British SuperSport Championship - Final

Kirk McCarthy will start tomorrow’s final British Supersport championship race at Donington Park from the front row of the grid after setting the third fastest time in today’s damp qualifying sessions at the Leicestershire circuit.

Honda-mounted Chris Vermeulen will start the 22-lap race from pole position with another Honda rider, Mark Heckles, second on the grid. Gary Mason completes the front row, with McCarthy’s Castrol Honda team-mate, Steve Brogan, sixth fastest.

McCarthy’s championship rival and series leader, Jim Moodie, could only manage the ninth fastest time today and will start the crucial 22-lapper from row three. The Scot needs to finish in sixth place to clinch this year’s championship while McCarthy knows what is required of him.

"I’ve got to win the race and see what happens behind," said the 30-year-old Aussie. "I’m not going to get too excited about Jim being on the third row because he’s a great rider. I’ll be doing my best to win and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens elsewhere."

Final qualifying times:
1 Chris Vermeulen (Honda) 1m19.262s,
2 Mark Heckles (Honda) 1:19.538,
3 Kirk McCarthy (Castrol Honda) 1:19.851,
4 Gary Mason (Kawasaki) 1:19.856,
5 Rob Frost (Yamaha) 1:20.052,
6 Steve Brogan (Castrol Honda) 1:20.118,
7 Mark Burr (Kawasaki) 1:20.226,
8 Simon Andrews (Honda) 1:20.483,
9 Jim Moodie (Yamaha) 1:20.498,
10 Glen Richards (Honda) 1:20.669.