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The one-lap Superpole shoot-out at Brands Hatch capped the weekend for Team Virgin Mobile Aiwa Yamaha riders, Kiwi, Simon Crafar and Steve Plater, with both not able to match their superb qualifying performances from earlier in the day.
The pair had looked in impressive form during the sessions that preceded the final single-lapper, ultimately deciding the final grid positions for tomorrow’s brace of big bike races.
Throughout the timed portions of the weekend both riders were consistently able to record strong race times.
In the final session immediately before Superpole Steve was third fastest overall, having just been nudged down the order by one place int he last gasps of the session. Simon was also able to set a string of top ten times.
Both riders and team had set about getting optimum performance from the race set-up, opting to use the race rubber thought to be ideal for tomorrow’s hot conditions forecast for the majority of the session.
As the Superpole session came around Simon was out first, giving the lap his best attempt: ‘I was trying to turn the bike later in to the turn to make the most of the qualifying, super soft rear tyre but I ran into a couple of problems`.
‘I couldn’t make the most of the tyre like I thought I would be able to. I ran wide at a couple of places and that was it – the lap was ruined. It’s frustrating because we both have been faster out there today but to not be able to fire in a quick time in Superpole negates that a bit.’
The result was; Steve Plater on 10th place and Simon on 13th
