Cal quickest at home on day one
Local hero Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) set a blistering 2'05.664 second lap at Silverstone to head the first qualifying session at his home track, with no fewer than five of his compatriots inside the top ten places. The 5.902km Silverstone circuit is new to almost all of the 25 Superbike riders on show, making Crutchlow's advantage of 0.342 seconds over the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda of Jonathan Rea an impressive first day result.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Troy Corser was third quickest, with British rider Leon Camier fourth on his Aprilia Alitalia vee-four. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) made it five different bikes in the top five places with one qualifying session to go, and James Toseland (Crutchlow's Yamaha Sterilgarda team-mate) secured sixth place.
Championship leader Max Biaggi, Camier's team-mate, was a steady seventh, one place ahead of his main championship threat, Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare). Privateer Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) was 0.811 seconds away from Crutchlow, in ninth, with the top ten rounded out by Tom Sykes on his official Kawasaki Racing Team four-cylinder machine.
Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Corse Ducati) was a happy 11th, as he was one place up on the official machine of Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox). Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) was 13th, the Team Pata B&G Aprilia of Jakub Smrz 14th, and 15th was a rider returning from injury, Luca Scassa (Supersonic Ducati).
The wildcard HM Plant Honda duo of Josh Brookes and Ryuichi Kiyonari, both old friends of WSBK, were only 21st and 22nd on day one, with Tommy Bridewell (TYCO Racing Honda) 24th.
