Shane Byrne, already assured of the Bennetts British Superbike crown, powered in his fifth pole start of the campaign ahead of the final round at Brands Hatch, heading off the challenge of Leon Haslam, in a dramatic high-speed shoot-out for supremacy.
Riding the Airwaves Ducati, Byrne, who is graduating onto the world stage next season, put in a series of consistently fast laps, the best of which came in 45.799secs to give him top spot on the leaderboard for the first time since June.
“That’s been long overdue, though not as long overdue as a win,” said Byrne with a smile – he had won eight time in the first half of the season but arrived at the circuit where his career began bidding to end an eleven race drought without a taste of the winner’s champagne.
Byrne had been strong throughout the three stages of the Swan Combi 50 Roll for Pole but saved the best for last: "I tried so hard, putting in several fast laps on the bounce to try and improve and then I found out I had done a 45.7 second lap time and I thought 'great'.
“This round is important to us, it is my last British race for a while and this is my home circuit and crowd so I really want to put on a good show for them and for my team who are long to the circuit also.”
Haslam rode through the pain of a shoulder injury to put his HM Plant Honda alongside Byrne at the head of the grid. He had high-sided heavily in the opening minutes of the session but bounced back strongly to maintain his bid for the runner-up spot in the title stakes.
He has an 18 points advantage over Tom Sykes in that duel, with the Rizla Suzuki rider running fourth, with a lap of 46.201secs, marginally slower that Cal Crutchlow.
James Ellison, riding the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda, headed up the second row ahead of Leon Camier, Michael Laverty and Michael Rutter, the North West 200 Ducati rider who clocks up a remarkable 300 race starts here.
John Kirkham, deputising at short notice for Karl Harris aboard the Rob Mac Racing Yamaha, ran ninth fastest with a lap in 46.560secs ahead of Simon Andrews, Billy McConnell and Atsushi Watanabe.
John Laverty, already the winner of the Daily Star Cup, set the pace in that class, with a lap in 46.853secs aboard the Buildbase NW200 Ducati, to be ahead of Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda and MAR Kawasaki rider Shannon Etheridge.
Superbikes on Track
Sunday 12 October
10.15-10.30 warm-up practice
11.30-12.30 BSB Riders Meet and Greet Autograph Session at THINK! stand
14.00 Race one – 30 laps
16.45 Race two – 30 laps
17.15 Championship Presentation, Champions Photoshoot, Farewell to Fans Pit Walk
British Superbikes – Brands Hatch Combined Qualifying
Pos – Rider – Bike – Team – 1st Quali – 2nd Quali – 3rd Quali
1 - Shane Byrne - Ducati - Airwaves Ducati - 46.512 - 46.081 - 45.799
2 - Leon Haslam - Honda - HM Plant Honda - 46.341 - 46.485 - 46.096
3 - Cal Crutchlow - Honda - HM Plant Honda - 46.256 - 46.493 - 46.118
4 - Tom Sykes - Suzuki - Rizla Suzuki - 46.616 - 46.508 - 46.201
5 - James Ellison - Honda - Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 46.571 - 46.525 - 46.255
6 - Leon Camier - Ducati - Airwaves Ducati - 46.457 - 46.408 - 46.303
7 - Michael Laverty - Suzuki - Relentless Suzuki by TAS - 46.995 - 46.562 - 46.513
8 - Michael Rutter - Ducati - North West 200 Ducati - 46.582 - 46.445 - 46.518
9 - John Kirkham - Yamaha - Team Yamaha - 46.889 - 46.603 - 46.560
10 - Simon Andrews - Yamaha - Jentin Racing / Lloyds British - 46.952 - 46.602 - 46.579
11 - Billy Mcconnell - Kawasaki - MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 46.996 - 46.682
12 - Atsushi Watanabe - Suzuki - Rizla Suzuki - 47.011 - 46.842
13 - John Laverty - Ducati - Buildbase NW200 Ducati - 47.028 - 46.853
14 - Tristan Palmer - Honda - Tena for Men Honda - 47.132 - 46.857
15 - David Johnson - Honda - Team MAXXIS - 47.027 - 46.936
16 - Gary Mason - Honda - Quay Garage - 47.192 - 46.951
17 - Stuart Easton - Kawasaki - MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 47.058 - 46.979
18 - Guy Martin - Honda - Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 47.311 - 47.082
19 - Shannon Etheridge - Kawasaki - MAR Adept - 47.207 - 47.100
20 - Scott Smart - Kawasaki - Hawk Racing - 47.249 - 47.197
21 - Jason O'halloran - Honda - SMT Honda - 47.346
22 - Peter Hickman - Honda - Red Viper Racing - 47.383
23 - Francis Williamson - Ducati - Moto Rapido Racing - 47.647
24 - Victor Cox - Yamaha -STP Superbike - 47.654
25 - Chris Burns - MV Agusta - STP Superbike - 47.693
26 - Leon Morris - Ducati - Brookspeed - 47.781
27 - Tom Tunstall - Honda - Hardinge - Ice Valley Motorsport - 47.786
28 - Malcolm Ashley - Kawasaki - MAR Adept - 48.059
29 - Martin Jessopp - Honda - Riders Racing - 48.512
Source:
http://www.superbike-news.co.uk
Riding the Airwaves Ducati, Byrne, who is graduating onto the world stage next season, put in a series of consistently fast laps, the best of which came in 45.799secs to give him top spot on the leaderboard for the first time since June.
