Byrne and Lowes resume BSB title battle at Brands Hatch
British Superbike Championship rivals Shane Byrne and Alex Lowes continued their back-and-forth fight in free practice at Brands Hatch, topping a session each as their season-long stoush looks set to go right to the wire.
Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider Shane Byrne was quickest in the dry at Brands Hatch.
British Superbike Championship rivals Shane Byrne and Alex Lowes continued their back-and-forth fight in free practice at Brands Hatch, topping a session each as their season-long stoush looks set to go right to the wire.
The first session of the day was run in wet conditions, with riders treading carefully to produce conservative lap times.
Samsung Honda’s Lowes led the way early on, his 1m37.807 effort just 0.153s quicker than Tyco Suzuki Aussie Josh Brookes, who has conceded his fight in the final round is for the minor championship podium place.
The second Samsung Honda, ridden by Freddy Foray in place of the injured Ryuichi Kiyonari, was a solid third from US rider PJ Jacobsen on the Tyco Suzuki and the Bathams Honda of Michael Rutter.
Byrne meanwhile was taking a cautious approach, completing just three laps for 11th fastest in the morning before returning serve to top the afternoon session.
His 1m25.959 lap proved 0.359s quicker than the pace of Lowes, who he heads in the title race by a single point.
Third place in dry conditions went the way of Brookes, with Jacobsen continuing to put on a strong showing in fourth, while the Quattro Plant Kawasaki of Chris Walker moved to fifth.
The second Australian rider in the field, Halsall Kawasaki’s Josh Waters, rounded out the dry session in 12th place.
In the Supersport ranks it was MarTrain Yamaha’s Stuart Easton who led the way in the afternoon, with the 600cc class’ morning session also slowed by a damp track.
Second fastest went to Richard Cooper on the Oxford TAG Triumph, while Samsung Honda Aussie frontrunner Jason O’Halloran set the third-fastest time ahead of Gearlink Kawasaki’s Alastair Seeley and Smiths Triumph’s Glen Richards.
The third Aussie in class, Billy McConnell, completed the top 10 on the second Smiths 675R.
Both Superstock classes contested their first qualifying sessions of the meeting, with Ashley Beech leading a trio of Kawasaki ZX-10Rs in the 1000cc ranks and Yamaha rider Callan Cooper topping the 600 class from Luke Hedger and Tim Hastings.
Levi Day proved the fastest of the three Australian riders taking part, placing 11th, with James Mutton 19th and Mark Wilkinson 22nd.
2013 British Superbike Championship
Round 12 – Brands Hatch
Superbike free practice:
1. Shane BYRNE 1m25.959
2. Alex LOWES 1m26.354
3. Josh BROOKES 1m26.648
4. PJ JACOBSEN 1m26.798
5. Chris WALKER 1m27.643
6. Jon KIRKHAM 1m27.650
7. James ELLISON 1m27.651
8. Tommy BRIDEWELL 1m27.676
9. Jakub SMRZ 1m27.914
10. Karl HARRIS 1m27.993
12. Josh WATERS (AUS) 1m28.047
Supersport free practice:
1. Stuart EASTON 1m28.910
2. Richard COOPER 1m29.019
3. Jason O’HALLORAN 1m29.208
4. Alastair SEELEY 1m29.504
5. Glen RICHARDS 1m29.506
6. Graeme GOWLAND 1m29.550
7. Ben WILSON 1m29.580
8. Luke MOSSEY 1m29.761
9. Luke JONES 1m29.825
10. Billy McCONNELL 1m30.022
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