Josh Brookes’ recent dominance of the 2015 British Superbike Championship looks set to continue after the Australian claimed a comfortable pole position at Cadwell Park. The Milwaukee Yamaha rider has been quickest in every session so far and enjoyed a four tenth advantage over surprise challenger Danny Buchan in qualifying.
Despite setting the pace, Brookes didn’t have things all his own way with FP3 blighted by a crash as he tested an experimental set-up. Josh admitted his confidence was dented by the slip-up but was back on form when it mattered in the pole position shootout.
“All weekend I have been fast, but I had a little slip off in the session this morning – I think we were chasing a unicorn! We were trying to improve the bike when it was already really good and where we gained a little bit, we lost a bit in another area and I slipped off and my confidence was a little knocked. It doesn’t matter how well you are going, even if you have a little crash it does do that so Q1 & Q2 I took it steady and was building up to give it everything in Q3. We have worked hard for it today.”
With three of the championship’s top seven missing through injury, several riders have an opportunity to boost their showdown prospects this weekend and Tommy Bridewell looks likely to grab his chance, the Tyco BMW rider qualifying third behind the impressive Buchan.
Luke Mossey carried his momentum from Thruxton to qualify on the second row in fourth ahead of Peter Hickman and Billy McConnell while Michael Laverty has a chance to consolidate his place in the showdown spots from seventh on the grid.
Defending champion Shane Byrne has already booked his place in the end-of-season title battle but the PBM Kawasaki rider is still searching for podium credits. He will have his work cut out in race one though having missed the cut in Q2, leaving him eleventh on the grid.
2015 MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 8 – CADWELL PARK: QUALIFYING
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