Josh Brookes claimed the first pole position of the 2014 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship despite crashing on three separate occasions in qualifying at Brands Hatch. Appalling weather conditions threw the form book out of the window but Brookes delivered the perfect lap just when he needed it to deny Ryuichi Kiyonari in Q3.
Brookes’ afternoon couldn’t have started any worse with a crash on his out lap and although he rescued his Milwaukee Yamaha from the gravel trap, Josh dropped it again at Clearways before even setting a time in Q1. At the third time of asking, Brookes clawed himself out of the drop zone and took full advantage of his reprieve in the final session, usurping Ryuichi Kiyonari in the dying seconds.
Kiyonari, making his Buildbase BMW debut, was chasing his first BSB pole position for three years and looked to have secured it with a 55.796 but the three-time champion crashed on the approach to Clearways and Brookes’ late flyer relegated him to second. The polesitter still had time for another spill, this time at Graham Hill bend but he had done enough to beat Kiyonari with John Hopkins marking his return to BSB with third place, the American also coming unstuck at Graham Hill late on.
Chris Walker heads the second row for tomorrow’s opening race ahead of James Westmoreland while Richard Cooper and Ben Wilson put in fine performances to qualify sixth and seventh respectively. Wet weather specialist Michael Rutter starts eighth ahead of Keith Farmer and Patric Muff, two other riders to fall off, while Shane Byrne will have to start his pursuit of a fourth title from the fifth row after getting knocked out in Q2.
| 2014 MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 1: BRANDS HATCH INDY | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DATATAG EXTREME QUALIFYING CLASSIFICATION | ||||
| POS | RIDER | BIKE | TEAM | TIME |
| 1 |  JOSH BROOKES |
YAMAHA | MILWAUKEE YAMAHA | 55.093 |
| 2 |  RYUICHI KIYONARI |
BMW | BUILDBASE BMW MOTORRAD | 55.796 |
| 3 |  JOHN HOPKINS |
SUZUKI | TYCO SUZUKI | 56.148 |
| 4 |  CHRIS WALKER |
KAWASAKI | LLOYDS BRITISH GBMOTO KAWASAKI | 56.253 |
| 5 | JAMES WESTMORELAND |
BMW | BUILDBASE BMW MOTORRAD | 56.297 |
| 6 | RICHARD COOPER |
KAWASAKI | ANVIL HIRE TAG RACING | 56.415 |
| 7 | BEN WILSON |
KAWASAKI | GEARLINK KAWASAKI | 56.936 |
| 8 | MICHAEL RUTTER |
BMW | BATHAMS PRIZE WINNING ALES | 56.990 |
| 9 | KEITH FARMER |
KAWASAKI | PR RACING KAWASAKI | 57.934 |
| 10 |  PATRIC MUFF |
BMW | BATHAMS PRIZE WINNING ALES | NO TIME |
| ELIMINATED IN Q2 | ||||
| 11 | TOMMY BRIDEWELL |
YAMAHA | MILWAUKEE YAMAHA | 57.576 |
| 12 | MICHAEL DUNLOP |
BMW | BUILDBASE BMW MOTORRAD | 57.789 |
| 13 | SHANE BYRNE |
KAWASAKI | RAPID SOLICITORS KAWASAKI | 57.912 |
| 14 | JOSH WATERS |
SUZUKI | TYCO SUZUKI | 58.258 |
| 15 | MARTIN JESSOPP |
BMW | RIDERSMOTORCYCLES.COM BMW | 58.377 |
| 16 | JAMES ELLISON |
KAWASAKI | LLOYDS BRITISH GBMOTO KAWASAKI | 58.838 |
| 17 | JENNY TINMOUTH |
HONDA | TWR | 59.211 |
| 18 | JOSH WAINWRIGHT |
KAWASAKI | QUELCH AFTERDARK MOTORSPORT | NO TIME |
| 19 | SIMON ANDREWS |
HONDA | RAF RESERVES HONDA | NO TIME |
| 20 | PETER BAKER |
KAWASAKI | MORELLO RACING | NO TIME |
| ELIMINATED IN Q1 | ||||
| 21 | IAN HUTCHINSON |
YAMAHA | FFX YAMAHA | 59.526 |
| 22 | MITCHELL CARR |
KAWASAKI | ANVIL HIRE TAG RACING | 59.557 |
| 23 | STUART EASTON |
KAWASAKI | RAPID SOLICITORS KAWASAKI | 1:00.145 |
| 24 | DAN LINFOOT |
KAWASAKI | QUATTRO PLANT KAWASAKI | 1:00.191 |
| 25 |  JAKUB SMRZ |
DUCATI | MILLSPORT DUCATI | 1:01.077 |
| 26 | AARON ZANOTTI |
SUZUKI | GGH/STEL SUZUKI | 1:01.403 |
| 27 | HARRY HARTLEY |
KAWASAKI | HALSALL BIKE GEAR | 1:02.473 |
| 28 | BARRY BURRELL |
KAWASAKI | TEAM WD40 | 1:02.609 |
| 29 | JAMES HILLIER |
KAWASAKI | QUATTRO PLANT KAWASAKI | 1:03:847 |
| 30 |  RHALF LO TURCO |
KAWASAKI | SBKCITY KAWASAKI | 1:07.904 |
| 31 | LEE COSTELLO |
KAWASAKI | HALSALL BIKE GEAR | NO TIME |
| 32 | JON KIRKHAM |
KAWASAKI | TSINGTAO WK KAWASAKI | NO TIME |
