Shane Byrne powers confidently into the fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship planning a happy return to the super-fast Snetterton circuit on which he is aiming for big returns in terms of a strong points haul to put his bid to regain the crown firmly back on track.

`Shakey,' as he is affectionately known to his fans, goes into the race on the back of a highly positive last round at Oulton Park in which he powered his Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda into a strong third place but even so he is playing catch-up on the early season leader Gregorio Lavilla who has a 98 points advantage over him.

Byrne is not conceding anything, and importantly has put behind him the heavy, high-speed crash he experienced at the Norfolk circuit in the opening minutes of free practice ahead of last year's race. “I just want to finish a race there,” he said.

“After bouncing down the track at 180mph last year, just to finish will be good. We've got the balance right for Snetterton and its just one of those places where you have to be really brave on the brakes so if we've got plenty of top speed there is no reason why we can't be up there again.”

Byrne, and his young team-mate Tom Sykes, are riding impressively at the moment to suggest they could spring a surprise or two at this stage of the season to upset the fast developing duel for supremacy between Airwaves Ducati rider Lavilla and the defending champion Ryuichi Kiyonari who between them have won all of the eight races so far.

They are the leaders in the title stakes, but each of them has a young team-mate determined to head them off. Leon Haslam, the runner-up of last term, took a pair of second placings last time out in Cheshire, and having recovered fully from injury for this round will be a serious contender for race wins on the Airwaves bike. That is also the case for HM Plant Honda's Jonathan Rea who has come close to enjoying the victor's champagne several times.

Rea has still to win a race in the top flight, but, in pre-season testing at the circuit rode impressively, sending out a warning to Kiyonari that his hopes of an action replay of his winning double of last term here could be in danger. Another young Honda rider, Leon Camier, riding in Bike Animal colours, will also pose a threat to the exciting Japanese star.

Chris Walker, four times the runner-up in the chase for the domestic crown, is looking for positive results after a struggling time at Oulton Park aboard the Rizla Suzuki and his teamster, the British Supersport Champion Cal Crutchlow is intent on finishing at least in the top six for the first time since his graduation into Superbike racing.

Tommy Hill again heads up the Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha challenge, with Michael Rutter continuing to make steady progress as he races and develops the Isilon MSS Discovery Kawasaki. And, the Bridewell brothers, Oliie and Tommy are also growing in stature with every race aboard the Team NB Suzukis to put them in line for top ten finishes.

James Buckingham will be aiming to extend his lead in the British Superbike Cup at the expense of Malcolm Ashley and Tristan Palmer while on a busy supporting race programme there is action also from the Maxxis British Supersport Championship in which Michael Laverty, Ian Lowry and Dennis Hobbs continue their scrap for the crown.

Adding to the thrills will be the fifth rounds of the Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Championship and Cup; the British 125GP Championship and the Virgin Media Cup plus the third round of the KTM 990 Super Duke Battle.