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Hydrex Bike Animal Honda rider James Ellison left it late but came up trumps as he qualified in second place at round four of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at a wet Donington Park today.
After an indifferent start to the fifty minute qualifying session, which was held in torrential conditions at the Leicestershire circuit, the 27 year old turned things around and despite missing half of the session after sliding off on his opening lap, he qualified the Honda Fireblade in a superb second position in the dying seconds of the session.
In posting the best ever qualifying position for Shaun Muir's team, Ellison is hoping for a couple of podium positions in both races tomorrow to follow up the runner up placing he scored at Oulton Park earlier this month.
Team mate Guy Martin is absent from this round, competing at the Isle of Man TT.
Shaun Muir (Team Owner): "I'm over the moon. We've finally got a bike set up right for us and we're feeling really confident. We've got a good race pace in the wet and the dry and we deserve to be second on the grid and I think we could have been even quicker. James fell off on the out lap which knocked his confidence but all credit to him, he went out and put it on the front row."
James Ellison: "I'm well happy with that. I was feeling really comfortable on the bike and I think I just went too quick too early on the out lap when I slid off, and after that I didn't really expect to come out with a second place. I just got more and more confident and quicker and quicker, and I had a couple of scary moments but I just got my head down and went for it. I'm hoping for a couple of podiums tomorrow but this has definitely given me a lot more confidence."
The first of the two 20-lap races gets underway at 1.00pm with the second at 3.30pm on Monday.
Qualifying
1, Shane Byrne (Ducati) 1m46.639s, 2, James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) 1m47.687s, 3, Michael Rutter (Ducati) 1m48.101s, 4, Cal Crutchlow (Honda) 1m48.265s, 5, Michael Laverty (Suzuki) 1m48.267s, 6, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 1m48.609s, 7, Leon Haslam (Honda) 1m48.829s, 8, Leon Camier (Ducati) 1m49.023s, 9, Gary Mason (Honda) 1m49.250s, 10, Karl Harris (Yamaha) 1m49.338s.
Round 2 - 18th/20th April - Thruxton, Hants
Round 3 - 3rd/5th May - Oulton Park, Cheshire
Round 1 - 10th/11th May - Brands Hatch GP, Kent
Round 4 - 24th/26th May - Donington Park, Leics
Round 5 - 13th/15th June - Snetterton, Norfolk
Round 6 - 27th/29th June - Mallory Park
Round 7 - 18th/20th July - Oulton Park, Cheshire
Round 8 - 8th/10th August - Knockhill, Fife
Round 9 - 23rd/25th August - Cadwell Park, Lincs
Round 10 - 12th/14th September - Croft, North Yorkshire
Round 11 - 26th/28th September, Silverstone, Northants
Round 12 - 10th/12th October - Brands Hatch Indy, Kent
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