Brands Hatch: Ten Kate Honda Saturday report

MUGGERIDGE SECOND FASTEST AT BRANDS HATCH

Karl Muggeridge will start tomorrow's two eighth round World Superbike championship races at Brands Hatch in the UK from the front row of the grid after setting the second fastest time in this afternoon's Superpole event. Fellow Australian, Troy Corser, grabbed pole position, with Muggeridge's Winston Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Chris Vermeulen, setting the eighth fastest time.

After earlier struggling to find the right setting for his Superbike debut at the 4.2km Kent circuit, Muggeridge improved on his regulation qualifying position of ninth place in the one-lap Superpole shoot-out. Vermeulen was the penultimate Superpole rider but was unable to improve on his time.

Ronald ten Kate - team manager:

"After all the team's work and the riders' performances this weekend, I think we deserved two front row places. Karl made an excellent Superpole lap apart from a small mistake on the final corner, losing time that may have cost him his first pole position. We know Chris struggles a little with Superpole, especially being one of the last riders to go out, but at least he normally improves on his qualifying time. Having said that, we're quite happy with the race settings for both riders and I'm sure there will be two good battles out there tomorrow afternoon."

Karl Muggeridge - second fastest, 1m26.833s

"After this morning, we changed a lot of things on the bike for the afternoon free practice and it felt heaps better. I was just a bit eager on the last corner of my Superpole lap - I really wanted pole position and made a mistake going for that important final drive to the line. The bike probably looked a bit out of shape but it was really my wrist! It's my best qualifying performance and we've made a jump forward with the bike. Brands Hatch is one of my favourite circuits so I'll be looking for two really good results tomorrow."

Chris Vermeulen - eighth fastest, 1m27.196s

"I don't know, I think I just suck at Superpole! I hate waiting in the box for the other guys to go and I just rode too slow in the first part of the lap. Ronald calls me a diesel, because I take a few laps to get going and I think I would have been flying with another lap. I didn't want to make any mistakes though, so I just braked too early for the first three corners, although it got better in the last sector. But I know we've got a good set- up for tomorrow and I'm not too worried. I've won races from the second row before."

-wtkh-