James Westmoreland underlined his determination to snatch one of the two remaining Title Fighter places in the Showdown for the MCE Insurance British Superbike crown as he dramatically set the pace in the opening free practice sessions at Donington Park ahead of the decisive ninth round at the Leicestershire circuit.

The WFR Honda rider is one of the eight contenders bidding for the remaining two places to complete the six riders who will be elevated to “Title Fighter” status after these races and Westmoreland eclipsed both of the already qualified Michael Laverty (Samsung Honda) and Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) in the battle for the top spot.

Westmoreland’s team-mate Alex Lowes who gave WFR their first ever pole start and podium finish in the previous round at Cadwell Park to move into the crucial sixth place was also on the pace in fourth. He had been out-gunned in the first session by Brookes whose Tyco Suzuki team-mate Alastair Seeley kept his hopes of making the top six alive with consistently fast laps.

However Tommy Bridewell who is currently fifth in the standings on the Supersonic BMW and seventh placed Padgett’s Honda rider Ian Lowry both need to find more pace in Saturday’s final qualifying to maintain their hopes, improving their current tenth and fourteenth fastest positions.

Noriyuki Haga, who slipped from sixth to eighth in the rankings having missed the previous round because of a broken collarbone crashed off his Swan Yamaha at Redgate bashing his other shoulder, but will race on and is looking to drastically improve his lap times after ending the day 16th. Local hero Chris Walker and Stuart Easton also need to do close the deficit in Saturdays qualifying.

Series leader Tommy Hill crashed at Coppice without injury as he continues to defend his championship title.

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