The HM Plant Honda is unbeaten in the last three races, and Rea has been on a roll of three back to back race wins which has closed him up to within eleven points of his team-mate, the defending champion, Ryuichi Kiyonari.
The duel for the crown is not just an in-team scrap between the Honda pair, as Leon Haslam is gathering pace following his first win of the year at Mondello Park. He is running fourth, and closing rapidly on his Airwaves Ducati team-mate, former champion, Gregorio Lavilla.
The four riders are separated by only 43 points and with the two young British riders on top form the pressure is on the international stars who dominated the early season action.
Both Lavilla and Kiyonari won on the previous visit to the undulating circuit, while Haslam was enjoying a turning point in his campaign, riding strongly to take a pair of second placings. He has built on that form and is now brimming with confidence as his season is turning around.
Rea is still playing catch up but since his maiden race win at his home round, he has proved to be the form-man of the series, with a brilliant front-running performance taking him to a double win at the rain-soaked
Knockhill round.
The 20 year-old from Ballyclare is modest, quick to praise his team and tyre technicians for their input. “I have a good team around me. They are working hard for me. I have a good feeling about everything, my bike, the tyres, and the results – to be second in the championship and eleven points down on Kiyo is good. Now I have to keep plugging away, keep closing the gap on him.”
There are no predictions from Rea, rather a realism and a desire to concentrate on the job of scoring as many points as possible. However, his run of form suggests that he will again be a real force to be reckoned with at
Oulton Park.
That will not be lost on Kiyonari, who will be re-doubling his efforts to win and of course beat his team-mate. Lavilla will also be on a charge as he lost ground when he slid off in the second Scottish race, while Haslam has to up his game even further if he is to head off the determined Rea.
Going into the second half of the campaign, it is make or break time for three riders who are on the fringes of the leading quartet. Former champion Shane Byrne, riding the Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda, needs race victories to maintain his hopes of a late challenge to regain the crown he held four years ago. Meanwhile, Supersport graduates Leon Camier and Tom Sykes are closing in on him. Camier made a stunning start to the season with three podium finishes, but has lacked consistency since, while Tom Sykes, currently 13 points down on his more experience team-mate Byrne is riding strongly.
Chris Walker is long overdue a top three finish aboard the Rizla Suzuki while Tommy Hill has had little reward for his hard riding efforts aboard the Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha to be running just ahead of Hydrex Honda rider Karl Harris.
Michael Rutter should be back to fitness and returning to action aboard the Isilon MSS Discovery Kawasaki while Scott Smart, riding the Hawk Colchester Kawasaki, needs a solid points scoring round. He finds himself in between the ever improving Bridewell brothers, Ollie and Tommy, who have settled well in their first season aboard the Team NB Suzukis.
