Ellison sets fastest ever lap at Brands Hatch Indy in FP1

James Ellison has set the fastest ever lap on two wheels around the Brands Hatch Indy circuit in FP1.

Click here for full BSB FP1 results from Brands Hatch Indy

James Ellison has set the fastest ever lap on two wheels around the Brands Hatch Indy circuit in the opening free practice session of the second round of the 2017 MCE British Superbike championship.

The McAMS Yamaha rider blitzed the times late on with a 45.097s - beating the previous outright lap record held by Shane Byrne of 45.112s from 2011 - to demonstrate the YZF-R1's outright pace.

With promising pace on longer runs, Ellison looks in a strong position having trailed a raft of new updates during yesterday's test at the Kent circuit.

Ellison bumped off Luke Mossey from top spot having led for the majority of the session as he ended FP1 with a 45.165s - just 0.068s off the McAMS Yamaha rider - with timesheet topper from the Friday test Shane Byrne in third on the Be Wiser Ducati.

Byrne's team-mate Glenn Irwin was another rider to enjoy late gains to jump to fourth overall ahead of Bennett Suzuki's Sylvain Guintoli completing the top five.

The session was suspended by a red flag stoppage after Davide Giugliano fell at Graham Hill Bend. The Italian's Tyco BMW careered into the barriers which caused damage which needed repairing before the session could be restarted while Giugliano was taken to the medical centre as a precaution.

FP1 was halted late on by a second red flag as Tommy Bridewell suffered a small fire on his Team WD-40 Kawasaki as he stopped at Cooper straight.

Double winner at the 2017 season opener Leon Haslam was shuffled down to sixth place but spent the entire session using the Pirelli SC1 harder rear tyre and according to his JG Speedfit Kawasaki team setting his fastest lap after a full race distance on used tyres.

John Hopkins shot up to seventh on the FP1 times for Moto Rapido Ducati with a late flyer followed by Jakub Smrz on the Lloyds & Jones/PR Racing BMW in eighth.

Honda Racing's Jason O'Halloran and Royal RAF Reserves Kawasaki's Jake Dixon completed the top ten finishers ahead of 2015 BSB champion Josh Brookes on the Anvil Hire Yamaha.

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