The Datatag Extreme Qualifying for the 2019 Bennetts British Superbike Championship took place in near perfect conditions at the fast and bumpy Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire.
As qualifying one started, there was early drama as Joe Francis crashed his PR Lloyd and Jones BMW coming out of the first chicane and onto the back straight.
The biggest mishap in the session as Tarran Mackenzie crashed coming through Seagrave corner, the fastest on the circuit, unfortunately, that would be the end of the McAMS Yamaha riders weekend due to breaking his left wrist.
The rider setting the early pace, however, was Smiths BMW man Peter Hickman who has been in fine form all weekend.
Hector Barbera who had cracked his fibular just twenty-four hours earlier made a brave decision to ride on qualifying day but despite an amazing effort he could only manage twenty-fifth on the grid and being knocked out in the first session of the three-session qualifying.
In qualifying two the story was of a reformed Glenn Irwin, who was only announced this week that he would join the Tyco BMW squad, and has immediately got to grips with the brand-new S1000RR, and made it into qualifying three only twenty-four hours after first riding the bike and for the first time all year.
It was Honda Racing’s Andrew Irwin, who topped the timesheets with a 1:14.274, followed by the two BeWiser Ducati’s of Josh Brookes and Scott Redding.
Danny Kent made impressive progress on board his ex Leon Camier World Superbike MV Augusta managing to qualify seventeenth on the grid, a brilliant recovery after a disastrous weekend last time out at Snetterton.
The biggest names to be knocked out was Dan Linfoot, Danny Buchan and Xavi Fores who will start eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth respectively.
Ultimately it was Scott Redding who only just got the upper hand on Tommy Bridewell taking his third pole position in a row.
As the final segment of qualifying began specs of rain started to come down, reducing the lap times initially by nearly four seconds and some riders raising there hands to get the session stop.
It was Scott Redding however who showed the most confidence in the conditions putting in fastest lap after fastest lap, Tommy Bridewell briefly knocked Redding off of the top spot on his Oxford Products Moto Rapido Ducati.
But Redding fought back straight away with a 1:14.803, showing the great form his currently on at yet another circuit he hasn’t ridden at before the weekend started.
Ultimately it was Scott Redding who took his third pole position in a row showing just what great form he is currently on.
