John Reynolds is determined to add to his five race winning pedigree as he

bids to tighten his grip on the THINK! British Superbike crown in the tenth

round at Croft - the Rizla Suzuki rider has tested at the circuit which is

hosting a round of the country's premier series for the first time and is

rarin' to go.

The twice former champion takes a comfortable lead of 73 points into the

action at the circuit, which is near Darlington, and reckons he is firmly

focussed on the business of winning races, rather than consolidating his

position. That spells problems for the pursuing pack, led by HM Plant

Honda rider Michael Rutter, with Hawk Kawasaki rider Scott Smart and

Suzuki's Yukio Kagayama in close contention.

Reynolds has raced at the circuit before. "That was back in 1998, and I

took a second place and a victory, so I have good memories of the circuit,

except that on that occasion it was a soaking wet and cold day - hopefully

the weather will be better this time around, and I am gunning for the same

results or better."

Going into the final third of the season, Reynolds is working intently to

stay ahead of the pack. "We are certainly going in the right direction, and

will be out there looking to win both races - there is no thought of riding

just to consolidate position in the championship. There is no time for

complacency. We are working hard, testing, all of the time.

It is necessary to try and stay ahead of the game in a series that has seen

seven different riders, representing five manufacturers, tasted the

winner's champagne so far. "I'm not surprised by the level of competition.

It has been tough and hard all year, so the challenges will keep coming in.

Everyone is riding better as the year has progressed."

Reynolds is ready to take them all on. "I'm really looking forward to the

races - the circuit is OK, a bit bumpy, but fast and exciting."

The rider who has to beat him is Rutter. He gave the then all-new

Fireblade victory first time out amid a strong start to the season, but the

Leicestershire based rider has struggled to match the pace in recent rounds

and now finds himself playing catch-up - he has not taken a race victory

since the mid-term Thruxton round and arrives at Croft knowing that nothing

short of double top will suffice if he is to head off Reynolds in the chase

for the crown.

The problem for Rutter is that he has also to fight off a strong challenge

for his current second place in the standings being mounted by Smart, the

Kawasaki rider who took his seasonal third victory last time out at Mallory

Park, while Japanese ace Kagayama is a constant threat, while Sean Emmett

is keen to finish his campaign aboard the MonsterMob Ducati in the top

three.

Adding to the front-running action will the revitalised James Haydon. He

joined the Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha team as their 'super-sub' while

their top rider Steve Plater recovered from a broken arm, but Haydon, with

a victory and a second place, has not only caught the eye, but also

persuaded

team-boss Rob McElnea to field four bikes. Plater, fit again, Gary Mason

and the impressive young upcoming rider Tommy Hill will be battling for

points alongside Haydon.

Meanwhile, in the chase for the Superbike Cup - the series within the

championship for privateer or Independent teams and riders - James Ellison,

who rode so impressively in the World Superbike event at Brands Hatch, is

heading the chase for honours. The Jentin Yamaha rider however will face a

tough time against the local favourite Dennis Hobbs, while both Jon Kirkham

and James Buckingham are well in contention.

THINK! British Superbike Championship standings after round nine:

John Reynolds 335

Michael Rutter 262

Scott Smart 240

Yukio Kagayama 229

Sean Emmett 226

Dean Thomas 124

Ryuichi Kiyonari 124

James Haydon 111

Tommy Hill 98

Gary Mason 85

Superbike Cup for Independent teams and riders

James Ellison 333

Dennis Hobbs 294

Jon Kirkham 261