BSB: Glenn Irwin bags front row start at Silverstone

The PBM Be Wiser Ducati rider, who is third in the championship standings, will line up in third place for race one on Saturday, which is scheduled for 16:15 BST.

Bradley Ray clinched pole on the Buildbase Suzuki by 0.158 seconds from Jake Dixon ( RAF Reserves Kawasaki), with Irwin a further 0.2s back.

Irwin is eager to add to his podium points haul this weekend as Silverstone hosts the final round ahead of the Showdown.

After securing a front row start on a drying track in Q3, Irwin said: “In those conditions, it is really tricky and those are probably my least favourite conditions.

“I try not to have negatives but I have always struggled in conditions like that but it’s another area we have stepped up in, so we are improving our overall package. Big thanks to my team because I was 18th in the very first session but we kept our calm and made the right steps.

“We’ve all done our fastest times of the weekend, which bodes well, but fair play to Bradley (Ray) and thankfully there were no big crashes in those conditions.”

McAMS Yamaha riders Tarran Mackenzie and Josh Brookes were next, with championship leader Leon Haslam completing the top six on the JG Speedfit Kawasaki.

Tyco BMW’s Michael Laverty saw his chance of making Q3 thwarted when his chain broke in Q2. The Toome man will line up in 18th place.

BSB rookie Andrew Irwin (PBM Be Wiser Ducati) qualified 10th fastest after making it through to Q2.

In the Supersport class, Alastair Seeley clinched pole on the EHA Racing Yamaha in damp conditions at Silverstone.

Seeley was handed an eleventh hour chance to ride for the team after the Tsingtao MV Agusta team withdrew from the championship. The Sprint race is scheduled for 17:05 BST on Saturday.

In the Superstock 1000 class, Keith Farmer was fourth fastest in qualifying on the Tyco BMW, with Josh Elliott (OMG Suzuki) in sixth. Eunan McGlinchey took pole for the Junior Supersport races.