Brookes bangs in pole position lap
Josh Brookes stole the pole position at Knockhill this afternoon to take HM Plant Honda’s sixth consecutive pole position at the Fife circuit during another dramatic Swan Combi Roll for Pole grid decider.
Brookes said: “This morning we didn’t do too many laps as I heard a noise with the engine and we wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong that could have affected us in qualifying and that was why I was so down the order. We put a new engine in and I was a bit worried but in Q1 the HM Plant Honda was feeling good, but we just made a slight change and then in Q3 it felt great and I just managed to get a good lap together and do the job. Another Honda one-two is good for the team and I think the races will be tough tomorrow but I am ready for it.”
In Q1 championship leader Hill powered ahead in the final eight minutes with a time of 49.050s from Michael Rutter and Stuart Easton who had set the pace ahead of the qualifying shootout.
It was drama for the Relentless Suzuki by TAS team as Michael Laverty crashed out at Leslies and with serious crash damage to the bike he was unable to rejoin Q2 despite the best efforts of his team. He will now start from 20th on the grid for the first race tomorrow.
In Q2 Brookes put in the fastest lap of the weekend to put the HM Plant Honda at the top, displacing Rutter and Hill, with James Ellison making it through to the top ten in sixth following a determined performance to move into Q3.
The HM Plant Honda team-mates scrapped it out in the final session for the top spot but it was Brookes who took his second consecutive pole position at the circuit from Hill in third and Rutter in fourth.
MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Swan Combi Roll for Pole:
- Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) 48.486s
- Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.150s
- Tommy Hill (Quay Garage Honda) +0.212s
- Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +0.305s
- James Ellison (Swan Honda) +0.314s
- Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +0.382s
- Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +0.388s
- Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +0.427s
- Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.473s
- Andrew Pitt (Motorpoint Yamaha) +0.679s
info updated from: britishsuperbike.com