Brookes takes pole as crashes mar Title Showdown challengers

Josh Brookes led a Ducati 1-2-3 in qualifying for Round 9 of 2019 British Superbike Championship, as four of the riders contesting the final three Title Showdown spots suffered crashes.

Echoing his pole position at Oulton Park earlier in the season – when he went on to claim two dominant wins – Brookes set himself up nicely for this weekend’s triple-header by topping both knockout phases before setting a 1m 33.939s lap to ease to pole.

Tommy Bridewell and Scott Redding – who together with Brookes have booked their places in the Title Showdown already – will get away from second and third respectively, while Bradley Ray confirmed his recent upturn in form with a surprise fourth on the grid aboard the Buildbase Suzuki.

He will be joined on row two by Jason O’Halloran and Glenn Irwin, two riders who won’t be battling it out for a Title Showdown spot this weekend.

Crash-strewn qualifying for Title Showdown contenders 

Indeed, it was a chastening day for most of the six riders who have a realistic chance of battling for the three remaining positions in the Title Showdown. 

Peter Hickman – who is seventh overall but only six points behind fifth - was the highest-placed contender in seventh position, while another rival Andrew Irwin was eighth but starts last in the wake of his controversial collision with Redding at Cadwell Park. His Honda team-mate Xavi Fores is 17th.

Christian Iddon – who has an outside shot still – starts ninth but did crash in Q3. The Tyco BMW rider was one of four riders to crash along with Irwin – without consequence in Q2 – Tarran Mackenzie, who crashed in Q1 and couldn’t compete in Q2 to leave him 18th, and Danny Buchan.

Buchan, who has the best chance of taking one of those spots having opened up a 40 point lead over the nearest opposition, will nonetheless start at the back after crashing on oil dropped by the expiring Kawasaki of Ryan Vickers in Q1.