Superbikes: Bayliss races to pole position at Donington

TROY Bayliss splashed to his sixth pole start of the season at the World Superbike Championship 11th round at a wet Donington Park.

The Ducati Xerox rider recorded a best lap of one minute 42.013 seconds around the Leicestershire circuit to head off the challenge of Hannspree Honda's Ryuichi Kiyonari by a third of a second. Bayliss, bidding to take the title for a third time in his final season in the sport, has an 82-point advantage over Max Neukirchner who starts from the fourth row of the grid.

Troy Corser had looked set to snatch pole away from Bayliss in the last minute, only to high-side off his Yamaha Italia machine.