Josh Brookes proved his fighting spirit during Saturday's British Superbike qualifying session at Donington Park, overcoming Friday's crash at Redgate to put his Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing GSX-R1000 Superbike on row two for today's opening race of round 10 of the hotly-contested Championship.

The Australian bettered his Q3 time in the final stint by almost a second to take eighth place.

Josh Brookes:

"People keep thinking this is a track I haven't been at too much, but it's my fourth season racing here and I've won a World Supersport race here. In the first practice I just couldn't put the bike in the places on the track that I needed to be. I could see the line I wanted but just couldn't seem to get on it. I've adjusted the way I've been riding a bit and that's been helping and we've tried a few things with the bike.

"Now we're seeing light at the end of the tunnel. We still need to take a good old solid step forward to make the lap times come a bit easier, but we've dug deep today. If it is dry tomorrow - which it's not meant to be - we need to find a bit more time but I know where that is and we shouldn't be too far away."

Philip Neill - Team Manager:

"When things go good it's easy to heap praise on a rider, but it was pleasing today to see Josh dig deep and make Q3 after struggling to find a set-up that he was really comfortable with. He never makes it easy for himself but he has come through today and the second-row is far from a disaster. It could all come down to the weather tomorrow and wet or dry we should be in the hunt.

BSB Qualifying:

1: Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) 1m:28.869s 2: Michael Laverty (Swan Yamaha) +0.389s 3: John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Suzuki) +0.780 4: Peter Hickman (Tyco Honda) +1.305s 5: Shane Byrne (HM Plant Honda) +1.504s 6: Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Suzuki) +1.519s 7: Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +1.570s 8: Josh Brookes (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +1.605s 9: Graeme Gowland (WFR Honda) +1.673s 10: James Ellison (Sorrymate.com Honda) +1.777s