Troy Bayliss clinched pole for Sunday's World Superbike races at Brands Hatch by the narrowest of margins.
The championship leader's fastest lap in Superpole qualifying was one minute, 25.656 seconds - only two hundreths of a second ahead of Noriyuki Haga.
Reigning British Superbike champion Ryuchi Kiyonari was third quickest.
Bayliss is retiring at the end of the season but closest title rival Max Neukirkchner was eighth, while British Superbikes star Tom Sykes was sixth.
Sykes has been given a wild card for this weekend.
Saturday's qualifying was disrupted by rain showers and Bayliss said he hoped for better conditions on race day.
"It was pretty scary coming into Clearways because there was still some water on the track and you're hard on the brakes there but luckily we stayed on the track," said the Ducati rider.
"We're hoping for a better day weather wise tomorrow, not just for us but for the fans as well, and hopefully two more wins."
Sunday's first race gets under way at 1300 BST, with the second race at 1630.
Superpole qualifying times:
1 T Bayliss (Aus) Ducati 1mins 25.656secs
2 N Haga (Jpn) Yamaha 1:25.679
3 R Kiyonari (Jpn) Honda 1:25.840
4 J Smrz (Cze) Ducati 1:25.960
5 T Corser (Aus) Yamaha 1:26.021
6 T Sykes (GB) Suzuki 1:26.166
7 M Biaggi (Ita) Ducati 1:26.169,
8 M Neukirchner (Ger) Suzuki 1:26.226
9 Y Kagayama (Jpn) Suzuki 1:26.501
10 F Nieto (Spa) Suzuki 1:26.688
11 C Checa (Spa) Honda 1:26.751
12 M Fabrizio (Ita) Ducati 1:26.807
13 G Lavilla (Spa) Honda 1:27.148
14 L Lanzi (Ita) Ducati 1:27.217
15 R Xaus (Spa) Ducati 1:27.246
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