The MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Showdown kicked off in dramatic style at the legendary Assen circuit this morning as Alex Lowes set the pace for Samsung Honda despite a crash towards the end of the session.

The session had started in damp conditions and as the leading contenders filtered out on to the circuit PJ Jacobsen set the early pace onboard the Tyco Suzuki from his team-mate Josh Brookes. The session was red flagged with 20 minutes remaining when Howie Mainwaring crashed unhurt but when it resumed the pack descended on to the track as it continued to dry.


Lowes had hit the top of the times for Samsung Honda and continued to hold the position ahead of Brookes and then an improving Shane 'Shakey' Byrne who was one of the last riders to set a lap. Tommy Bridewell had a strong start to his debut with Milwaukee Yamaha in the early stages of the session but a crash with just over ten minutes remaining ended his session prematurely although he was unhurt, leaving him tenth fastest.

At the front Jacobsen's last lap run put him up to second ahead of Byrne at a track where he was victorious in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship race last season with James Ellison on the leading Milwaukee Yamaha in fourth.

Brookes dropped to fifth in the final ten minutes of the session ahead of Jakub Smrz who ended sixth fastest despite a crash at turn one in the closing stages; he was also unhurt. James Westmoreland clocked the seventh fastest time on the leading Buildbase BMW, narrowly ahead of team-mate Jon Kirkham and Noriyuki Haga who debuted with the Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki team. The final Title Fighter, Ryuichi Kiyonari was eleventh fastest on the second Samsung Honda.

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, Assen, free practice one:

Alex Lowes (Samsung Honda) 1m:38.702s
PJ Jacobsen (Tyco Suzuki) +-.500s
Shane Byrne (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +0.546s
James Ellison (Milwaukee Yamaha) +0.657s
Josh Brookes (Tyco Suzuki) +0.821s
Jakub Smrz (Padgetts Honda) +0.849s
James Westmoreland (Buildbase BMW) +1.025s
Jon Kirkham (Buildbase BMW) +1.373s
Noriyuki Haga (Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki) +1.404s
Tommy Bridewell (Milwaukee Yamaha) +1.410s

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