BSB: Byrne obliterates outright lap record for pole

Shane Byrne will start on pole position for tomorrow’s opening MCE British Superbike race at Snetterton after setting the fastest ever BSB lap of the Norfolk circuit.

Byrne’s time of 1’46.026 obliterated the existing best lap, set by Josh Brookes on the Milwaukee Yamaha at a test in 2015. However, it didn’t come easy for the reigning champion with tough competition from McAMS Yamaha’s James Ellison in the first one-lap Superpole session of the year.

Byrne had laid down the marker in the second qualifying session, narrowly missing out on Brookes’ record (1’46.861) with a time of 1’46.863, but it was Ellison who would go to be the first to break the outright lap as he pulled a stunning 1’46.561 from nowhere after a pre-qualifying turnaround for the McAMS Yamaha team.

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Jason O’Halloran set his quickest lap of the weekend to complete the front row.

JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam, still riding injured after his Knockhill crash, stunned with a quickest time of 1’47.120 to go significantly quicker than he had all weekend, with Jake Dixon and Luke Mossey completing an all-Kawasaki second row.

Josh Brookes, who was miffed with his Superpole lap, will start seventh ahead of the second Honda of Dan Linfoot while Jakub Smrz took his best qualifying of the year in ninth.

Peter Hickman and rookie Bradley Ray narrowly missed out on a Superpole spot and will start tenth and 11^th respectively. 

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