Brookes denies Redding in Be Wiser Ducati Superpole 1-2

Be Wiser Ducati and McAMS Yamaha are set up to go head-to-head for glory in the first of three Bennetts British Superbike Championship races at Donington Park this weekend after dominating Superpole.

Josh Brookes notched up his second consecutive pole position in a 1-2 for the Paul Bird Motorsport-run Be Wiser Ducati team, the Australian turning in the best lap of the weekend thus far with a 1m 05.868s.

It was enough to deny Scott Redding a maiden BSB pole position in only his third attempt, the ex-MotoGP rider nonetheless impressing to set the initial benchmark in the decisive SP3 session, only to be usurped by his Ducati counterpart with his second flying lap.

Though it couldn’t quite wrest the top spot from its main rivals, McAMS Yamaha nonetheless showed a very competitive hand in Superpole with both Jason O’Halloran and Tarran Mackenzie proving quicker in SP1 and SP2. Despite losing out in SP3, the pair were just a tenth off the top in third and fourth respectively.

Next to Mackenzie, Tommy Bridewell joins his fellow series leader on row two in fifth place, with Luke Mossey flying the flag for OMG Suzuki with a confident run to sixth quickest.

His Buildbase GSX-R1000 stablemate Luke Stapleford will get away in seventh place, ahead of the impressive Hector Barbera, who marked his BSB Superpole debut by getting the Quattro Plant JG Speedfit Kawasaki into a top ten starting position for the first time this season. Dan Linfoot completes the front three rows.

Missing the SP3 cut, Danny Buchan – a three-time podium winner this season already – starts down in 10th, though the FS-3 Kawasaki rider insists it is a better result than he expected having struggled in free practice.

With mere thousandths proving the difference between success and failure in SP2, Xavi Fores, Peter Hickman and Andrew Irwin were demoted in 11th, 12th and 13th, the latter nonetheless lucky not to fare worse after a low-side in SP1 at the Old Hairpin created a heart-stopping moment for close-following brother Glenn Irwin.

David Allingham starts 14th having earlier impressed by ending SP1 up in fifth, while Joe Francis was also eye-catching in 15th on the PR Racing BMW, ahead of race winners Irwin and Josh Elliott.

A desperately disappointing morning for Tyco BMW saw Christian Iddon suffer a bizarre but spectacular high-side at Coppice on his out-lap in SP2 to leave him 18th, while Keith Farmer – fastest of all in FP2 - paid the price for his FP3 crash as the hastily rebuild S1000RR couldn’t get him higher than 23rd out of the 25 runners.

Similarly, Bradley Ray’s dismal season continued as he could only manage 20th, a year after the youngster turned in two victories for Buildbase Suzuki at Donington Park.

RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki’s Ryan Vickers will take no further part in the race weekend after suffering a broken collarbone in an FP3 accident