Shane Byrne underlined his credentials for a determined bid to regain the Bennetts British Superbike crown as he powered his Airwaves Ducati onto pole start for the opening round at Brands Hatch.
The rider who began his racing career at the Kent circuit, taking a victory on that day, had been the dominant force throughout free practice and he carried that pace through to the grid deciding session, finally overcoming a determined challenge to his supremacy by HM Plant Honda rider Cal Crutchlow.
Byrne put in a best lap of 1m 25.832secs, 96.50mph around the 2.3009 mile Grand Prix circuit midway through the session and was watching the rest play catch-up when with six minutes remaining a heavy rain shower effectively ended the ‘shoot-out’ for supremacy.
“The track was a bit cooler than before and I thought pole position would be difficult to achieve but I am well pleased to be up there,” said Byrne who was the champion back in 2003. “I’m pretty comfortable with that - it is a good starter and I would love a double win. That would be the best way to start the season and would be a dream start for the team. The bike and tyres are working well and we have been working hard so I am very happy."
Crutchlow closed within a third of a second, running just ahead of the Rob Mac Yamaha in the hands of Karl Harris while Leon Haslam had to be content with fourth best for his Honda, setting a best lap of 1m 26.552secs.
Tom Sykes, the “Rookie of the Year” last term, enjoyed better pace than in free practice, working through the pack, to qualify his Rizla Suzuki fifth fastest, missing out on a front row start by just a tenth of a second.
Joining the Huddersfield rider on the second row, and with little more than a tenth of a second between them are Leon Camier, still a little sore after a pre-season tumble that injured a shoulder, Simon Andrews and Michael Rutter.
Series newcomer, twice Japanese Superbike Champion, Atsushi Watanabe, heads the third row line up, with a lap of 1m 27.893secs from last year’s British Supersport title winner Michael Laverty who returns to the top flight with his Relentless Suzuki team.
MSS Discovery Kawasaki team-mates Billy McConnell and Stuart Easton are alongside them, with Steve Plater, shaken from a highside off his AIM Yamaha during the morning session, starting from the fourth row, where James Buckingham, the top qualifier in the Daily Star Cup, also lines up.
The Quay Garage Honda rider put in a best lap of 1m 28.921secs, running 0.026secs up on Buildbase NW200 Ducati rider John Laverty. Circuit specialist Steve Mercer was third fastest in the category for independent teams and riders, ahead of Tom Tunstall, Luke Quigley and Malcolm Ashley.
Top Ten qualifiers – Round One – Bennetts BSB: 1. Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) 1m 25.832secs, 96.50mph
2. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) +0.323s
3. Karl Harris (Rob Mac Racing Yamaha) +0.532s
4. Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) +0.720s
5. Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +0.809s
6. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) +1.001s
7. Simon Andrews (Jentin Racing/Lloyds British Yamaha) +1.094s
8. Michael Rutter (North West 200 Ducati) +1.142s
9. Atsushi Watanabe (Rizla Suzuki) +2.061s
10. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +2.105s
