Michael Rutter saved the best for last, with a lap of Oulton Park that not only clipped a fraction of a second off the lap record, but also gave him pole start for the penultimate round of the THINK! British Superbike Championship.

The HM Plant Honda rider goes into the two races at the Cheshire circuit needing to add to his six race wins so far this season in his efforts to reduce the 33 points by which he trails John Reynolds.

Rutter, who had escaped injury when he tumbled on his first lap, at Knickerbrook, had been back in eighth place on the leaderboard for much of the session, but turned on the speed and style with a late, dramatic burst in the final couple of minutes that produced a 1m 37.048s lap of the 2.692mile circuit and earned him his fourth pole start of the campaign.

“That was just right - it's really put one over them,” smiled Rutter, his confidence high, as he prepares to take on Reynolds in what could be a `shoot-out' for the crown.

The Rizla Suzuki rider, twice the former champion, was third fastest, just adrift of the Australian rider Dean Thomas, but happy with a front row start. “I want to win the races, and it is a case of digging in deep, but, I have a decent margin and that allows me to manage the position if necessary.”

MonsterMob Ducati rider Sean Emmett completes the front of the grid, while Reynolds' team-mate Yukio Kagayama, the winner of both races in an earlier round of the championship at the circuit, was fifth fastest, to start from the second row.

The Japanese rider could still hold the key to the outcome of the crown. He is keen to win these races to boost his hopes of taking third place overall in the standings, at the expense of Scott Smart, and should he win, then those results could be crucial in denying vital points to Rutter.

Steve Plater, after a first session he described as `a nightmare,' recovered well, setting sixth best time aboard the Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha, just ahead of Smart, who had escaped injury in a tumble during the first session.

His Hawk Kawasaki team-mate Glen Richards and Honda's Ryuichi Kiyonari complete the second row, while James Ellison, who needs eight points to clinch the Superbike Cup - a series within the main championship for independent riders and team - set the pace in that section, ahead of Jon Kirkham.

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