“That’s been long overdue, though not as long overdue as a win,” said Byrne with a smile – he had won eight time in the first half of the season but arrived at the circuit where his career began bidding to end an eleven race drought without a taste of the winner’s champagne.
Byrne had been strong throughout the three stages of the Swan Combi 50 Roll for Pole but saved the best for last: "I tried so hard, putting in several fast laps on the bounce to try and improve and then I found out I had done a 45.7 second lap time and I thought 'great'.
“This round is important to us, it is my last British race for a while and this is my home circuit and crowd so I really want to put on a good show for them and for my team who are long to the circuit also.”
Haslam rode through the pain of a shoulder injury to put his HM Plant Honda alongside Byrne at the head of the grid. He had high-sided heavily in the opening minutes of the session but bounced back strongly to maintain his bid for the runner-up spot in the title stakes.
He has an 18 points advantage over Tom Sykes in that duel, with the Rizla Suzuki rider running fourth, with a lap of 46.201secs, marginally slower that Cal Crutchlow.
James Ellison, riding the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda, headed up the second row ahead of Leon Camier, Michael Laverty and Michael Rutter, the North West 200 Ducati rider who clocks up a remarkable 300 race starts here.
John Kirkham, deputising at short notice for Karl Harris aboard the Rob Mac Racing Yamaha, ran ninth fastest with a lap in 46.560secs ahead of Simon Andrews, Billy McConnell and Atsushi Watanabe.
John Laverty, already the winner of the Daily Star Cup, set the pace in that class, with a lap in 46.853secs aboard the Buildbase NW200 Ducati, to be ahead of Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda and MAR Kawasaki rider Shannon Etheridge.
Superbikes on Track
Sunday 12 October
10.15-10.30 warm-up practice
11.30-12.30 BSB Riders Meet and Greet Autograph Session at THINK! stand
14.00 Race one – 30 laps
16.45 Race two – 30 laps
17.15 Championship Presentation, Champions Photoshoot, Farewell to Fans Pit Walk
British Superbikes – Brands Hatch Combined Qualifying
Pos – Rider – Bike – Team – 1st Quali – 2nd Quali – 3rd Quali
1 - Shane Byrne - Ducati - Airwaves Ducati - 46.512 - 46.081 - 45.799
2 - Leon Haslam - Honda - HM Plant Honda - 46.341 - 46.485 - 46.096
3 - Cal Crutchlow - Honda - HM Plant Honda - 46.256 - 46.493 - 46.118
4 - Tom Sykes - Suzuki - Rizla Suzuki - 46.616 - 46.508 - 46.201
5 - James Ellison - Honda - Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 46.571 - 46.525 - 46.255
6 - Leon Camier - Ducati - Airwaves Ducati - 46.457 - 46.408 - 46.303
7 - Michael Laverty - Suzuki - Relentless Suzuki by TAS - 46.995 - 46.562 - 46.513
8 - Michael Rutter - Ducati - North West 200 Ducati - 46.582 - 46.445 - 46.518
9 - John Kirkham - Yamaha - Team Yamaha - 46.889 - 46.603 - 46.560
10 - Simon Andrews - Yamaha - Jentin Racing / Lloyds British - 46.952 - 46.602 - 46.579
11 - Billy Mcconnell - Kawasaki - MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 46.996 - 46.682
12 - Atsushi Watanabe - Suzuki - Rizla Suzuki - 47.011 - 46.842
13 - John Laverty - Ducati - Buildbase NW200 Ducati - 47.028 - 46.853
14 - Tristan Palmer - Honda - Tena for Men Honda - 47.132 - 46.857
15 - David Johnson - Honda - Team MAXXIS - 47.027 - 46.936
16 - Gary Mason - Honda - Quay Garage - 47.192 - 46.951
17 - Stuart Easton - Kawasaki - MSS Discovery Kawasaki - 47.058 - 46.979
18 - Guy Martin - Honda - Hydrex Bike Animal Honda - 47.311 - 47.082
19 - Shannon Etheridge - Kawasaki - MAR Adept - 47.207 - 47.100
20 - Scott Smart - Kawasaki - Hawk Racing - 47.249 - 47.197
21 - Jason O'halloran - Honda - SMT Honda - 47.346
22 - Peter Hickman - Honda - Red Viper Racing - 47.383
23 - Francis Williamson - Ducati - Moto Rapido Racing - 47.647
24 - Victor Cox - Yamaha -STP Superbike - 47.654
25 - Chris Burns - MV Agusta - STP Superbike - 47.693
26 - Leon Morris - Ducati - Brookspeed - 47.781
27 - Tom Tunstall - Honda - Hardinge - Ice Valley Motorsport - 47.786
28 - Malcolm Ashley - Kawasaki - MAR Adept - 48.059
29 - Martin Jessopp - Honda - Riders Racing - 48.512
Source:
http://www.superbike-news.co.uk