Drama was never far away in Tissot Superpole for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship for the Championship’s first visit to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the inaugural Acerbis Catalunya Round, with British rider Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) taking his maiden pole position with a last ditch effort.

Booth-Amos was running in the top five until his final lap where he put in a 1’56.227s to take pole ahead of Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) by just 0.035s; Okaya also setting his best lap time right at the end of the 15-minute session. They will line-up alongside Paolo Grassia (Team CHIODO Moto Racing) with the Italian rider securing a good starting spot for the two races across the weekend with all three separated by just one tenth.

Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) will start the race from fourth place, missing out on a front row start by just over a tenth of a second, and will line up alongside Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) and teammate Alan Kroh; Kroh able to keep posting times at the top of the timesheets throughout the session.

Wildcard Angel Heredia (DEZA-ISMABON Racing Team) secured a third row start with seventh place ahead of 2017 WorldSSP300 Champion Marc Garcia (2R Racing) in eighth; the World Champion making his return to the Championship. Adrian Huertas (ProGP Racing) completes the third row with Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) completing the top ten.

Championship leader Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) will start in 13^th place after posting a time six tenths away from Booth-Amos’ pole time; lining up alongside Filippo Rovelli (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) and Inigo Bravo Iglesias (Scuderia Maranga Racing) on the fifth row.

The dramatic session culminated with Oliver König (MOVISIO by Freudenberg Jr Team), Ton Kawakami (Yamaha MS Racing) and Alfonso Coppola (Kawasaki GP Project) all crashing at Turn 10 in quick succession. Coppola was able to return to the pits and will start in 10^th place while Kawakami will start in 25^th place. König was taken to the medical centre for a check-up and will be reassessed before Race 1.

Top six following WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole, full results here:

1.) Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) 1’56.227s

2.) Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) +0.035s

3.) Paolo Grassia (Team CHIODO Moto Racing) +0.099s

4.) Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) +0.262s

5.) Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) +0.470s

6.) Alan Kroh (Yamaha MS Racing) +0.488s

You can follow the action throughout the Catalunya Round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!