Leon Haslam and Tom Sykes grabbed front row starts as series leading Gregorio Lavilla headed off the challenge of reigning champion Ryuichi Kiyonari to claim pole start for the Holiday Monday fourth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park.

The Spanish rider finally headed off his rivals with a 101.54mph lap of the Cheshire circuit to top qualifying for the first time this season as he bids for an action replay of the winning double he enjoyed in the corresponding round of last year.

Kiyonari, the winner of both races at Silverstone last Sunday to close within 32 points of Lavilla in the title stakes, lapped just 0.164secs down to go second fastest, but is all too well aware of the growing threat from the home riders who are determined to bring the crown back to Britain after two years of International dominance.

Leon Haslam, still recovering from the bruising he took in 175mph crash ten days earlier, put in a series of consistent laps, including a race distance run, set third best time, 1m 35.992secs and is keen to get his title back on track with his first victories of the season.

“I'm still a bit sore, but on the bike I'm feeling good. The leg is still swollen and there is some nerve damage, but I keep packing it with ice to get the swelling down and just keep going,” said the runner-up of last term.

“I'm feeling good about these races and we've done a lot of work on the bike and now I reckon that I can get some strong results here, and it would be great to get my first win of the season.”

Completing the front row is 21 year old Tom Sykes, who enjoyed his best ever qualifying performance since graduating to the top flight from Supersport racing with the Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda team.

“That was more like it, though I thought that I had blown my chances because I was going strongly on my flying lap but got baulked, so I eased off and somehow got another lap out of my qualifier.

“I just my stuck out and went for it. The lap was spot on and to be on the front row here is beyond my wildest expectations. I have good setting, and am looking for good results now.”

His late, fast lap in 1m 35.991secs, eased Jonathan Rea back onto the second row, marginally faster than the former champion Shane `Shakey' Byrne who finds himself sandwich between the sport's young-guns as Cal Crutchlow and Leon Camier are packed in alongside him.

Karl Harris, Dean Thomas, Michael Rutter and Tommy Hill start from the third row, with Chris Walker, who tasted the winner's champagne on the previous occasions he raced here, albeit seven years ago, a disappointing thirteenth best on his Rizla Suzuki.

James Buckingham, riding the Quay Garage Honda, was the fastest of the British Superbike Cup riders, ahead of Tom Tunstall, Malcolm Ashley, Paul Barron and Tristan Palmer.

ends