Hizzy gets busy in Donington qualifying.

Steve Hislop, current leader of the Motor Cycle News British Superbike Championship, shattered the Donington Park lap record as he charged his MonsterMob Ducati onto pole position for the title deciding double race final round.

The 'Flying Scot' showed his total mastery of the Leicestershire circuit throughout qualifying, going faster in the first session than even the best lap set by MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi during the summer's British Grand Prix.

Hislop lapped in a time of 1min 31.457secs - an average speed of 98.40mph and a little more than a tenth of a second quicker than the illustrious Italian. He then maintained the pace through the superpole session, as he blasted a warning to his nearest rival for the crown, Sean Emmett, that he means big business in the two 20 lap races.

Michael Rutter, currently lying third in the points, set a tough target for Hislop in the 'one lap against the clock' grid decider, having lapped in a time of 1min 32.025secs, but the 40-year old Scot - who has a comfortable 37 points lead in the title chase - responded brilliantly. The MonsterMob Ducati rider lapped in 1min 31.627secs to take top spot and set himself up for a long-awaited - and well-deserved - title.

"I've felt good from the start of practice on Friday - everything is in place and I am determined to prove a point or two here," said Hislop, who previously won the crown in 1995, "I intend to be a worthy champion."

Shane Byrne, Rutter's Renegade Ducati team-mate, was third fastest, with the front row completed by the out-going champion, John Reynolds, aboard the Rizla Suzuki. Second place Emmett had to settle for fifth best with a lap time of 1min 32.965secs, to start from the second row of the grid.