MotorSport Vision press release:

Leon Camier saved the best for last as he snatched pole start for the Holiday Monday second round of the ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli at Oulton Park.

The Airwaves Yamaha rider returned to the Cheshire circuit with barely two minutes of the session remaining, but he made good use of the newly fitted rear tyre, bettering Stuart Easton’s scorching time to take the first pole of his Superbike career.

“It feels good and is something I didn’t expect,” admitted Camier who goes into these two races second in the title stakes, seven points down on Worx Suzuki rider Sylvain Guintoli.

Camier had been running fourth best but was sent back out in search of better things, as he explained: “My team boss Colin Wright was kicking me to get back out there as the clock was ticking down, and I had one shot to take pole.

“I managed to string the lap together – you need to be consistent, flowing and precise around here, and my time came superbly,” added Camier who, after his flying lap of 1m 35.657secs, is now chasing a second win of the season. “My race pace is good – we did a run earlier and I am feeling good so it would be really nice to be up there, taking another maximum score.”

Easton, riding Hydrex Honda, was not too disappointed to miss out on top spot: “I’m a bit disappointed but I’m happy enough with the front row, that’s not so bad,” said the Flying Scot after the Swan Combi 50 Roll for Pole grid deciding session.

“We’ve been in the top three or four in all of the sessions so now it is a case of keeping confident – the bike is working well so we’ll keep calm and see what we get,” added Easton whose team-mate Karl Harris was only marginally slower.

“I tipped off in the middle session of the Roll for Pole, though I nearly saved it, but went down on the grass, and then in the final part, having clocked a 1m 36s straightaway, the clutch went on the bike,” reflected Harris, a former Supersport Champion, who is chasing a maiden race win in the series.

Guintoli completed the front row, with a lap in 1m 36.094secs. “This is a very difficult circuit to learn so I am very happy to have a front row start – we started slowly but the pace is getting better,” he said.

Simon Andrews, MSS Colchester Kawasaki; James Ellison, Airwaves Yamaha; Glen Richards, HM Plant Honda and Ian Lowry, Relentless Suzuki form the second row of the grid.

Gary Mason, the leader of the Mirror.co.uk Cup, was the fastest of the privateer qualifiers, twelfth overall on the Quay Garage Honda with a lap in 1m 37.499secs, with Kenny Gilbertson, Jx Fuelcards Kawasaki, a second and six grid places down, his nearest rival.

ViSK British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli
Top ten qualifiers from Swan Combi 50 Roll for Pole

1. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) 1m35.667s
2. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +0.319s
3. Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) +0.430s
4. Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.437s
5. Simon Andrews (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +0.466s
6. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +0.934s
7. Glen Richards (HM Plant Honda) +0.987s
8. Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +1.169s
9. Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +1.404s
10. Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +2.453s