Australian Andrew Pitt (Yamaha) has recovered brilliantly from a nasty crash and will start from grid position five for round two of the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island tomorrow.

Pitt piloted his Yamaha Motor Italia YZF-R1 to a hot lap of 1:33.461 in the Superpole shootout, just 0.220sec down on polesitter, Japan’s Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:33.241). Moreover, Pitt’s Superpole time also represented a 0.216sec improvement on his best lap in ‘regulation’ qualifying – a sign that the Australian’s courtship with the YZF-R1 is becoming more and more profitable.

Pitt’s Superpole effort was all the more meritorious after a huge highside out of Turn 10 in the second qualifying session, which saw the Australian receive a nasty knock on his helmet from his tarmac-bouncing YZF-R1.

“Yeah, that was a pretty nasty highside, and from what I’ve been told it’s been played back over the Superscreens around the track a few times!” said Pitt, who replicated his Superpole position from the opening round in Qatar. “I actually thought I would manage to stay on the bike, but when it kicked a second time, that was it.

“The impact with the bike was pretty nasty, and it hurt a little, but in the end it didn’t set me back too much – I got a lift back to the pits and completed the session on my second bike.

“I’m happy with Superpole, because it was close to three tenths quicker than I’d gone anytime over the weekend – I could not have asked for much more really. Well, perhaps a front row position, but I know we’ve got as much chance as anyone to take the chequered flag.

“Now we wait to see what the weather will do tomorrow, which will ultimately decide which rear tyre I decide to use in the races.”

Pitt will start tomorrow’s two 22-lap battles behind the front row of championship leader Kagayama, Melbourne’s Steve Martin (Petronas FP1, 1:33.301), German Max Neukirchner (Honda CBR1000RR, 1:33.375) and Wollongong (NSW) rider Troy Corser (GSX-R1000, 1:33.398).

The former Port Macquarie (NSW) resident will then set out to become the seventh Australian to win a world Superbike round in front of a vociferous Phillip Island crowd, with the list already including Kevin Magee, current MotoGP rider Troy Bayliss, Corser and Garry McCoy.

Pitt already has a world championship win at Phillip Island in his CV, after guillotining the opposition in the local round of the 2002 Supersport title.

Live television coverage of round two of the Superbike World Championship begins at 11.30am tomorrow on pay television channel Fox Sports 2.