 Kagayama saw off Byrne and Reynolds |
Yukio Kagayama clocked the fastest-ever lap of Oulton Park to grab his first pole in the British Superbike Championship. The Japanese Rizla Suzuki rider lapped the 2.692-mile Cheshire circuit at an average speed of 100.18mph.
But he left it late, upping the power in the final minute just as it seemed team-mate John Reynolds had done enough to secure his second pole start.
Kagayama took a little under a second off the record, set earlier in the year by the title-chasing Shane Byrne.
For the first time this season, Byrne finds himself starting from the second row of the grid.
The MonsterMob Ducati rider was having a tough day in the scorching heat, escaping without injury from a tumble during qualifying.
He then pitted too late in the Dunlop Super12 grid deciding session to take on a new tyre.
Byrne, who can clinch the title at Oulton, providing he extends his lead over Reynolds by a further 16 points, is promising to turn on the style.
He said: "There nothing I enjoy more than winning, and I've decided to settle for nothing less here.
"I am determined to go out there and do the business."
British Super Bike qualifying, Oulton Park: 1 Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 1min 37.285secs
2 Shane Byrne (Ducati) 1:37.382
3 John Reynolds (Suzuki) 1:37.422
4 Michael Rutter (Ducati) 1:37.564
5 Sean Emmett (Ducati) 1:37.743
6 Gary Mason (Yamaha) 1:38.095
7 Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 1:38.254
8 Mark Heckles (Honda) 1:38.328
9 Leon Haslam (Ducati) 1:38.708
10 Dave Wood (Suzuki) 1:38.879
MMIX
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