Kent “really nervous” after Bridewell breakdown on way to Navarra pole
Danny Kent claimed pole position in Navarra at the opening British Superbike round despite being on track directly after Tommy Bridewell’s red flagged superpole run.
Danny Kent was setting records as he earned his first pole in BSB at the Navarro track in northern Spain’s first appearance on the calendar, with the Mar-Train Yamaha team - a first for the outfit too.
The McAMS sponsored Yamaha rider topped the timesheets against the odds, not just because he was a stranger to the pole slot before today - but because he was due on track directly after reigning champion Tommy Bridewells aborted affort.
The Honda rider had had an issue in FP2, which saw his team frantically running repairs up until the last second. The #1 plate made it out on track only to be flagged straight back in with smoke billowing from the back of his bike.
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The red flag then came out to check for oil, with Kent up next and very nervous that there may be remnants left on track.
the #52 expanded on how it felt to be next on track in the post race conference:
“Leading up to it, I was really nervous, obviously the rider before me was Tommy Bridewell and then I’m seeing on the TV with all the smoke - in the back of my mind I was going through sector one, hoping the was no oil on track.”
Like many of the riders, with plenty of laps under their belts with a test at Navarra directly before the race weekend, Kent was looking to clean up his time and stay within track limits, something which he managed better then most, adding:
“I’m fairly happy with my lap - over the last few days I’ve had a few laps cancelled on the exit to turn four, so I tipped into turn three a little bit later than what I have been all weekend.
His flying superpole lap was good enough for the top slot on the grid, but not the fastest of the weekend - that remained Ryan Vickers practice lap. Kent believes the weather played a part in the qualifying times:
“The wind was quite a bit faster, it’s really changed dramatically since this morning. I noticed it through turn five and six especially".
The former Moto3 Champion will take up the top spot on the grid tomorrow, with Navarra’s altered schedule bringing two twenty lap races.
