As the mercury soared to 30 degrees at Brands Hatch, the Pirelli National Sportbike with Moneybarn Vehicle Finance series saw intense action on track during Friday’s practice sessions. Championship leader Edoardo Colombi demonstrated his prowess by setting the fastest lap of the day, quickly adapting to the challenging Brands Hatch GP circuit.

The Italian rider, aboard his Gradara Corse Asd Aprilia RS660, clocked an impressive 1:33.289 in the afternoon session, a significant improvement from his morning time. This performance put him 0.355 seconds clear of his nearest rival, showcasing his potential for the weekend ahead.

Richard Cooper, piloting the PHR Performance Triumph Daytona 660, maintained his consistency throughout the day. After leading the morning session, Cooper ended the day second fastest, proving that he will be a force to be reckoned with as the weekend progresses.

Ash Barnes continued his strong form on the Raceways Yamaha YZF-R7, securing the third fastest time of the day and demonstrating the competitiveness of the Yamaha machinery in the series. His performance suggests he could be a potential podium contender in the upcoming races.

Aaron Silvester, riding for MIH Solutions / Macadam Racing on a Triumph Daytona 660, showed impressive pace to claim the fourth fastest time, while Zak Shelton rounded out the top five on his XMT Racing Aprilia RS660.

The sessions highlighted the competitive nature of the Sportbike class, with the top five riders separated by less than two seconds. This close competition, combined with the challenging nature of the Brands Hatch GP circuit and the scorching weather conditions, sets the stage for what promises to be an exciting qualifying session and race.

As teams and riders now focus on fine-tuning their setups, the battle for pole position is expected to be fierce, with Colombi looking to convert his practice pace into a strong grid position for the race.

Top 10 Combined Times:

1. Edoardo Colombi (Gradara Corse Asd Aprilia RS660) – 1:33.289
2. Richard Cooper (PHR Performance Triumph Daytona 660) – 1:33.644
3. Ash Barnes (Raceways Yamaha YZF-R7) – 1:34.383
4. Aaron Silvester (MIH Solutions / Macadam Racing Triumph Daytona 660) – 1:34.731
5. Zak Shelton (XMT Racing Aprilia RS660) – 1:34.927
6. Finn Smart-Weeden (Definnitive Racing Aprilia RS660) – 1:34.936
7. Rhys Stephenson (Rocket Racing Triumph Daytona 660) – 1:35.000
8. Thomas Strudwick (TS Racing Triumph Daytona 660) – 1:35.055
9. Caolan Irwin (Burrows Engineering / RK Racing Aprilia RS660) – 1:35.095
10. Harrison Dessoy (Rev2Race Yamaha YZF-R7) – 1:35.202

With such close times at the top, Saturday’s qualifying session is poised to be a thrilling spectacle as riders push their limits in pursuit of the best grid positions for the race.