Originally posted on crash.net Airwaves Ducati's Pocket Rocket, Leon Haslam, snatched pole position from the Honda mounted Ryiuchi Kiyonari by 0.032secs for the eighth round of the Bennett's British Superbike Championship.
Haslam has been pushing the Hondas all weekend and finally got his own way in the last five minutes of second qualifying. Kiyonari is second on the grid followed by his team-mate Michael Rutter, who high sided in this mornings session. The final rider on the front row is also on a Honda but it is the Stobart Honda of Michael Laverty. This is Michael's rookie year in British Superbike having just moved up from Supersport, he achieved a podium at Knockhill and in now keen to be permanently in the top three!
The Rizla Suzuki are currently toping and tailing the second row of the grid with Haydon in fifth place and Reynolds in eighth. Haydon crashed near the end of the session but did manage to come back to the garage and get his number two machine, however he didn't improve on his time. Just behind Haydon on the grid is the displaced Steve Plater who took the Hydrex Honda to sixth place. Plater and the Honda seem to have gelled and he is hoping for a top five finish in Sunday's races.
The Hawk Kawasaki pairing for Dean Thomas and Glen Richards have had a mixed day of qualifying, with Thomas qualifying in ninth place, and Richards having to be replaced by Lee Jackson due to the shoulder injury Richards picked up in Friday's free practice.