Ten Kate Racing Products Honda rider, Broc Parkes, will start tomorrow's first round World Supersport championship race from pole position after setting the fastest time in this afternoon's second qualifying session at Phillip Island in Australia.

The 31-year-old Australian rider has returned to the Ten Kate Honda team this season for the first time since 2004 when he finished as runner-up in the World Supersport series.

His Honda CBR600RR machine will line up on the grid alongside two other Hondas ridden by Sam Lowes and Jules Cluzel, with Turkish rider and 2010 world champion, Kenan Sofuoglu, rounding out the front row.

Tomorrow's race has been shortened from the scheduled 21 laps to 15 after exceedingly high track temperatures at Phillip Island, which reach 60 degrees centigrade this afternoon, caused concerns about rear tyre degradation.


Broc Parkes:

It was very hot out there this afternoon and we did a race distance run at the start of the session just to test the tyre. We put 15 laps on it and saved two new rears for the end of the session to try and put in a good time. I was a little bit worried that we couldn't go any faster with the heat this afternoon and we only went a tenth faster than yesterday, but overall it was enough to get pole. I feel really happy and the bike seems to be working real good. Our biggest concern is the rear tyre for the race - we need to choose a tyre that we hope can go the distance, so we'll have a good think and make that choice tonight. There are three choices and we've done 15 to 17 laps on each of them. I'm really enjoying the bike though, it feels really good and seems to be doing everything I want!

Sam Lowes:

"I'm very happy with today's qualifying and looking forward to the race. I hit traffic on a quick lap, which stopped me from taking pole position, but I'm looking forward to my first race for Bogdanka PTR Honda and I hope to fight for victory. I want to make a solid start to the 2012 season and I'm ready for a strong title challenge. I'd like to thank all my team and fans. Roll on race one! I don't know too much about today's accident but it's very sad and I'd wish to send my condolences to Oscar's family."

Jules Cluzel:

"I hurt my finger on my right hand in a fast crash in the morning. This afternoon after this big crash, I was not scared but needed to restore my confidence and I am happy again. I tried to improve my lap time but on my first fast lap I was caught in traffic - I needed to pass one guy on the outside and this ruined the lap. Then we changed the tyre and I did the same lap time as yesterday - and I had to pass a guy on this lap. I am just one tenth from fastest and I think we have good pace for the race, I am liking the PTR Honda bike a lot."


Qualifying position

1 Broc Parkes 1m34.44s AUS HONDA Ten Kate Honda
2 Sam Lowes +0.016s GBR HONDA Bogdanka PTR Honda
3 Jules Cluzel +0.113s FRA HONDA PTR Honda
4 Kenan Sofuoglu +0.132s TUR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Deltafin Lorenzini
5 Fabien Foret +0.346s FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Intermoto Step
6 Sheridan Morais +0.553s RSA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Deltafin Lorenzini
7 Alex Baldolini +0.568s ITA TRIUMPH Power Team by Suriano
8 Balazs Nemeth +0.851s HUN HONDA Racing Team Toth
9 Robert Muresan +0.897s ROU HONDA East European Racing
10 Pawel Szkopek +1.003s POL HONDA Bogdanka PTR Honda
11 Massimo Roccoli +1.062s ITA YAMAHA Bike Service by WTR Ten 10
12 Lukas Pesek +1.081s CZE HONDA Prorace
13 Ronan Quarmby +1.199s RSA HONDA PTR Honda
14 Vittorio Iannuzzo +1.201s ITA TRIUMPH Power Team by Suriano
15 Mathew Scholtz +1.224s RSA HONDA Bogdanka PTR Honda
16 Ondrej Jezek +1.264s CZE HONDA SMS Racing
17 Jed Metcher +1.289s AUS YAMAHA Rivamoto
18 Fabio Menghi +1.439s ITA YAMAHA VFT Racing
19 Joshua Day +1.454s USA KAWASAKI Team GOELEVEN
20 Imre Toth +1.500s HUN HONDA Racing Team Toth
21 Vladimir Leonov +1.507s RUS YAMAHA Yakhnich Motorsport
22 Martin Jessopp +1.599s GBR HONDA PTR Honda
23 Luca Marconi +1.761s ITA YAMAHA VFT Racing
24 Andrea Antonelli +2.026s ITA HONDA Team Lorini
25 Dino Lombardi +2.291s ITA YAMAHA Team PATA by Martini
26 Romain Lanusse +2.313s FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Intermoto Step
27 Yves Polzer +2.913s AUT YAMAHA Team MRC Austria
28 Thomas Caiani +4.576s SUI HONDA Kuja

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