Reigning Bennetts British Superbike champion Gregorio Lavilla heads for Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday, intent on another winning double to further extend his title lead over Airwaves Ducati team-mate Leon Haslam in round four of the 2006 series.
The Spaniard made it four wins out of six starts as he dominated the Easter weekend action, at record breaking pace, at Thruxton - firing a double 'hands-off' salvo to the pretenders to his crown and opened up a useful 36 points lead in the overall rankings.
But Haslam, who will be back to fitness having recovered from the dislocated right ankle sustained in a crash in the Brands Hatch seasonal opener, starts these races in no mood to be beaten again - last time out, he admitted: "it is frustrating to make a good start, and then have him come past me, but in fairness, he is riding well at the moment."
The Derbyshire rider does not like settling for second best and is determined to enjoy an action replay of his victory in the corresponding round last year while, for Michael Rutter - the other winner on that day - a repeat would be just the confidence booster that he and the Stobart Motorsport Honda team need after a difficult weekend at Thruxton.
The Ducatis are threatening to take charge, and that is not lost on the HM Plant Honda riders Ryuichi Kiyonari and Karl Harris. The pressure is on them. The HRC factory backed effort is bidding for a third time to take the British title, and given the heavy investment and thousands of miles of pre-season testing, expectations are high.
Kiyonari has tasted the victor's champagne only once so far, slipping back to third place in the table - a couple of points down on Haslam - while Harris is fifth, adrift of the young Red Bull Honda rider Jonathan Rea. They know what is expected of them, and Kiyonari had good memories of the parkland circuit having taken a winning double there towards the end of last season as he sought to deny Lavilla the title.
The Rizla Suzuki team is also in need of positive results - they had a disastrous time in the rain-lashed Donington Park round, and then had another bad day at the office at Thruxton. The ill-fortunes that have befallen James Haydon and former champion Shane Byrne have proved costly, and they are keen to make amends.
Dean Thomas has shown the potential of the Hawk Kawasaki and is looking to build on that, while his fellow Australian Craig Coxhell, who missed the last round with a shoulder injury, returns to the action. Another Aussie Billy McConnell will be hoping for better things also, as he lines up alongside his Virgin Mobile Yamaha team-mates Tommy Hill and Kieran Clarke.
Gary Mason and Glen Richards will be chasing positive results with their Hydrex Hondas, and keep an eye on Steve Plater who first tasted Superbike glory at this circuit, and is keen for more now on the JJL UK Diggers Honda.
Chris Martin heads the chase for the British Superbike Cup, but the York rider faces a tough test to maintain his superiority, under pressure from both the defending champion James Buckingham and the determined Marty Nutt.
Around the two Superbike races there is an action packed programme, featuring the fourth round of the British Supersport Championship, plus British 125GP, Virgin Mobile Cup - a one-make series for Yamaha R6 bikes and featuring young, upcoming riders, together the packed starting grids for both the Metzeler Racetec National Superstock Championship and Cup races.
Practice and qualifying is on 29-30 April with all racing on Monday 1 May.
