Rutter on Oulton pole

HM Plant Honda rider Michael Rutter has taken the pole position for the fourth round of the British Superbike championship, just beating Kawasaki’s Dean Thomas to the top spot.

Thomas was on top form all day and put in the best time in the opening qualifying session but Rutter pulled out all the stops to beat the ZX-10R rider to pole position by 0.48 seconds.

Leon Haslam took the Airwaves Ducati to the third fastest time with Thomas’ team-mate, Glen Richards finishing the front row of the grid for Monday’s race.

Karl Harris starts the second row on the Honda UK bike with Gary Mason in sixth on the Stobart Honda.

James Haydon will start the race in seventh place while filling in for the injured John Reynolds on the Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000, with Vitrans Honda rider John Laverty taking the final place on the second row.

Haydons team-mate Scott Smart is suffering from a cold but managed to struggle to a 10th place start.

Official starting positions:

Rutter

Thomas

Haslam

Richards

Harris

Mason

Haydon

Laverty, J

Lavilla

Smart

Clarke

Buckingham

Emmett

Plater

Laverty, M

Rea

McGuinness

Da Costa

Kirkham

Brogan

Nutt

Palmer

Wilson

Ellison

Ashley

Glynn

Medd

Pensavalle

Wren

Non-qualifiers:

Martin

Beaumont