ROW THREE START FOR MASON Stobart Honda rider Gary Mason ended up in tenth position following a hectic second qualifying session at an overcast Oulton Park today at round eleven of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. The 26 year old from Lichfield held provisional pole position following a rain interrupted first session and was hopeful that the forecast afternoon showers materialised but sadly for him they didn’t. Mason bravely hung on for a front slow slot until late in the session before being bumped down to the third row in the dying throes. “I’m very happy with my race times. I’ve only gone a tenth of a second quicker on my qualifier than on the race tyre so I’m very confident for tomorrow and looking forward to it. The bike feels awesome and the good thing is that it feels great on race tyres” said Mason. Meanwhile team mate Michael Laverty struggled due to injury and ended up in 26th position aboard the VK, Vent Axia and The Mob backed Stobart Honda. The 24 year old from Toomebridge is still carrying the legacy of his huge Silverstone crash and is a doubt for tomorrow’s two races. “Its frustrating riding the bike knowing I can go a lot faster and my body won’t let me. It’s too much for the strength I’ve got. I’m talking to the team tonight to see if I’m going to race tomorrow or not. I can’t expect too much from my body too soon, but another two weeks rest should see me OK again for Donington” said Laverty. Team owner Paul Bird was away contesting round six of the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship and in his absence Crew Chief Phil Borley commented: “I think Gary was a bit disappointed with his time on the qualifier but he has got a good race set up so we’re hoping for a top five from him tomorrow. Michael is still struggling with injuries from Silverstone and can’t muscle the bike around so he might not ride tomorrow. We will be speaking with Paul later before making a decision.” Superbike Qualifying 1, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 1m36.312s, 2, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 1m36.397s, 3, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 1m36.435s, 4, John Reynolds (Suzuki) 1m36.508s, 5, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 1m36.537s, 6, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 1m36.577s, 7, Karl Harris (Honda) 1m36.806s, 8, Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) 1m36.895s, 9, James Haydon (Suzuki) 1m36.904s, 10, Gary Mason (Stobart Honda) 1m37.014s. More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: JR on the front row at Oulton Park RIZLA SUZUKI’S John Reynolds will start from fourth on the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s 11th round of the British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park. Morning qualification was blighted by rain but the afternoon session was dry and decided the grid for both races. JR headed the timesheets for much of the 50-minutes as he tested tyres and new suspension settings. Traffic hampered his final qualifying lap but he ended the day happy with a front row start. Rizla Suzuki racer James Haydon was battling with JR for the fastest time throughout qualification. Like his team mate, James was baulked by slower riders on his final qualifying laps and finished 9th to head the third row of the grid. Less than one second separated the top 11 riders and Ducati’s Gregorio Lavilla took pole position. Superbike racing starts at 1325hrs on Sunday, September 11th, at Oulton Park in Cheshire. All the action will be covered live on Sky Sports and will be followed by a highlights package on Channel 4 the following weekend. JR: “Well done to my technicians for making big improvements with the handling of my Rizla Suzuki throughout the day. In the morning I wasn’t happy with the fork settings on my bike as it felt like I was pushing the front end through the corners. By the end of the day it felt much more confidence inspiring and that helped me get on to the front row. “While my Rizla Suzuki feels good, I still don’t think it is 100 per cent and there is more to come. I am pushing the team hard to make further improvements. We have a chance tomorrow to challenge for the podium.” James: “My final qualifying laps were spoiled by slower traffic out on circuit. On my last lap I was on a real flier, setting my fastest first sector split and going for it until I caught a slower rider who was holding the racing line mid-corner. That ended my challenge but I’m okay with ninth it’s the right side of the track for the first corner and I am confident of getting a good start off the line. “My Rizla Suzuki feels good and we made very few adjustments to it today as it is giving me the feedback and control I want. I feel I can run with anyone on race tyres and I’m optimistic.” Robert Wicks, Team Manager: “Qualification was exciting and it was great to see both our riders at the top of the time sheets during the session – that was firing up the whole team. “Traffic played its part towards the end of the session and James in particular was unlucky not to improve in the dying minutes. He is very happy with the handling and performance of his GSX-R1000 and if he can get a good start tomorrow he’ll be in the reckoning. JR is still pushing for more from his bike and that’s encouraging as he is focused on the podium and nothing else. “The weather report is mixed for race day. As long as it is either completely wet or completely dry we will be in good shape. If it is something in-between, then it’s a lottery as we will need to guess which tyres to pick. Either way it’s going to be exciting for the crowds and TV viewers.” Qualifying Times: 1: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 1:36.312, 2: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.085, 3: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.123, 4: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.196, 5: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +0.225, 6: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.265, 7: Karl Harris (Honda) +0.494, 8: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +0.583, 9: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.592, 10: Gary Mason (Honda) +0.702.