From a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

KAGAYAMA SETS POLE AT BRANDS!
Rizla Suzuki’s Yukio Kagayama stormed to pole position in the closing seconds of qualification for tomorrow’s seventh round British Superbike Championship at the Brands Hatch GP circuit in Kent.

Yuki, consistently at the top of the time sheets during practice, shrugged off his broken right collarbone and showed enormous determination to smash the lap record on his GSX-R1000 on his final flying lap.

Team mate and Championship leader, John Reynolds took an impressive sixth as he continues to nurse his broken left collarbone: While Yuki has had his injury plated, JR is allowing his to heal naturally and has been building his speed all weekend. He is bitterly disappointed to be starting from the second row but is content that he has a bike set-up to match anyone else on the grid over the full race distance.

JR has been using purpose-made strapping provided by BSN Medical to support the collarbone and they are helping him to brake and use the handlebars to control his 207bhp GSX-R1000.

Pop stars Shane Lynch from Boyzone and Romeo from So Solid Crew will be joining Rizla Suzuki at Brands Hatch this weekend along with Team Suzuki’s 1993 World 500cc Champion Kevin Schwantz.

Yukio Kagayama:

“Until today, this was not my favourite circuit. Now I am starting to make friends with Brands Hatch and I enjoy riding here. If I win tomorrow, I will call this circuit my best friend and buy it a drink.

“Last year, I struggle at this circuit, but this year I am the same rider; my Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 is the same; and the only difference is my team. I think this year my team finds me a very good race setting and my team staff are much improved. This is the difference, so I say very big thank you to my team. I want to win two races for them tomorrow and feel good.”

John Reynolds:

“I was held up on every one of my qualifying laps and that’s why I am sixth. I am not happy with that. At the start of the week I was thinking if I could break into the top eight I would be happy. Now I am disappointed with sixth, but I’ll use that anger and frustration to go faster tomorrow.

“My lap times on race rubber are as good as anyone on the grid. My collarbone is sore and we shall find out tomorrow how it will cope with two 20-lap races. My plan is to get a good start and score as many points as possible.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“Congratulations to both riders today. They were fantastic. Yuki’s pole position is hard to believe, given his previous dislike for the circuit and a broken collarbone, while JR’s sixth shows his incredible determination and courage after he broke his collarbone less than two-weeks ago.

“The team is in a better position than we could have hoped for given our injuries. Yuki and JR have been getting faster and faster with every session and with a bit of luck, that trend will continue through into tomorrow’s races and we can score solid points.”

Saturday Qualifying Times: 1: Yukio Kagayama (Rizla Suzuki) 1:26.177, 2: Sean Emmett (Ducati) +0.053, 3: Gary Mason (Yamaha) +0.476, 4: Michael Rutter (Honda) +0.545, 5: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.590, 6: John Reynolds (Rizla Suzuki) +0.641, 7: Dean Thomas (Ducati) +0.695, 8: James Haydon (Yamaha) +0.975, 9: John McGuinness (Kawasaki) +1.283, 10: Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) +1.375.


More from a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki:

BSB Championship, Round 7, Brands Hatch GP, Kent
Track length: 2.608 miles
Weather: dry, cloudy, threatening rain, 24° C
Track: dry, 36.5° C
June 19

COMBINED QUALIFYING

McGUINNESS ON THE PACE FOR FIRST HAWK RACE

Hawk Kawasaki stand-in John McGuinness will start tomorrow’s two BSB races at Brands Hatch from ninth on the grid after putting on a determined performance in second qualifying. Despite not having competed in BSB for 12 months the 29 year-old Lancastrian’s best lap around the 2.608 mile GP circuit was just 1.2 seconds off pole.

The pressure was on in the second 50 minute session after a 10 minute stoppage, imposed after Yamaha’s Kieran Clarke crashed heavily on the start/finish straight, which allowed threatening clouds to move over the track. McGuinness held his cool, however, and even out-paced his race winning team-mate Scott Smart.

“I’d have liked to have been on the front two rows, but to be in the top 10 on my first time out, especially against WSB guys like Haga, is mega,” said John. “I’ve found a pretty good race set-up this morning so we just chucked in some qualifiers and went for it. I messed up a bit on my last flying lap, which would have been my best, when I missed an apex at Druids which maybe cost me a few tenths. There are some of the best riders in the world out there so, yeah, I’m pleased. I’m definitely up for it tomorrow, although I’m not sure what to expect. I’ll try and get a good start and then get stuck in because I don’t think my race pace will be too far away.”

Scott Smart qualified twelfth in the second session, after his efforts to break into the top eight were thwarted by a 100mph crash at Paddock Hill bend which wrecked his number one bike. Fortunately he was uninjured and rejoined the session on his number two bike.

“I’ve struggled here this weekend and nothing’s quite gone to plan, plus I really could have done without that crash,” explained Scott. “I missed a gear, never got it hooked back in and went flying into the gravel at 100mph. I hit the bails which spun me round and I whacked my head on the ground. I’m going to have to sit down with the boys and work out where we can find the extra speed we need for tomorrow because I’m looking for top sixes at least because that’s the lowest I’ve finished all year.”

“I think Scott has expected too much from himself this weekend and that’s made it hard work for him,” said Hawk Kawasaki Team Principal Stuart Hicken after qualifying. “I’m quite happy where we’ve qualified because race day is totally different and we’ll have good set-ups on the bikes again. John’s been excellent today. I know he’s disappointed in himself for not making the front two rows, but these guys have been at it all season and he’s just come from the Isle of Man and this is his first meeting so I’m very pleased with him.”

BSB COMBINED QUALIFYING

1) Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, 1:26.177. 2) Sean Emmett, Ducati, 1:26.230. 3) Gary Mason, Yamaha, 1:26.653. 4) Michael Rutter, Honda, 1:26.722. 5) Tommy Hill, Yamaha, 1:26.767. 6) John Reynolds, Suzuki, 1:26.818. 7) Dean Thomas, Ducati, 1:26.872. 8) James Haydon, Yamaha, 1:27.152. 9) John McGuinness, Hawk Kawasaki, 1:27.460. 10) Noriyuki Haga, Ducati, 1:27.552. 11) Leon Haslam, Ducati, 1:27.564. 12) Scott Smart, Hawk Kawasaki, 1:27.609. 13) Craig Coxhell, Honda, 1:27.614. 14) Iain MacPherson, Ducati, 1:27.852. 15) Jon Kirkham, Suzuki (P), 1:27.900

(P)= Privateer