From a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki:

Sykes shows his speed while JR secures front row start

RIZLA SUZUKI debut Superbike rider Tom Sykes will start from an amazing eighth place in tomorrow’s 11th round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch, directly behind his team mate John Reynolds who is in fourth on the front row.

Sykes, 18, is taking part in his first ever Superbike race meeting and has stunned the regular riders with how quickly he has taken to riding the powerful, slick-tyre-shod Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000. The Huddersfield rider who normally competes in the Supersport class on a 600cc machine with road tyres, finished less than half a second away from pole position, an astounding feat of bravery, skill and courage that has had the entire paddock whispering about his future potential as a champion.

Sykes is standing in for Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 regular rider Yukio Kagayama, who is recovering from a broken pelvis he suffered at the previous round of the BSB series at Cadwell Park.

JR’s fourth place front row finish was a fraction away from pole position and despite using a sticky qualifying tyre, was slower than his lap from this morning’s practice session on a hard race compound tyre that offers less outright grip.

Both Rizla Suzuki riders fell during the dying minutes of today’s Super 12 qualifying session but neither was hurt. Today’s qualifying session was so close that only half a second covered the top 10 in qualifying, which was headed by Ducati’s Michael Rutter. Superbike racing starts tomorrow at 1:15pm at the Brands Hatch 1.22-mile long Indy circuit.

John Reynolds:
“That was a very frustrating Super 12 qualifying session. We went into it with the fastest lap in practice and confident we could creep under the 46 second mark, but a combination of bad luck and timing meant I never really had the opportunity to attack the circuit.

“I ended up crashing right at the end at Paddock Hill, possibly because I was trying too hard on my final fast lap. I was lucky and got up to walk away and I am actually more confident with the bike on race rubber than the qualifying tyres we used this afternoon. On a positive note, that means tomorrow’s races should be good for us and starting from the inside of the front row going into the first corner is almost as good as pole here.

“Well done to Tom taking a second row start in his first ever Superbike race. His progress this weekend has been a wonder to behold and if he gets much faster he could be snapping at my heels at the front tomorrow!”

Tom Sykes:
“Right at the end I tipped into Druids very quickly and just as I was coming off the brakes and onto the throttle on the exit, I lost the front end. It was a close run thing, I thought I had saved it, but it just got away from me.

“I am loving the experience of riding a Superbike, it is a dream come true for me. The second row is way above what I would have hoped for and I think having such a good team behind me is being a big help. I can’t wait until the races tomorrow to see what sort of results I can get.”

Les Pearson, Chief Technician to Tom Sykes:
“Tom is doing an almost unbelievable job for his first time on a Superbike. We have worked today on getting him more comfortable on the bike and giving him more grip. To give him more grip also means that the predictability of the bike is reduced, so while it is faster, it takes more experience to make the most of it and he has taken it all in his stride. His raw riding talent is awesome.

“He could finish in the top eight in tomorrow’s races, which would be fantastic. From the very first time we put him on track, I knew that Tom was something a bit special on a motorcycle and he has more than proved that in qualifying today.”

Final Qualification:
1: Michael Rutter (Ducati) 45.991
2: Sean Emmet (Ducati) +0.074
3: Shane Byrne (Ducati) +0.096
4: John Reynolds (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.154
5: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.262
6: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +0.311
7: Gary Mason (Yamaha) +0.347
8: Tom Sykes (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.448
9: Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +0.474
10: Steve Plater (Honda) +0.556.