Thruxton BSB: Brake pressure issue contributed to Haslam crash

JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam suffered a big crash at the chicane during Thruxton’s MCE British Superbike Superpole session which scuppered his chance of making it to pole.

Fortunately Haslam was uninjured in the incident but he felt that the lack of brake pressure on the ZX-10RR caused him to repeatedly fold the front on corner-entry.

The Smalley rider made through to the final qualifying outing, but his tumble out on the Hampshire track means he will start from ninth.

“We have made some steps this weekend and the first few corners felt OK,” said Haslam at the circuit.

“But then corner by corner, I kept folding the front tyre and losing the front. I had a big moment at Church and going into the last chicane it kept folding on the brakes and I had hardly any brake pressure.

“It just floated under and that led me to run a bit far to the left and as soon as I flicked it, it folded again. To be honest the crash is probably a result of me running too fast from the corner before.

“I don’t know if we had a slow puncture or what but it didn’t feel that great halfway through the lap and onwards. We finished 13th last year and I surprised myself with how fast I was in Q2, and we went a second and a half faster than I did last year.”