Michael Laverty claimed his second pole position of the 2011 British Superbike season today at Silverstone. Laverty, who is currently fourth in the standings, will need a good showing this weekend if he wants to challenge for the title during the final round at Brands Hatch.
John Hopkins, who topped both free practice sessions yesterday, was the second fastest rider during qualifying. Hopkins finished .07 seconds behind Laverty's pace.
Laverty currently trails Hopkins by 36 points in the overall standings, but with five races remaining, he is confident that he can contend for the title.
"That incident at Donington Park was frustrating and put me on the back foot but now with pole we'll be getting stuck in and pushing for wins and points," Laverty said. "We will not be giving up on the title till the very end. The bike is working well, the little changes we made, fine tuning it a little, made it comfortable and it is great to be on pole again."
Hopkins currently leads the standings, but he is also dealing with an injury on his right hand. Hopkins had surgery last week and is riding through "extreme pain" this weekend.
"I will be up there and can rise to the challenge," Hopkins said. "Towards the end of qualifying the adrenalin rush jolted in and it will in the races. I thought I had done enough to get pole but then Michael put in a very good lap."
Josh Brookes and Michael Rutter will complete the front row.
Tommy Hill, who currently trails Hopkins by three points, will be starting from the front of the second row.
