From a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

MonsterMob Ducati British Superbike and Supersport Championship Team

British Superbike Championship – Round 2
Brands Hatch, Kent– 11/12 April

EMMETT STORMS TO POLE AT BRANDS

MonsterMob Ducati rider Sean Emmett dominated each of the qualifying sessions at the second round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch today to secure his first pole position of the season.

Emmett set the fastest ever lap of the Kent Indy circuit with a time of 45.811 seconds early on in the final qualifying session and despite a late onslaught from his main title rivals, could not be bettered.

As a result, the 34 year old Londoner was pleased to be back on top at his local circuit aboard the Ducati 999 F04.

“It’s the first time we’ve been fastest every time out and we’ve been on the pace since the first session. We’ve just been testing tyres really and my fastest time on a race tyre would have put me on pole anyway. Its great news and I’m feeling very confident for the race, I just want good weather for the tyres tomorrow as I know we can consistently lap in the 46s. I’m relaxed and enjoying it” said a delighted Emmett.

Team mate Michael Laverty claimed 17th fastest time aboard the Ducati 749 in the Supersport class after struggling throughout qualifying with his machine set up and will start tomorrow’s race from the fifth row on the grid.

“I’m struggling with the set up at the moment. I’m doing the same times on qualifiers as race tyres so its messed up my grid position. Hopefully I can make a good start in the race tomorrow and then I know I will be OK” said Laverty.

Team boss Paul Bird was pleased with qualifying.
“That’s an excellent start to the weekend. We knew that Brands Hatch would be a strong track for us so we need to take it with both hands and make sure we get two good results tomorrow. As soon as I saw Sean on Friday I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was up for it this weekend. Everyone’s pulled out all the stops, including Dunlop with the tyres.”

Superbike Qualifying
1, Sean Emmett (MonsterMob Ducati) 45.811
2, John Reynolds (Suzuki) 46.142
3, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 46.208
4, Michael Rutter (Honda) 46.248
5, Dean Thomas (Ducati) 46.348
6, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 46.375
7, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 46.517
8, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 46.691
9, Stuart Easton (Ducati) 46.740
10, Jon Kirkham (Suzuki) 46.820

Supersport Qualifying
1, Jay Vincent (Honda) 47.313
2, Karl Harris (Honda) 47.587
3, Danny Beaumont (Yamaha) 47.640
4, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 47.655
5, Craig Jones (Triumph) 47.672
6, Leon Camier (Honda) 47.711
7, Luke Quigley (Suzuki) 47.803
8, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 47.817
9, Adrian Coates (Suzuki) 47.831
10, Cal Crutchlow (Honda) 47.909
17, Michael Laverty (MonsterMob Ducati) 48.090



More, from a press release issued by MSS Discovery Kawasaki Team:

British Supersport/National Superstock Championships
Round two
Brands Hatch

Sunday April 11 2004

FROST AND RIBA READY FOR BRANDS HATCH BATTLE

The MSS Discovery ZX-6RR Kawasakis of Rob Frost and Pere Riba took 11th and 12th places respectively on the grid for round two of the British Supersport Championship at Brands Hatch, Kent on Sunday.

Frost’s 11th place left the Lincolnshire man in confident mood for Monday’s 28-lap race aboard the MSS Discovery team machine, he said: “We’ve got a brilliant setting for the race with the ZX-6RR. I just chose the wrong rear compound tyre to try and get a faster qualifying lap.

“The track temperature was a bit low for the rear tyre I chose. I would have been better putting a race tyre in. Starting from the third row is not a problem. It’s a 28-lap race so if I’m 28th on the first lap there¹s only one rider to pass per lap!”

Riba was disappointed with 12th place, completing the third row of the grid, but the methodical Spaniard remains hopeful of success aboard his Kawasaki and in his first race on the 1.22-mile Brands Hatch Indy circuit.

“Tomorrow’s will be a long race around this short circuit but I’m able to put in a good, consistent pace on the race tyre and race setting,” Riba explained. “When I tried hard with a softer compound rear tyre in qualifying it upset the machine’s handling.

“It was cold and the grip from the rear made the front tyre push outwards, especially around the fast, Clearways right-hander. We’re still trying to fully match the tyres to the suspension but we are now very close to the ideal base setting I¹m looking for.”

Luckless Steve Allan will start round two of the National Superstock Championship from 10th place after his final qualifying session was cut short.

Allan explained: “Today was very frustrating. I’ve struggled all weekend but in that last qualifying session I went out on old tyres to test the suspension changes we¹d made and the ZX-10R felt fantastic.

“Then, with about 13 minutes to go, someone crashed at the first corner and I think they ran out of time to finish our session–that was it, chequered flag. I was certain of being up there and was confident enough to have even taken pole position.”

Allan starts the 26-lap race from the third row of the grid after missing out on giving the MSS Discovery ZX-10R a second successive pole position.

