Brookes blitzes to Assen pole

Josh Brookes has blitzed to an Assen MCE British Superbike pole position ahead of JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s James Ellison and a surprise result for John Hopkins on the Moto Rapido Ducati.

Brookes, who has controlled the entire weekend so far, never looked like being in doubt of taking the top spot, eventually doing it by 0.4 from Ellison.

“I was coming into this event with some confidence and having ridden here earlier in the year, even on the different spec bike, meant I had a good idea of where we could be.

“What I thought was already a fairly well prepared bike, and one I was confident with, the team chopped and changed it a bit and we found some extra tenths so the team really delivered it for me.

“To go out and do a 1:35.9 is even a surprise to me. Sure I had to ride the bike, hold the handle bars and push the tyres but the team have stepped up a level this weekend and its perfect timing.”

Hopkins, who lost all of Friday’s track action to mechanical problems, bounced back to finish third only 0.1 behind the Cumbrian.

Michael Laverty was also a surprise performance in fourth, making significant progress on the Tyco BMW with the addition of new parts.

Defending champion Shane Byrne was fifth, admitting afterwards that he sacrificed some of the qualifying session to work towards a comfortable pace for tomorrow’s race.

Danny Buchan rounded out the second row, ahead of a third row of Luke Mossey, jack Kennedy (both crashers in the final session) and Tommy Bridewell. Christian Iddon, a faller in Q2, was unable to make it onto track in the third session and rounds out the top ten.