Source: Supplied.

Nearly all the teams in the running for the world title have snapped up prime spots on the starting grid of the Oschersleben 8 Hours, the 2016 Endurance World Championship final.

Two Yamahas, YART Yamaha Official EWC Team and GMT94 Yamaha, are neck and neck, just ahead of 2015 champion Suzuki Endurance Racing Team.

Despite rivals significantly upping their performance in qualifications today, Broc Parkes and Marvin Fritz held on to their pole position for the YART Yamaha Official EWC Team.

After posting the fastest individual laps yesterday, Broc Parkes and Martin Fritz, will take on the Oschersleben 8 Hours as a two-man team after Bradley Smith was knocked out by a thigh injury during free practice yesterday.

GMT94 Yamaha upped its performance in the second leg of qualifying. David Checa, Niccolò Canepa and Lucas Mahias steered the French team’s Yamaha to second place on the grid, ahead of Suzuki’s Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle and Etienne Masson.

F.C.C. TSR Honda also improved significantly to capture fourth place on the grid. The team comprising Patrick Jacobsen, Damian Cudlin and Kazuma Watanabe will start the race ahead of Team SRC Kawasaki’s Gregory Leblanc, Matthieu Lagrive and Fabien Foret.

Penz13.com BMW Motorrad too fared better in the second qualifying. The team is in sixth place ahead of Team Bolliger Switzerland, who were thrown off-kilter by Michael Savary’s crash.

Honda Endurance Racing will start the race from ninth place and privateer Team April Moto Motors Events, which is fighting hard to hold on to its current position as leader of the FIM EWC championship, picked up 10th place on the grid.