British Supersport Championship final qualifying times:
1 Jay Vincent, Honda, 47.313s
2 Karl Harris, Honda, 47.587s
3 Danny Beaumont, Yamaha, 47.640s
4 Simon Andrews, Yamaha, 47.655s
5 Craig Jones, Triumph, 47.672s
6 Leon Camier, Honda, 47.711s
7 Luke Quigley, Suzuki, 47.803s
8 Jonathan Rea, Honda, 47.817s
9 Adrian Coates, Suzuki, 47.831s
10 Cal Crutchlow, Honda, 47.909s
11 Rob Frost, Kawasaki, 47.937s
12 Pere Riba, Kawasaki, 47.942s

National Superstock Championship final qualifying positions – no times, alternate positions taken from each qualifying group:

1 Ben Wilson, Suzuki
2 Danny Beaumont, Yamaha
3 Paul Young, Honda
4 Andy Tinsley, Suzuki
5 Tristan Palmer, Suzuki
6 Mark Heckles, Yamaha
7 David Johnson, Yamaha
8 Darren Mitchell, Suzuki
9 Les Shand, Yamaha
10 Steve Allan, Kawasaki


More, from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki:

SECOND ROW START FOR HAWKS AT BRANDS

Hawk Kawasaki riders Glen Richards and Scott Smart will start tomorrow’s two 30-lap BSB races at Brands Hatch, Kent, from the second row of the grid. Richards looked sure to take his first front row start aboard the new ZX-10R, after lying fourth for most of the second qualifying session, until a low speed crash at Graham Hill bend, minutes before the end of the session, robbed the Aussie of his planned final charge.

“I went down on my first flying lap on a new tyre and the tyre would still have been shiny on the left hand side,” explained the Aussie. “My out-lap was really slow because there were people everywhere, so I didn’t get the tyre as scrubbed as I could have. I think we’ve got a good set-up for the race tomorrow though. I’ve just got to keep my fingers crossed and make sure I stay on – four crashes in two meetings is not a good record.”

His team mate Smart was also impressive throughout the day’s two qualifying sessions, running as high as third in the first outing and posting consistent 47s laps in the second, but he struggled to find the same level of feel in the afternoon. “I found it harder this afternoon than I did this morning, but I don’t really know why,” he said. “I think I’m riding the bike ok, but at the moment I don’t quite know where to look for that extra 0.3 a lap. This morning definitely felt better than this afternoon, whether it’s a difference in track temperatures I’m not sure, but the bike felt more aggressive.”

Despite Richards fall, Hawk Team Principal Stuart Hicken was pleased to have made more positive steps with the team’s new ZX-10Rs in the dry conditions. “We made big progress with both bikes today,” he said. “Scott’s running the new Motec system, which he’s working on, and we’ve also been concentrating on Glen’s chassis set-up and that’s proved to be good. We’re learning a lot about the bike because the weather’s been drier. Glen’s run 28 laps on the race tyre that we’re looking at for tomorrow and we’ve proved that we can do good laps with it. He slipped off, but when you’re doing 46s consistently that can happen, but you’ve got to happy with sixth and second on the grid, which a major improvement on Silverstone, plus the boys are getting better feel from the bikes and we’ve got a reasonable chassis set-up to work with now.”

BSB Combined Qualifying Times
1) Sean Emmett, Ducati, 45.811. 2) John Reynolds, Suzuki, 46.142. 3) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, 46.208. 4) Michael Rutter, Honda, 46.248. 5) Dean Thomas, Ducati, 46.348. 6) Glen Richards, Hawk Kawasaki, 46.375. 7) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki, 46.517. 8) Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda, 46.691. 9) Stuart Easton, Ducati, 46.740. 10) Jon Kirkham, Suzuki (P), 46.820. 11) Gary Mason, Yamaha, 46.837. 12) Sam Corke, Suzuki (P), 47.013. 13) Steve Plater, Yamaha, 47.209. 14) Kieran Clarke, Yamaha, 47.321. 15) Tommy Hill, Yamaha, 47.355.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

RIZLA SUZUKIS D0MINATE BSB FRONT ROW

Team Suzuki Press Office. April 11 2004.
Rizla Suzuki dominated qualifying for the second round of the British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch, with John Reynolds and Yukio Kagayama qualifying in second and third place on the grid for tomorrow’s Bank Holiday Monday races.

On a dry track in bright sunshine, JR and Yuki worked on the set-up of their Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 race bikes and left it until the dying moments of qualifying to go for outright lap times. Both riders finished qualification happy to be on the front row and with ideas of how to go even faster tomorrow. Ducati’s Sean Emmett took pole position at his home circuit.

Top privateer in the Superbike Cup was Crescent supported Jon Kirkham on a GSX-R1000 in 10th place overall.