot into third.
Home hero Bridewell blasted to the top just 0.027s clear of Redding, but the former Grand Prix rider hit back the very next lap to take P1 with less than two minutes to go.
But late efforts to dethrone Redding were in vain as he secured pole position with rain falling once again, leaving Oxford Ducati’s Bridewell and Smith’s BMW man Hickman.
Brookes, Honda Racing’s Andrew Irwin and Tyco BMW’s Glenn Irwin will start from row two.
RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki’s rookie Ryan Vickers, McAMS Yamaha’s Jason O’Halloran and the second Tyco of Christian Iddon complete row three.
Qualifying two
Andrew Irwin – 1’14.274
Josh Brookes – 1’14.564
Scott Redding – 1’14.609
Redding shot to the top of the order as he and Hickman continued to drop the quickest time of the weekend.
But Andrew Irwin destroyed them all with his hot lap of 1’14.274 as Brookes quickly slotted into second, 0.274s adrift of the leader and 0.45s clear of his team-mate in third.
Mossey moved further into the Q3 safety net, but Buchan was in the danger zone as he looked to improve on 10th place with less than five minutes to go.
With less than 30s remaining, Vickers blasted into the top nine as he went eighth fastest, knocking OMG Suzuki man Mossey and Santander Salt TAG Racing’s Linfoot out of Q3 contention.
Eliminated
Mossey
LInfoot
Buchan
Fores
Ray
Ellison
Stapleford
Kent
Corti
Qualifying one
Peter Hickman – 1’148.878
Dan Linfoot – 1’14.919
Andrew Irwin – 1’14.928
While Linfoot and Andrew Irwin were straight into the 1’14s, it was all over quickly for Joe Francis as he dropped his Lloyd and Jones BMW on his first flying lap.
Hickman pipped Linfoot on his opening lap with the quickest time of the weekend, a 1’14.878, moments before McAMS Yamaha’s Taz Mackenzie limped off the track after dumping his R1 big style at Seagrave and was soon carted off to the medical centre.
While Hickman opted to wait the session out after clocking just two laps, broken leg-stricken Iddon went fourth quickest.
Glenn Irwin blasted up into the top 10 with just over a minute to go, forcing the crash-hit Mackenzie out of the top 18 but putting Ellison and Fores on the bubble in 17th and 18th.
But the Smith’s and Honda men survived as the chequered flag waved.
Eliminated
Mackenzie
Truelove
Allingham
Elliott
Currie
Winfield
Barberá
Rogers
Coventry
Hipwell
Francis
