Jonathan Rea re-wrote the Knockhill record books with a scorching ride to pole start for the eighth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship – the 19 year old Red Bull Honda rider with a 94.72mph lap headed off the challenge of former champion Shane Byrne by a split second.

The Ballyclare rider had been on the pace throughout practice, increasing the pace when it mattered most in the grid deciding session, with a best effort of 48.317secs, a time that was a second faster than last year’s pole time and 1.3 seconds inside the record.

Rea was thrilled, especially as the second Superbike pole of his career came at the Fife circuit where two years earlier he had sustained serious leg injuries in a high speed crash. “I nearly ended my career here,” he recalled, adding “so it is really good to claim this pole start here. I’ll go out and give the races my best shot.”

He will need to carry his speed into the races as the four riders on the front row of the grid are separated by just a quarter of a second. Byrne, returning to action after taking a battering in a heavy crash during free practice prior to the Snetterton round, using the speed of his Rizla Suzuki to the full, and putting in a best lap of 48.355secs, just 0.038sec down on Rea.

He has a strong pedigree here, having taken a winning double in his title winning season, and will need to reproduce that form to keep ahead of the two determined Airwaves Ducati riders. Leon Haslam, currently second in the title stakes, was the faster of the two as he bids to reel in the 38 points deficit he has on series leading defending champion Gregorio Lavilla.

Fourth spot was enough to keep the Spaniard ahead in the Audi Performance Award standings, but by only one point 54-53 over Haslam.

Ryuichi Kiyonari, the winner of both races in the corresponding round last year, heads up the second row of the grid – the HM Plant Honda rider had a best lap at 93.93mph and that was enough to keep him ahead of the Stobart Motorsport Honda riders Michael Laverty and Michael Rutter.

Karl Harris, the three times winner of the British Supersport crown, was eighth best on the second HM Plant Honda, with a best time of 48.894secs, to stay ahead of Tommy Hill, the fastest of the three Virgin Mobile Yamaha riders.

Glen Richards, riding Hydrex Honda; Craig Coxhell, Hawk Kawasaki; and Scott Smart, a winner here two years ago, and now aboard the Vivaldi Suzuki complete the third row of the grid with James Buckingham, the reigning British Superbike Cup champion, thirteenth best on the Quay Garage Honda, but still within a second of Rea’s stunning pole time.

Chris Martin, the current leader in the Cup stakes, qualified 18th overall, but Marty Nutt, third in those standings is ruled out of the action having broken a collarbone in crash during practice here.