Byrne goes clear with fastest ever lap of Brands Hatch GP
Click here for full FP3 results from Brands Hatch GP
Shane Byrne is proving untouchable at Brands Hatch GP by taking out half a second on the chasing field during the final free practice session to set the fastest ever lap on two wheels at the iconic circuit.
The Be Wiser Ducati rider had briefly come under pressure from Honda's Dan Linfoot as the pace sharpened in the final minutes of FP3 and despite drops of rain in sector two, Byrne bolted clear with a 1m 24.614s to pull out over half a second on the rest.
Byrne's outright speed, coupled with promising longer run pace, points towards a Be Wiser Ducati domination for the rider who already has 15 BSB career race wins around the GP configuration of the Brands Hatch track.
Despite missing out to Byrne, Linfoot held on to second place ahead of Josh Brookes on the Anvil Hire Yamaha while Tyco BMW's Christian Iddon produced an impressive late lap to jump to fourth and edge Smiths Racing BMW's Peter Hickman into fifth place.
James Ellison grabbed sixth place on the McAMS Yamaha having found useful gains overnight to nip ahead of Jake Dixon on the RAF Reserves Kawasaki, while it was a frustrating session for JG Speedfit Kawasaki with Leon Haslam only eighth - one second off of Byrne - with team-mate Luke Mossey fading to ninth after falling at Druids with 20 minutes of the session remaining.
Billy McConnell rounded out the top ten on the Quattro Plant FS-3 Kawasaki with John Hopkins shuffled down to 11th despite ending Friday practice third overall on the Moto Rapido Ducati.
It was another tricky session for Bennetts Suzuki with Sylvain Guintoli taking 17th after falling at Sheene Curve while Taylor Mackenzie could only climb to 23rd overall.
Jakub Smrz suffered a nasty crash at Paddock Hill Bend in the final minutes of FP3 on the Lloyd & Jones/PR Racing BMW and was taken to the medical centre as a precaution.
