Yukio Kagayama starts the seventh round of the THINK! British Superbike

Championship from pole position having set the fastest ever lap of the

Brands Hatch grand prix circuit by a motorcycle racer.

The Japanese rider, still recovering from a broken right collarbone, left

it late, putting in a scorching lap to top the leaderboard for the first

time ever in the series.

His lap of the 2.608mile Kent circuit, aboard his Rizla Suzuki, came in a

time of 1m 26.177s, some 0.007 seconds faster than the previous pole

record, and half a second inside the racing lap record, and it was just

enough to relegate Sean Emmett to second place on the grid.

The MonsterMob Ducati rider, aiming for back to back wins in the series,

having won last time out at Thruxton had earlier clocked a lap of 1m

26.230s was not too disappointed at missing out on a second pole start of

the season: "you don't get any prizes for pole - what is important is that

I'm on the front row and my bike is well set-up for the races."

Completing the front row of the grid are Gary Mason, with his best ever

qualifying performance aboard the Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha, and title

chasing Michael Rutter, riding the HM Plant Honda Fireblade, who had taken

a tumble in the final minute of the first session.

Local hero Tommy Hill was fifth fastest for Yamaha, marginally faster than

the Championship leader John Reynolds, riding despite breaking his left

collarbone in the previous round was sixth fastest, with a lap of 1m

26.818s aboard his Rizla Suzuki.

"I thought I would have been a bit higher up the grid than that," reflected

the twice former champion, adding "I am aiming for a strong points score in

these races." Currently Reynolds leads Rutter by eight points in the

rankings.

Dean Thomas and James Haydon complete the second row of the grid, with six

times Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness ninth fastest on his debut for

the Hawk Kawasaki team, while his team-mate Scott Smart, third in the

points, was a disappointing twelfth after tumbling out at Paddock Bend.

World Superbike regulars, Noriyuki Haga and Leon Haslam are sandwiched

between the two Kawasaki riders on the third row.

ends