Jake Dixon steals the show with blistering Superpole time
Josh Brookes and Peter Hickman make it three marques on the front row
Championship leader Shane Byrne lines up fifth
Disappointment for home-grown riders and teams

A large crowd descended on Thruxton Circuit yesterday for a fast and furious day of MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship (BSB) action, with glorious sunshine providing perfect weather conditions for record-breaking feats. Smashing the lap record and topping the timesheets in the Datatag Qualifying session was 21-year-old Jake Dixon, who clinched pole position at Britain’s quickest circuit and his first in the BSB top flight.

The fastest riders in the country treated spectators to a phenomenal high-speed show as the modern-day motorcycling gladiators wrung the necks of their two-wheeled machines, providing a visual and acoustic feast at the former aerodrome – flying around the 2.35-mile Andover venue at average speeds in excess of 114mph.

Dixon showed early promise in Free Practice Two, but didn’t reveal his full hand until the last lap in the fight for pole. The Royal Air Force Regular & Reserve Kawasaki rider took a popular first Superbike pole position in front of the enthusiastic Thruxton faithful – and the man from Dover still believes there was more left in the tank.

“It was a good day for us and to take our first pole is amazing,” enthused a delighted Dixon. “With good times in free practice, I knew we could be up there and maybe do it and after Q2 I thought a sub 1m14s was achievable. I made a small mistake in the second sector on my final lap, but overall I am really happy with the pace we produced.

“There are two long races tomorrow and I just want to get my head down and do what we can. I think wins are possible, but I am after more podiums. Tyre management is important here and I have been working on looking after the rear tyre so we are in a good place.”

Behind the young gun was an enthralling fight for the remaining two spots on the front row. Experienced Australian Josh Brookes held the initial benchmark on the timesheets before the Dixon missile came to the fore.

“I thought I had done it,” said Brookes. “I thought it was the perfect lap and it was a lot of fun from inside the helmet, but well done to Jake – he fully deserved it today. Thruxton is really good fun to ride and I am looking forward to the races tomorrow as we have a good set-up for a race distance and I have to go for it.”

Rounding out the front row, just over fourth tenths behind the former BSB champion will be the versatile Peter Hickman. The Smiths Racing BMW rider is currently on a high after multiple podium finishes at the Isle of Man TT, and he duly delivered a silky smooth performance to net third place and make it three different marques on the front row.

“It’s really good to be back at the sharp end, especially here at Thruxton,” said a relieved Hickman. “It’s been a while since my last front row and it’s good for BMW and good for the team. We have struggled in the last few rounds, so I am looking to make amends tomorrow and bag some good results.”

Nestling themselves on the second row are the experienced line-up of Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW Motorrad) championship leader Shane Byrne (Be Wiser Ducati Racing Team) and Honda Racing star Dan Linfoot – all of whom will be hoping to pounce if the top three falter tomorrow.

Unfortunately, it was largely to be a disappointing day for the local teams. The Bournemouth-based JG Speedfit Kawasaki outfit was in the hunt for front row spoils after the opening free practice sessions, but first to falter was the team’s young prodigy, Luke Mossey.

In the final practice session, the 24-year-old touched the grass crossing the start/finish line, which caused him to lose control and crash. Mossey has suspected broken vertebrae and will miss the remainder of the weekend. Team-mate Leon Haslam was slightly more fortunate after the former World Superbike star parted with his bike at the Chicane on his flying Superpole lap. With no injury and the bike repairable, Haslam will fight back tomorrow from ninth on the grid.

Although from California, John Hopkins calls Portsmouth home and the Lloyds British Moto Rapido Ducati rider fared well in the action-packed qualifying session – putting himself on the third row in eighth place. Wiltshire rider Tommy Bridewell could not match his second place heroics of 12 months ago and will have to muscle his way through the pack aboard his Team WD-40 Kawasaki as he lines up in 16th place for tomorrow’s opening contest.

Beyond the flagship BSB action, the day was packed with captivating racing from an impressive supporting cast. Dickies British Supersport, Pirelli National Superstock 1000 and 600 in association with Black Horse, HEL Performance British Motostar, Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup and the ever-enthralling Hyundai Heavy Industries British Sidecars in association with Molson provided day-long high-speed entertainment for avid supporters.

There is another day of racing action to look forward to tomorrow (Sunday, 6 August), with tickets still available on the gate priced at £33. Grandstand seats and race day paddock passes are extra. Accompanied children aged 15 and under will be admitted free of charge.

At 09:30 this morning, race-goers will have the chance to collect those all-important autographs and snap a selfie with their favourite riders. In addition, visitors will never miss a moment of the high-octane thrills as the big screens at Allard, the Complex and the Chicane will enable spectators to keep tabs on the entire lap.