McWilliams off to a flyer

Ulsterman Jeremy McWilliams produced a stunning qualifying performance today to claim a provisional front row spot for the penultimate MotoGP race of the season at Phillip Island in Australia.

McWilliams, who lists the Australian venue as his favourite, battled for top spot throughout this morning’s opening qualifying session.

But the four-stroke West Honda of Alex Barros snatched provisional pole in the dying seconds with a blistering lap of one minute 33.002 seconds.

The two-stroke Red Bull Yamaha of home favourite Garry McCoy took second spot with McWilliams in third aboard his Team KR Proton, less than a quarter of a second down on Barros.

Jurgen van der Goorbergh’s Kanemoto Honda completed the front row as the regular front-runners struggled to keep pace.

World champion Valentino Rossi was almost half a second slower than Barros in fifth while Max Biaggi - who won last weekend in Malaysia - was eighth.

In the 250cc class Earl Shilton-born Jason Vincent led the British challenge in 17th while Cibertel Honda team-mate Leon Haslam, from Derby, was 20th. Welsh teenager Chaz Davies took his Meteoni Aprilia to 27th in the 125cc category.