Ryuichi Kiyonari clipped a third of a second off the Snetterton lap record to head off the challenge of his series leading HM Plant Honda team-mate Michael Rutter during free practice for the eighth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

Rutter, who had set the record during his strong results in the corresponding round last year, had set the pace but Kiyonari upped the tempo, and the pressure with a scorching lap in the final couple of minutes.

He lapped the 1.953 mile Norfolk circuit in a time of 1m 05.696secs as he underlined his determination to add to the eight race victories he has enjoyed so far this season: “I ride hard, very fast, but races will be tough as Michael is also very fast.”

Rutter has a 43 points advantage and has been the consistent force throughout the first half of the season, but he admits: “I have to start winning races and beat him. It is a bit frustrating for me, but I enjoy this circuit and have the bike well set. I have to be ahead of him to stop him pegging points back.”

They were sure footed, but a number of riders tumbled, among them the Airwaves Ducati duo of Leon Haslam and third in the title stakes Gregorio Lavilla. Haslam recovered to set third best time, but Lavilla was back in tenth place.

Tommy Hill, riding the Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha moved into fourth place on the leaderboard with a lap of 1m 06.531s, marginally faster than James Haydon who was capitalising on the development works carried out by the Rizla Suzuki team in a recent test at Croft.

Haydon also slid out of the afternoon session, but hit back to be running faster than Dean Thomas aboard the Hawk Kawasaki, with the reigning champion John Reynolds continuing his recovery from the leg injuries sustained in a pre-season testing crash, seventh fastest from Scott Smart who took a tumble from his Vivaldi Kawasaki.

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