John Reynolds is facing a race against time in his efforts to be fit to

ride in the seventh round of the THINK! British Superbike Championship at

Brands Hatch - against the odds, the series leader is intending to race on

just two weeks after breaking his collar-bone in a racing accident in the

previous round.

The twice former champion is prepared to ride in a damage limitation

exercise to maintain his hopes of taking the domestic crown for a third

time. The Rizla Suzuki rider could only sit and watch as Michael Rutter

came within eight points of him at the top of the standings.

Reynolds, who had taken a fifth successive second place in the opener at

the Hampshire circuit, crashed out of the second race in the early stages,

in a tangle with his team-mate for that meeting, Gregorio Lavilla. Rutter

took second place in that race, which was won by Sean Emmett, and that

result together with his first race success aboard the HM Plant Honda

Fireblade put him right back into contention for maiden title glory.

"My collarbone is broken in the same place as it was in the crash at

Silverstone last year," Reynolds confirmed. "I am in some pain,and will be

resting and receiving treatment right up to and including Brands Hatch. I

will not know if I can race until I get there and try."

As Reynolds agonises over his decision to race, Suzuki will have their

crowd favourite Yukio Kagayama back in action. He also broke a collarbone

during qualifying for the Suzuka 300kms race, which forced him out of

Thruxton, and cost him dearly in terms of the championship race, in which

he finds himself fourth in the standings, a point down on Scott Smart.

The Hawk Kawasaki rider, who took that marvellous first victory for the

team at Mondello Park, has the distinction of being the only racer to have

scored points in every round so far, and at his local circuit, he is keen

to impress. Joining him in the team, to take the place of the injured Glen

Richards, is Isle of Man TT race winning hero John McGuinness, a former

British 250cc Championship, who has a wealth of experience in both

Supersport and Superbikes.

James Haydon continues to deputise for the injured Steve Plater in the

Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha team, riding alongside Gary Mason and the

team's highly impressive young rider Tommy Hill, who is making the most of

the ride he won as last year's Yamaha R6 Cup Champion.

The ETI Ducati team will have Iain Macpherson riding for them, as they look

for an upturn in fortunes, while the Sendo Dienza Ducati team are hoping

for strong performances from their Aussie Dean Thomas who underlined his

pace by taking his, and the team's first ever Superbike pole last time out

at Thruxton.

Adding further spice will be the appearance by World Superbike regualars,

Noriyuki Haga and Leon Haslam aboard their Renegade Ducatis - Haga, twice a

winner so far is fifth in the world rankings, two places ahead of his young

team-mate.

They will all make life difficult for the title chasing duo. Rutter, the

winner of three races, and who has top three finishes in every race bar

one, when he tumbled out of the lead in the first race at Mondello, goes

into the halfway point of the championship knowing that nothing less than

double victory here will suffice.

Emmett, having tasted the winner's champagne for a second time at Thruxton,

is eager for more, and having won at the Kent circuit earlier in the season

is feeling confident, but the determined Reynolds could hold the key to the

races.

And, in the scrap for the Superbike Cup, James Ellison is looking to build

on his series lead, but, can expect a tough time from Dennis Hobbs and Jon

Kirkham, currently level pegging in second place, and the determined James

Buckingham.

All the action will take place on the revered 2.6 miles Brands Hatch Grand Prix

Circuit.

ends