Source: BSB.

Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne proved the master of the changeable conditions at Snetterton to take his first pole start of the season ahead of the opening race of the fourth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship.

The four times winner of the crown timed his run to perfection in an extreme qualifying session that had been packed with drama, with early crashes for Dan Linfoot and then Jakub Smrz before the conditions began to change throughout the three-stage knockout.

Series leader James Ellison was quickly out as the action resumed for Q2, before he crashed out at Riches and despite walking away there was too much damage to his JG Speedfit Kawasaki to return to the track in the final top ten shootout in Q3 and he will start 10th on the grid.

As the final session got underway Jason O’Halloran took the initial advantage on the Honda Racing CBR1000RR, before Stuart Easton moved to the top of the times. The conditions continued to improve towards the closing stages and O’Halloran had moved back to the top of the times.

However Byrne headed back out on track and a determined performance put him at the top to push the Honda Racing pairing into second and third on the grid.

The Honda Racing surge pushed Australian Josh Brookes on the Milwaukee Yamaha onto the second row along with the Tyco BMW duo of Tommy Bridewell and Michael Laverty. Easton, Luke Mossey aboard the Quattro Plant Tec-care Kawasaki and Josh Waters on the Bennetts Suzuki start from the third row.

Of the remaining Aussies Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing BMW) will line up 12th, Broc Parkes (Milwaukee Yamaha) in 19th after a problem with his seat in Q2 and Jed Metcher (PR Racing Kawasaki) 30th.

In the Superpsort Sprint race won by Luke Stapleford, Levi Day was 11th overall and third of the Evo class runners. David Johnson will start out of third in Superstock 1000, while Benjamin Currie slotted into second in Superstock 600.

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