Cal Crutchlow powered his HM Plant Honda to pole start for the seventh round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park and promised to convert his pace into a winning double to steel his chances of reeling in Shane Byrne in the title stakes.
The Coventry rider enjoys riding the Cheshire circuit, having taken pole in the earlier visit there back in May – then in the races he had mixed fortunes with a sixth place and then a tumble but this time around Crutchlow is determined to show what might have been.
“I’m looking forward to getting back out there in the races and am keen to make amends for what happened here earlier on – believe me, I will be giving it everything out there,” said Crutchlow after his success in the Swan Combi 50 Roll for Pole.
His pole setting lap came in 1m 36.298secs, an average speed of 100.63mph, and it might have been better. “I was baulked a bit on one lap and it was very windy out there, a bit dodgy in places, so it might have been faster, but it is good to be back on top. Now I hope to turn this into two race wins – I’ve got to go for it here, it’s my favourite circuit so really there is nothing else but achieving that.”
Crutchlow, one of only three riders to have beaten the dominant Byrne so far this term, starts the races with a 97 points deficit on the Airwaves Ducati rider in the standings. There is only 0.292 seconds between them at the top of the leaderboard, with Byrne confident that he can repeat his winning double of that first visit here.
Tom Sykes joined them at the front of the grid, powering his Rizla Suzuki to a 1m 36.591secs lap of this 2.692 mile circuit, just 0.001secs down on Byrne but a quarter of a second up on Leon Haslam, riding the second HM Plant bike, who completed the front row.
Karl Harris, the Rob Mac Racing Yamaha, who had set the pace through Friday’s free practice ran fifth best, though within half a second of Crutchlow, to nudge Simon Andrews, aboard the Lloyds British Jentin Yamaha back a place on a second row that also included Mallory Park race winner Michael Rutter on the North West 200 Ducati and James Ellison on the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda.
Tristan Palmer continued his strong performances, running ninth fastest on the Tena for Men Honda ahead of Billy McConnell, the MSS Discovery Kawasaki rider who escaped injury in a tumble. Scott Smart, riding Hawk Kawasaki, joined them on the third row together with Gary Mason, the fastest of the Daily Star Cup contenders, aboard the Quay Garage Honda.
Cup leader John Laverty ran second in class on the Buildbase NW200 Ducati ahead of Riders Honda’s Martin Jessopp and Chris Burns aboard the STP MV Agusta.
Leading qualifying times:1. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) 1:36.298s
2. Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) +0.292s
3. Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +0.292s
4. Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) +0.523s
5. Karl Harris (Rob Mac Racing Yamaha) +0.533s
6. Simon Andrews (Lloyds British Yamaha) +0.807s
7. Michael Rutter (North West 200 Ducati) +1.073s
8. James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) +1.260s
9. Tristan Palmer (TENA for Men Honda) +1.502s
10. Billy McConnell (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +1.542s
Superbikes on trackSunday 20th July12.02-12.17 warm-up practice
13.15 Race One – 18 laps
16.30 Race Two – 18 laps
