Tommy Hill tops qualifying at Thruxton ahead of Rutter and Easton
Tommy Hill shrugged aside an earlier high speed crash to shatter the Thruxton lap record and take pole start for the opening race of the second round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in a dramatic, incident packed day at the Hampshire circuit.
Riding the Worx Crescent Suzuki, Hill recorded the fastest ever two wheeled lap, scorching around the 2.356miles in 1m 14.366secs, an average speed of 114.05 mph in the final element of the Swan Combi Roll for Pole to head off the challenge of RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati rider Michael Rutter.
It was the perfect ending to a bitter-sweet day for the 25 year old Lingfield rider who had high-sided off his bike during an eventful morning free practice taking a bruising. Hill, who goes into these races with a four points lead in the title stakes walked away, but James Ellison, his nearest rival and fastest on Friday, was not so fortunate.
The Swan Honda rider, who like Hill had been a race winner in the open round, suffered a broken right femur when he crashed heavily at the sweeping Goodwood corner in the same session.
“My thoughts are with James – I’ve been in that position and it is something that you don’t want to go through,” reflected Hill who has twice suffered similar injuries earlier in his career.
“I’m delighted to be on pole, but I didn’t realise the time I had done. I saw position one on my pit-board, so I rolled off a bit. That was an awesome lap,” said Hill. “I have to thank the boys who have done such a good job to get the bike better after the massive off I had this morning.”
Hill likened the first element of the Swan Combi Roll for Pole to “something out of Mad Max with so many incidents and red flags.” But, he added with a smile, “I got there in the end.”
He had kept his cool as the session was stopped three times, first with Adam Jenkinson taking a tumble, then Steve Heneghan and Alastair Seeley slid off while Michael Laverty crashed spectacularly at the Club chicane. As the action resumed, Rutter topped the leaderboard, by 0.016secs, from Hill. However the Suzuki rider turned the tables on his Ducati rival, running ahead of him in each of the next two parts.
Flying Scot Stuart Easton, still suffering some discomfort from the badly gashed left leg sustained in a pre-season tumble, rode hard to secure a front-row start on the lone Swan Honda, with Yukio Kagayama running fourth on the second Worx Suzuki – the top four separated by only 0.871secs.
John Laverty headed the second row on the Buildbase Kawasaki ahead of Motorpoint Yamaha rider Dan Linfoot with Josh Brookes the best of the HM Plant Honda runners in seventh, ahead of Seeley on the Relentless Suzuki. Christian Iddon and Chris Walker were joined on the third row by Peter Hickman and Gary Mason.
Former two times champion Ryuichi Kiyonari had a difficult time, starting his HM Plant Honda from the fourth row while Aussie David Anthony, riding the MIST Suzuki was the fastest of the competitors in the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO class, running just ahead of former South African champion Hudson Kennaugh aboard the MAR Kawasaki and Close Print Finance Honda rider Craig Fitzpatrick.
TOP TEN QUALIFIERS AFTER SWAN COMBI ROLL FOR POLE
Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 1m:14.366s
Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +0.804s
Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +0.812s
Yukio Kagayama (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.871s
John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +1.089s
Dan Linfoot (Motorpoint Yamaha) +1.148s
Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +1.183s
Alastair Seeley (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +1.197s
Christian Iddon (Sorrymate.com SMT Honda) +2.438s
Chris Walker (CW Racing Suzuki) machine problem at start of session
