Ryuichi Kiyonari smashed the lap record at Croft during free practice for Sunday's double race sixth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

The HM Plant Honda rider quickly learned the demanding North Yorkshire circuit, putting in a best lap time of 1m 21.034s, a quarter of a second inside the record, as eclipsed, by a split second his series leading team-mate Michael Rutter.

Rutter, had set the pace for much of the two sessions, but took a tumble at the hairpin, escaping injury and though he was soon back out on track, he could not regain the advantage.

Kiyonari, currently third in the rankings, is playing catch-up in terms of the title, having missed four races through injury - the winner of the opening four races of the campaign, he enjoyed the victor's champagne at Mondello Park.

“Already my bike seems to be well suited to the track and I am hoping to get good results to move me nearer to top place in the standings. It will not be easy, because Michael is a very good rider - he wants the title badly, but so do I,” said Kiyonari.

Rutter is focussed on providing an action replay of the corresponding round of last year - then he took a winning double. “That would be nice - I need strong results here to maintain, or hopefully to enhance my championship lead.”

That will not be easy. Karl Harris, the former British Supersport Champion, also riding a Honda Fireblade was third fastest ahead of Aussie Dean Thomas, riding Hawk Kawasaki. Both are overdue success.

Spaniard Gregorio Lavilla, currently second in the rankings, 46 points down on Rutter was fifth best aboard the Airwaves Ducati, with Tommy Hill showing well on the Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha.

Defending champion John Reynolds made a solid return to action, running seventh on the Rizla Suzuki - he missed the previous two rounds to speed the healing process on the right leg, broken in five places in a pre-season testing crash.

Steve Plater, Leon Haslam and British Superbike Cup contender Danny Beaumont complete the top ten.

ends