Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes has hit the afterburners to set the fastest time in qualifying for the opening round of the World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island.

The Yorkshireman made up six places in Saturday’s second qualifier to complete regulation qualifying ahead of 2010 world champion Max Biaggi on the lightning fast Aprilia, reigning No.1 Carlos Checa (Ducati) and Czech rider Jakub Smrz (Ducati).

But it was extremely tight at the top of the timesheets, with the top 14 riders separated by less than one second, and the top five also going under Australian Troy Corser’s current lap record.

The fastest 16 riders in overall qualifying will now take part in the cut-throat Superpole session on Saturday afternoon (3pm AEDT), which will decide the final grid positions for Sunday’s two 22-lap races.

Other riders to compete in Superpole will include world No.2 Marco Melandri on a BMW, his British team-mate Leon Haslam, French Ducati rider Sylvain Guintoli, Suzuki’s Leon Haslam and Honda’s Jonathan Rea, who was the fastest in opening qualifying.

Rea was one of only two riders who failed to better their times from the opening qualifying session, although his charge was interrupted by a crash.

British rookie Chaz Davies (Aprilia) was another to bite the dust, but his was a high-speed tumble at turn two.

The fastest Australian was Bryan Staring on a Kawasaki in 18th, who just missed out on a Superpole berth.

He will start from the fifth row of the grid in the two races, with Josh Brookes (Suzuki) and Mark Aitchison (BMW) on row six, and David Johnson (BMW) on row seven.

Biaggi was the fastest down the main chute in qualifying, winding his V4 Aprilia out to 323.7 km/h.