Rizla Suzuki’s Tom Sykes rose to the occasion and slashed 0.6-secs from yesterday’s lap times to secure a front row start in fourth place for tomorrow’s final round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Brands Hatch Indy circuit in Kent. Sykes worked steadily through a raft of chassis and geometry changes to his GSX-R1000 during practice and the all three qualifying sessions, improving his confidence with every step and leaving his fastest lap right until the end. In bright sunshine at the 1.1986-mile fast and frantic track, team mate Atsushi Watanabe got through to the second level of qualifying but was knocked out from the final run ending up 12th quickest and on the third row. Local rider and newly-crowned Champion Shane Byrne took pole position on a Ducati. Racing commences at 1400 on Sunday with race two 1645. Tom Sykes: “I am happy with the front row. If you get a good start you can force your way uphill and make a place or two and that’s my plan. All weekend I have been searching for a balance with my Rizla Suzuki and we have made improvements. We are good for the race and we will try another little change for warm-up to see if we can gain a bit more speed. I hope the weather stays dry it’ll make for great races.” Atsushi Watanabe: “My Rizla Suzuki is getting better and I am OK with 12th place and third row. My feeling for the bike is now good and I think top 10 is possible in races.” Jack Valentine – Rizla Suzuki Team Manager: “That was a mega ride by Tom. He has really pulled his finger out and credit to his crew for making the right changes to his Rizla Suzuki. He’s good on race rubber and will be a podium contender in the races. “Atsu is in good shape in 12th place but the circuit is very short and busy, he will need to be at his aggressive overtaking best in the races if he wants to get into the top 10. It is the final round of the British Superbike Championship and we want to go out in style fighting for the victories – it’ll be a long winter before we get the chance to taste champagne again.” BSB Qualifying: 1: Shane Byrne (Ducati) 45.799 2: Leon Haslam (Honda) 46.096 3: Cal Crutchlow (Honda) 46.118 4: Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) 46.255 5: James Ellison (Honda) 46.255 6: Leon Camier (Ducati) 46.303 7: Michael Laverty (Suzuki) 46.513 8: Michael Rutter (Ducati) 46.518 9: Jon Kirkham (Yamaha) 46.560 10: Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 46.579 12: Atsushi Watanabe (Rizla Suzuki) 46.842 More, from a press release issued by British Superbike Championship organizers: Byrne takes pole and promises winning finale BENNETTS BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Final round 11/12 October Brands Hatch Shane Byrne, already assured of the Bennetts British Superbike crown, powered in his fifth pole start of the campaign ahead of the final round at Brands Hatch, heading off the challenge of Leon Haslam, in a dramatic high-speed shoot-out for supremacy. Riding the Airwaves Ducati, Byrne, who is graduating onto the world stage next season, put in a series of consistently fast laps, the best of which came in 45.799secs to give him top spot on the leaderboard for the first time since June. “That’s been long overdue, though not as long overdue as a win,” said Byrne with a smile he had won eight time in the first half of the season but arrived at the circuit where his career began bidding to end an eleven race drought without a taste of the winner’s champagne. Byrne had been strong throughout the three stages of the Swan Combi 50 Roll for Pole but saved the best for last: “I tried so hard, putting in several fast laps on the bounce to try and improve and then I found out I had done a 45.7 second lap time and I thought ‘great’. “This round is important to us, it is my last British race for a while and this is my home circuit and crowd so I really want to put on a good show for them and for my team who are long to the circuit also.” Haslam rode through the pain of a shoulder injury to put his HM Plant Honda alongside Byrne at the head of the grid. He had high-sided heavily in the opening minutes of the session but bounced back strongly to maintain his bid for the runner-up spot in the title stakes. He has an 18 points advantage over Tom Sykes in that duel, with the Rizla Suzuki rider running fourth, with a lap of 46.201secs, marginally slower that Cal Crutchlow. James Ellison, riding the Hydrex Bike Animal Honda, headed up the second row ahead of Leon Camier, Michael Laverty and Michael Rutter, the North West 200 Ducati rider who clocks up a remarkable 300 race starts here. John Kirkham, deputising at short notice for Karl Harris aboard the Rob Mac Racing Yamaha, ran ninth fastest with a lap in 46.560secs ahead of Simon Andrews, Billy McConnell and Atsushi Watanabe. John Laverty, already the winner of the Daily Star Cup, set the pace in that class, with a lap in 46.853secs aboard the Buildbase NW200 Ducati, to be ahead of Gary Mason on the Quay Garage Honda and MAR Kawasaki rider Shannon Etheridge. Top ten qualifying times: 1. Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) 45.799s 2. Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) +0.297s 3. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) +0.319s 4. Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +0.402s 5. James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) +0.456s 6. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) +0.504s 7. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.714s 8. Michael Rutter (North West 200 Ducati) +0.719s 9. Jon Kirkham (Rob Mac Racing Yamaha) +0.761s 10. Simon Andrews (Lloyds British Yamaha) +0.780s