Frustration for Louth's Peter Hickman in round seven of the Bennett's British Superbike Championship

Hickman was the lap record holder at the Lincolnshire circuit and last year won two of the three races and was a close second in the third race. But this year things have not gone to plan for the FHO Racing BMW rider and he could not replicate his previous results this time.

He said: “Going on to the back straight everyone just pulls away from me, it’s like I am on a 600 compared and it’s really hard to pass.

"It has been a frustrating weekend if I am honest but I don't know what I can do except perhaps be a bit braver on the first lap and try to get my elbows out a bit earlier. I need a miracle to get into the showdown now with only one round to go.”

Because Cadwell is such a narrow circuit it was decided that qualifying would be down to a single lap Superpole with each rider in turn from the top 15 doing a solo lap to determine the grid.