2023 British Superbike Silverstone- Qualifying Results
After an incident-filled qualifying it was Tommy Bridewell who took pole position honours ahead of the sprint race at a sunny Silverstone, as the 2023 championship got under way.
The BeerMonster Ducati rider revelled in the dry track time following his move over from the Oxford Products outfit and immediately looked at comfortable, taking no time at all to ease his way into the session then attack the National layout for a pole position time of 52.931s.
Ryde unable to match his own record pace
Kyle Ryde had dipped under the lap record in the morning FP3 session with a time of 52.953s, so knew he was capable of a time to best the #46.
The man from Mansfield was always near the top of the timeshhets as his times over the weekend suggested he would be - the #77 also topped the first session of the weekend on Friday.
Pushing hard to find those tenths on his final run he saw the front end fold at Brooklands, leaving him in the gravel, but having already done enough for second on the grid for LAMI OMG Yamaha, just 0.028s behind the pole time.
The session saw a red flag for a engine issue which saw Storm Stacey’s Starline Racing Kawasaki aflame, leading the rider to jump off for a quick exit.
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On the return to track it was double BSB champion Josh Brookes (FHO Raciing BMW Motorrad) who exited first. That determination saw him repeatedly chip away at his time to claim the final front row spot, The Australian finishing the session in the pits with his team to discuss how to improve the package ahead of the race, his BMW completing the mix of manufacturers on the front row.
Jason O’Halloran was top of the combined times on Friday which set the qualifying sessions. His late pace echoed that promise in Q2 and moved the #22 up from ninth to third where he stayed briefly for McAMS Yamaha before being shuffled back a position to fourth.
Glenn Irwin, who took a trio of wins at Silverstone on the Honda last season, will also be starting from row two as he returns to the Ducati (BeerMonster) team who gave him his debut back in 2017.
Danny Buchan will fill sixth on the grid, having slowly worked his way up the timesheets over the course of the session for Synetiq BMW Motorrad, as their sole rider this season.
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Rookie Jack Kennedy started his full BSB season with an impressive seventh for Mar-Train Racing Yamaha.
Danny Kent, running his own Lovell Kent Racing team - there are no Suzuki bikes on the grid this season - will fill eighth ahead of the experienced Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Ducati) and former champion Leon Haslam, also in his own team - Rokit BMW Motorrad - completing the top ten.
Ryan Vickers was another faller after coming through Q1 with the top time, leaving the LAMI OMG Yamaha rider twelfth.
Lee Jackson was the best of the Kawasaki’s for Cheshire Mouldings in 13th, but the session was close - all the riders bar Stacey were within 0.8s of the pole time.
Official British Superbike Silverstone Records:
BSB Lap Record - Silverstone: Bradley Ray (Yamaha) 53.102s (2022)
2022 at Silversone:
Pole: Glenn Irwin (2nd Kyle Ryde, 3rd Bradley Ray)
Race One:
1:Glenn Iwrin
2:Kyle Ryde
3:Bradley Ray
Race Two:
1:Glenn Irwin
2:Kyle Ryde
3: Rory Skinner
Race Three:
1: Glenn Irwin
2: Bradley Ray
3: Andrew Irwin
What happened in Q1?
After practice it was mainly Kawasaki’s flooding the back of the grid, a situation which was slightly improved in qualifying. Not a single one made it directly into Q2, with 2022’s Showdown competitior Lee Jackson coming closest to making it through - in 15th after Friday’s action and in the same position for Saturday morning’s FP3 session.
He moved up to Q1 along with fellow Kawasaki riders Dean Harrison (17th) and Storm Stacey (18th). Ryan Vickers moved up with the top time, sat in the pit as the clock ticked down.
Josh Owens (16th) and Charlie Nesbitt (15th) also progressed.
Hector Barbera looked to have secured a progression place with his final lap, but it was cancelled for exceeding track limits, pushing him back to eighth in the session for 20th on the grid for TAG Racing Honda.
Superstock champion Davey Todd (Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda) was the rider who jus midded out, one place ahead.
Honda’s Tom Neave lines up ahead of his twin Tim Neave (McAMS Yamaha) in 22nd and 24th respectively, split by another newcomer Max Cook for Cheshire Moulding s Kawasaki.
Luke Hopkins was absent from qualifying following his fall in FP3.
