Ryuichi Kiyonari, the 22 year old Japanese rider who is currently unbeaten in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, shattered the Mallory Park lap record during practice for Sunday's double race third round.

The HM Plant Honda racer lapped consistently through the two sessions, making inroads on the record held by his team-mate Michael Rutter who lives adjacent to the Leicestershire circuit.

Rutter, currently third in the rankings, is intent on getting his title bid back on track in these races, but, Kiyonari is promising a tough time for all-comers, underlining that with a brilliant lap of the 1.39 mile circuit in 51.416secs, an average speed of 97.32mph.

“Last year here, circuit was difficult but I got good results - I put in many practice laps before the races to get to know better. I want better results, but many good riders out there make that hard,” smiled Kiyonari.

Dean Thomas, the Australian riding Hawk Kawasaki, closed within a tenth of a second of Kiyonari, marginally faster than the www.honda-racing.co.uk Fireblade ridden by former triple Supersport champion Karl Harris, both of whom were just inside the record.

Completing a good day for the Hawk Kawasaki team, Glen Richards was fourth fastest, ahead of Scott Smart and Leon Haslam.

Gregorio Lavilla, who trails Kiyonari 100-72 in the title stakes was eighth best on the day that the Airwaves Ducati team confirmed he would be riding for them for the remainder of the season at the expense of James Haydon.

The Spaniard has not finished outside the top four while deputising for the injured Haydon, who according to a team statement as `stood-down.'

Reigning champion John Reynolds, delighted that the broken bones in his right leg are healing well, was tenth fastest aboard the Rizla Suzuki, but there were more problems for former Grand Prix rider Jeremy McWilliams whose Stobart Honda was back in twentieth place, with a time of 53.217s, some 1.8 seconds down on Kiyonari's best.

James Buckingham was the fastest of the British Superbike Cup contenders with a lap of 52.652s aboard the Quay Garage Suzuki, with Danny Beaumont riding the JJL Honda some two tenths of a second adrift.

ends