Tom Sykes upstaged the title chasers in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship as he clipped a third of a second off the Donington Park lap record to claim his first ever pole start in the elite series.
The Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda rider lapped the 2.5 mile Leicestershire grand prix circuit in 1m 30.901secs, an average speed of 99.00mph to head off the threat of local rider and four times series runner-up Chris Walker riding the Rizla Suzuki.
“I did a stint at the beginning of the session on a race tyre and I felt that was good enough for pole position so I was happy with that, and I know we’ve got a good race set up,” reflected the delighted 22 year old Huddersfield rider Sykes.
“I pulled my fastest lap out of the bag towards the end of the session and its all credit to the team who have done a brilliant job, although we haven’t really had to do much to the bike this weekend. I just want to get a good start in the races and hopefully convert the pole into a win.”
Leon Haslam who goes into the races knowing that nothing short of a double victory will suffice to keep his outside hopes of the title alive ran third fastest on the Airwaves Ducati, with a best lap of 1m 31.109secs, while reigning champion and series leader Ryuichi Kiyonari completed the front row.
The HM Plant Honda rider ran just 0.269secs down on Sykes, and is confident that he can build on his strong Donington pedigree and secure retention of the title here.
Kiyonari starts the races with a 41 points advantage over his team-mate Jonathan Rea, and can provide himself with a 25th birthday treat if he wins both races, to put the issue beyond the reach of the 20 year old Ballyclare rider who ran sixth fastest, a split second down on Cal Crutchlow.
Two former champions complete the second row line-up. Shane Byrne, lapping in 1m 31.559secs, was just ahead of Gregorio Lavilla who had lost time in the session with an excursion into the gravel at Redgate corner.
Karl Harris, riding Hydrex Honda, ran a quarter of a second up on tenth best Michael Rutter aboard the Isilon MSS Discover Kawasaki with Tommy Hill, Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha and Scott Smart, marginally faster than his Hawk Colchester Kawasaki team-mate James Haydon, completing the third row.
Tom Tunstall, running eighteenth overall, was the best of the British Superbike Cup qualifiers with a lap of 1m 33.866secs aboard his Hardinge Ice Valley Honda, but by only 0.007secs from THR Honda rider Tristan Palmer.
James Buckingham, battling to regain the lead in the Cup stakes, was third up aboard the Quay Garage Honda, ahead of Malcolm Ashley, Conor Cummins,Neil Faulkner and Paul Barron.
Qualifying
- Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 1m30.901s
- Chris Walker (Suzuki) 1m31.055s
- Leon Haslam (Ducati) 1m31.109s
- Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 1m31.185s
- Cal Crutchlow (Suzuki) 1m31.255s
- Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1m31.399s
- Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 1m31.559s
- Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 1m31.620s
- Karl Harris (Honda) 1m31.689s
- Michael Rutter (Kawasaki) 1m31.953s
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