Josh Brookes will start from pole position for the opening MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship race at Oulton Park tomorrow (Monday) after setting a lap under his existing circuit record to celebrate the team's first pole start for the new Milwaukee Yamaha.

Brookes had topped the official test last week and headed into Datatag Qualifying feeling confident, posting his flying lap in the early stages of Q3 to dip into the 1m:34s lap times for the first time this weekend.

Brookes said:

"I am really pleased to get my first pole position of the season for me. It is always something you want to achieve, and it isn't always the most crucial part of the weekend, but it is a nice feather in the cap. I am a bit surprised to get pole as during the earlier sessions both Kiyo and Shakey have also been there and I expected them to pull something special out in qualifying.

"We have had to change out set up a bit and we came here and where the track conditions have been changing we had to alter the bike a bit, so we have been putting the pieces together. We made some changes before qualifying and it really felt like the bike I was looking for.

"It felt like quite a clean lap in Q3, so I was happy considering the conditions were changing. These guys are all so close - it was point nothing in it and it is obviously going to be really close in the races too as all of us on the front row can do the lap times and Shakey and Kiyo won't just disappear, so it is going to be as I predicted - a good few of us in for the battle."

Brookes was pushed all the way for the third pole position of the season as Tommy Bridewell came to within 0.014s of snatching it away in the closing stages of Q3 for the Tyco BMW team as they scored their first front row start of the season.

The pair will be joined on the front row by the PBM Kawasaki of Stuart Easton as the Scottish contender saved his best lap until last to push Ryuichi Kiyonari back to the second row, claiming his first top three qualifying position of his campaign.

Kiyonari had held off Shane 'Shakey' Byrne and the defending champion will start from the second row for the second consecutive round on the second of the PBM Kawasakis with Brands Hatch pole-sitter James Ellison completing row two.

Jason O'Halloran overcame a huge moment in Q3 on the exit of Shell to regain composure and post the seventh fastest time after saving a crash to keep Michael Laverty in eighth as the Tyco BMW team had both riders in Q3 for the first time this season.

Danny Buchan and Billy McConnell completed the top ten ahead of tomorrow's opening Bank Holiday race.

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Datatag Qualifying:

Josh Brookes (Milwaukee Yamaha) 1m:34.946s
Tommy Bridewell (Tyco BMW) +0.014s
Stuart Easton (PBM Kawasaki) +0.060s
Ryuichi Kiyonari (Buildbase BMW) +0.209s
Shane Byrne (PBM Kawasaki) +0.237s
James Ellison (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +0.449s
Jason O'Halloran (Honda Racing) +0.635s
Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) +0.660s
Danny Buchan (Be Wiser Kawasaki) +0.803s
Billy McConnell (Smiths Racing BMW) +1.258s