WFR Honda's Alex Lowes claimed his third pole position of the season as the leading five British Superbike Title Fighters locked out the opening five positions on the grid ahead of tomorrow's penultimate round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship.
Josh Brookes topped the opening qualifying session ahead of Shane 'Shakey' Byrne, Lowes and Barry Burrell as again the second Tyco Suzuki of Alastair Seeley missed out on making it into the top 20 for Q2. Hill moved up the order in the final stages to fifth as the six Title Fighters swiftly moved through to Q2.
The second session was dramatic as in the closing stages Michael Laverty looked like he was going to miss the cut for Q3; the Samsung Honda rider was in the garage until the final half of the session making last minute adjustments. Laverty was eleventh when Q2 was red flagged with just over three minutes remaining as Danny Buchan suffered a technical problem and then Jakub Smrz crashed out at Stowe. Laverty was the first rider to leave pitlane as he had one lap to make the difference and he moved into sixth to secure his position in Q3. Hill had also dropped to eleventh in the final seconds but his last lap was enough to put him back in as Smrz was pushed outside the top ten.
Tommy Bridewell was the only Title Fighter not to make it through to the final stage; he starts twelfth on the grid for the opening race tomorrow for Supersonic BMW.
In Q3 Lowes went straight out and posted the fastest lap of the weekend for WFR Honda and his rivals couldn't displace him from the top as Hill moved second on the Swan Yamaha ahead of a resurgent Laverty whilst Brookes completed the front row. Byrne just missed out on the front row in fifth ahead of Chris Walker, James Westmoreland and Barry Burrell who completed row two. Peter Hickman was ninth and Danny Buchan was unable to return to the track in Q3 but will start tenth on the MSS Bathams Kawasaki.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Silverstone, qualifying result: 1.Alex Lowes (WFR Honda) 2m:05.662s2.Tommy Hill (Swan Yamaha) +0.825s3.Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda) +0.891s4.Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +1.040s5.Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +1.113s6.Chris Walker (Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki) +1.492s7.James Westmoreland (WFR Honda) +1.767s8.Barry Burrell (Buildbase BMW) +1.782s9.Peter Hickman (Buildbase BMW) +1.878s10.Danny Buchan (MSS Bathams Kawasaki)The next round of the MCE Insurance British Suprbike Championship takes place at Silverstone this weekend (28/29/30 September). For more information and to book visit www.silverstone.co.uk
