British Superbike

BSB Thruxton: Lowes On Pole After Qualifying Washout

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Alex Lowes will start tomorrow’s first British Superbike race at Thruxton from pole position by virtue of his practice dominance after heavy rain eradicated any possibility of qualifying going ahead on Saturday. The weather took a turn for the worse during final practice and the downpour left the high speed circuit in no state for running, as BSB Series Race Director Stuart Higgs explained.

“Norman Williamson our MCRCB safety delegate and Adrian Johnstone our MCRCB chief steward and I have assessed the circuit. We are not in a position to restart so we have cancelled MCE BSB qualifying and the grid will be formed from the combined result from free practices.”

Lowes, who also took his first ever BSB pole here in 2011, was disappointed not to have the opportunity to go out and grab pole position but understood the position the organisers found themselves in.

“It is shame that it is not a real pole position after a qualifying session, but I will settle for it as I was fastest here in both the wet and then the dry sessions so I am well set for the races. This is the right decision made in everyone’s interests; this circuit is really fast and these conditions made it unsafe. I just feel bad for the spectators and marshals who have stood out in the pouring rain.”

With the final practice session being disrupted, the grid has effectively been decided by the times set on Friday afternoon with Lowes on pole ahead of Tyco Suzuki’s PJ Jacobsen who lines up a sensational second on just his second BSB weekend. The American starts between Lowes and championship leader Shane Byrne with Josh Brookes completing the front row on the second Tyco Suzuki.

Jakub Smrz will start fifth for Padgetts Honda on the circuit which the team did the double on last year with Michael Rutter proving his pre-season injury is well and truly behind him with sixth place. Josh Waters lines up in seventh after a much better start to his second BSB weekend than he had in his first while Chris Walker completes row two.

Waters’ Milwaukee Yamaha teammate James Ellison was one of the big losers as a result of the cancellation with his best practice time only good enough for seventeenth. Ryuichi Kiyonari also paid for a lack of pace on Friday and will only start one place higher in sixteenth.

 

2013 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship – Round 2: Thruxton
Combined Free Practice Classification (Qualifying Cancelled Due To Weather Conditions)
Pos Rider Bike Team Best Time
1  Alex Lowes Honda Samsung Honda 1:16.412
2  PJ Jacobsen Suzuki Tyco Suzuki 1:16.706
3  Shane Byrne Kawasaki Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki 1:16.790
4  Josh Brookes Suzuki Tyco Suzuki 1:17.014
5  Jakub Smrz Honda Padgetts Honda 1:17.477
6  Michael Rutter Honda Bathams Honda 1:17.479
7  Josh Waters Yamaha Milwaukee Yamaha 1:17.527
8  Chris Walker Kawasaki Quattro Plant Kawasaki 1:17.555
9  Jon Kirkham BMW Buildbase BMW Motorrad 1:17.709
10  James Westmoreland BMW Buildbase BMW Motorrad 1:17.776
11  Karl Harris Kawasaki PR Racing Kawasaki 1:17.855
12  Keith Farmer Kawasaki Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki 1:18.092
13  Peter Hickman Honda Lloyds British GBmoto Racing Honda 1:18.182
14  Martin Jessopp BMW Riders Motorcycles 1:18.282
15  Danny Buchan Kawasaki Quattro Plant Kawasaki 1:18.308
16  Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda Samsung Honda 1:18.337
17  James Ellison Yamaha Milwaukee Yamaha 1:18.498
18  Tommy Bridewell Honda Bathams Honda 1:18.562
19  Luke Quigley Kawasaki MH Kawasaki 1:19.003
20  Howie Mainwaring Kawasaki MH Kawasaki 1:19.184
21  Robbin Harms Honda Doodson Motorsport Honda 1:19.211
22  Matteo Baiocco Ducati Rapido Sport Racing 1:19.398
23  Jenny Tinmouth Honda Two Wheel Racing 1:19.786
24  Aaron Zanotti Suzuki Aaron Zanotti Racing 1:21.598
25  Lee Costello Kawasaki Halsall Racing Kawasaki 1:26.013

 

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