Neukirchner will start from the front of the grid at his home race

German Max Neukirchner claimed a superb pole position for round seven of the World Superbike Championship to delight the home fans at the Nurburgring.

Neukirchner was the second-to-last to qualify but placed his Suzuki top of the grid with a time of 1'55.471.

World championship rivals Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and Carlos Checa (Honda) will start in second and third place.

In fourth is Japan's Noriyuki Haga who recovered from an early error in his lap to keep his Yamaha near the front.

Michel Fabrizio finished fifth on his Ducati, while one of the big favourites of the day Troy Corser could only manage a sixth-placed starting slot on the Yamaha.

Italian duo Lorenzo Lanzi and Max Biaggi will start from seventh and eighth, while Karl Muggeridge and Ruben Xaus round out the top 10.

Superpole qualifying times:
1 Neukirchner (Ger) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1.55:471
2 Bayliss (Aus) Ducati 1098 F08 1.55:791
3 Checa (Sp) Honda CBR1000RR 1.55:888
4 Haga (Jap) Yamaha YZF-R1 1.56:401
5 Fabrizio (It) Ducati 1098 F08 1.56:436
6 Corser (Aus) Yamaha YZF-R1 1.56;522
7 Lanzi (Ita) Ducati 1098 RS 08 1.56:574
8 Biaggi (It) Ducati 1098 RS 08 1.56:918
9 Muggeridge (Aus) Honda CBR1000RR 1.56:980
10 Xaus (Sp) Ducati 1098 RS 08 1.57:053