John Reynolds left it late, but with a stunning lap of Oulton Park in the

closing seconds of qualifying for the fourth round of the THINK! British

Superbike Championship, powered his Rizla Suzuki onto pole, ahead of his

nearest rival in the title stakes, Michael Rutter.

The series leader had seemingly been outgunned in a dramtic ending to the

session, as first Dean Thomas riding the Sendo Dienza Ducati topped the

leaderboard, then Rutter nosed ahead, putting his HM Plant Honda Fireblade

on course for a third pole of the campaign.

However former twice champion Reynolds had other ideas, putting together an

inch perfect lap of the 2.692 mile Cheshire circuit, in a time of 1m

36.646s, some 0.75 seconds inside the record to snatch pole as the flag

went out.

Reynolds goes into the race determined to extend his 10 points advantage

over Rutter, but Aussie ace Thomas, still seeking maiden glory in the

series, is looking confident, while Yukio Kagayama, who completes the front

row of the grid has already beaten his Suzuki team-mate, at Snetterton,

last Sunday.

Gary Mason, fifth fastest, heads the Virgin Mobile Yamaha challenge in the

races, after his team-mate Steve Plater crashed out at Island Bend,

breaking his right arm.  Scott Smart, Sean Emmett and Leon Haslam, making

his seasonal debut into the championship aboard a Renegade Ducati complete

the second row.

But, Noriyuki Haga, making his first appearance in the domestic series,

found the going tough - already a winner in the World series this year, the

Japanese race-ace starts from the fourth row of the grid.

ends