Silverstone British Superbike: Cal Crutchlow scores pole number four

Cal Crutchlow has added to his two poles at Oulton Park and last time out at Croft this weekend to start tomorrow’s BSB races from the front.

Crutchlow set the fastest time of the weekend with under five minutes of the third and final phase of qualifying remaining; a 1.25.489.

The 22-year old, who has signed to ride for the factory Yamaha World Sueprsport squad next year, hasn’t yet one a race from pole position in 2008. But he says it’s something that’s within his grasp at the 11th round of the championship.

“We’ve had a good pace all weekend so there’s no reason why we can’t take a win.

“All the pressure is off my shoulders now [with the Yamaha deal done] so I can now get back to winning races.”

Crutchlow will start the races tomorrow alongside his team-mate Leon Haslam.

He and Haslam are in a three-way battle for second position in the championship with Rizla Suzuki’s Tom Sykes with all three riders separated by just 29 points at the moment.

But Sykes was held off the front row thanks to flying performances by two long-serving British Championship riders, Michael Rutter and Karl Harris, who’ll start third and fourth respectively.

Sykes did however qualify ahead of Shane Byrne, the man who only needs seven points tomorrow to take the championship.

Leon Camier and James Ellison complete row two with Ellison overcoming a disastrous qualifying period with problems with the number one bike.

During the second qualifying period, Ellison’s team couldn’t get the rear wheel spindle out of the number one Honda Fireblade.

As a result Ellison went out on the number two bike with the HRC kit with lesser electronics and traction control and scraped into the final 10-bike qualifying session.

Ellison then ran with the number one bike forks in his second bike to take the final slot on the second row.

Team-mate Guy Martin wasn’t so lucky.

He was the shock individual to be knocked out in the first phase of qualifying when he crashed in the first 15 minutes of the session, injuring his hand and damaging his Hydrex Bike Animal Honda.

Martin, who signed to ride for Rob Mac Yamaha next season earlier this week, was unable to get out for the final minutes of the session.

As a result Martin starts from 21st on the grid tomorrow.

SILVERSTONE BRITISH SUPERBIKE QUALIFYING RESULTS

1. Cal Crutchlow HM Plant Honda 1.25.489
2. Leon Haslam HM Plant Honda 1.25.790
3. Michael Rutter North West 200 Ducati 1.25.952
4. Karl Harris RM Racing Yamaha 1.25.976
5. Tom Sykes Rizla Suzuki 1.26.012
6. Shane Byrne Airwaves Ducati 1.26.136
7. Leon Camier Airwaves Ducati 1.26.175
8. James Ellison Hydrex Bike Animal Honda 1.26.555
9. Michael Laverty Relentless Suzuki 1.26.912
10. Gary Mason Quay Garage Honda 1.27.011
11. Stuart Easton MSS Discovery Kawasaki 1.27.279
12. Scott Smart Hawk Kawasaki 1.27.282
13. Simon Andrews Lloyds British Jentin Yamaha 1.27.514
14. Billy McConnell MSS Discovery Kawasaki 1.27.652
15. Jason O’Halloran SMT Honda 1.27.805
16. Tristan Palmer Tena for Men Honda 1.28.140