Lap record gives Hill Donington pole

Added on Saturday, September 10th, 2011 by Carole Nash Editor

Tommy Hill will start the first of the title showdown races from pole position at Donington Park tomorrow, after a frantic qualifying session at the Leicestershire circuit.

As the first event in the race towards the title got underway at Donington Park, it was an eventful three sessions, with three different riders topping the times in each session. As the chequered flag fell in the final outing however it was Hill who topped the times when it mattered, with an electrifying assault on the lap record.

Returning after missing the last round due to hand injury, title contender John Hopkins secured the fastest time in the first qualifying session. The only rider to dip below the 1minute 30 second mark, the Samsung Crescent Racing Suzuki rider slipped into provisional pole with fourteen minutes remaining.

The second session saw Michael Laverty steal top spot, with his Swan Yamaha teammate Hill just 0.036 seconds adrift. As the final qualifying session loomed the tension began to rise, to see who would secure that all important pole position.

A mighty performance in the final session saw Hill storm to pole position, with a final time of 1m28.869 seconds. The only rider to set a time below 1minute 29 seconds, Hill was able to kick start the weekends activities the way each title contender wanted to.

Alongside him on the front row of the grid will be Laverty in second place, with a one-two lock out for the Swan Yamaha outfit. Hopkins and Peter Hickman will complete the front row in third and fourth places.

Shane Byrne was on course for a front row start until Hickman slipped passed in the closing phase of qualifying. Jon Kirkham will join Byrne on row two, with his HM Plant Honda teammate Ryuichi Kiyonari in seventh and Josh Brookes eighth.

With each of the six title contenders safe within the first two rows of the grid there were just two spots remaining in the top ten. Graeme Gowland secured ninth place for the first race tomorrow, whilst James Ellison steered his Sorrymate.com Honda to tenth place.

Qualifying Positions, BSB, Donington Park: