Brands BSB: Haslam more ‘comfortable’ on used tyre during qualifying

JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam has not had the strongest of starts to his MCE British Superbike race weekend, and during the free practice session’s yesterday he was unable to make it inside the top ten fastest times. But he found some extra pace to make it all the way to Superpole this afternoon, and will start from the second row in the opening race tomorrow.

The former Word Superbike star felt most ‘comfortable’ out on track on older tyre’s, because when his team put a new tyre on his ZX-10R he felt all the power in his bike was ‘exaggerated’ because of the extra grip.

But a 1’25.893 is a step in the right direction for the Smalley rider, and he is happy with his pace. Now his plan is to get away with the leading group and to have a good start so he can challenge for the win at the Brands Hatch GP track.

“I was comfortable doing my lap as I did it on an older tyre, and when we put a newer tyre in all the powers are exaggerated because we have actually got grip so the throttle connection, it was accelerating too fast and banging in and when it has got grip it loses the line straight away,” said Haslam, speaking to Bikesportnews.com from the track.

“For me hardly any laps, that was my first real run out here and got through Q2 with a used-ish tyre and felt pretty comfortable. Then the lap we did with the grippier tyre I just lost my lap no end of times because the engine banging in, and for me I am a tenth off a third with those issues, now we can start working and we have morning warm up to fix it.

“The pace is good - don’t know if it is as good as where Shakey is at but he tended to struggle more this afternoon too, and maybe the hotter temperatures did not suit him as much they did in the cooler ones. For me my race pace is OK like it was at Thruxton, at least we are starting from the second row this time rather than fifth or sixth. I think I can get away with them and I know the strengths of the bike and if I can get the fuelling and initial opening right I think we can race with them.”