Defending champion Shane 'Shakey' Byrne will start  on the sixth row for tomorrow's opening MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship race, but the PBM Kawasaki rider admits he won't be giving up without a fight to defend his five point lead.

Shakey endured his worst qualifying session since 2011 but the standings leader remains upbeat that the team can turn it around so he can battle at the front in tomorrow's races in Hampshire.

Shakey said:

"Quite honestly I am not happy at all and I think that is obvious. The PBM Kawasaki team don't go racing to be running in 17th. This weekend we haven't found what we need and it isn't through the want of trying by the team! I have all but thrown myself at the scenery and if I had bitten the screen any harder then I would have swallowed it!

"In reality we can't go from winning races to being down in 17th so we need to find a solution for it before tomorrow and we are sitting down tonight to have a team debrief to see where can make the difference. We have tried a fair bit already but it is clear we are still missing something and that something is obviously fundamental!

"The only positive is that it should be a great, fun race to try and get through the pack and whatever we do, we will be trying as hard as ever to be back at the front tomorrow."

Pic by Double Red