With just eleven points between them as they prepare for the ninth round, the only men to challenge them thus far are the Airwaves Ducati duo of Leon Haslam and Gregorio Lavilla. All of the top four suffered crashes at the rain drenched
Oulton Park with Lavilla being run over by a fellow competitor leaving him with bruised and potentially cracked ribs.
Rea, who suffered a nasty high side in race one at Oulton Park make a superb come back to take his fourth victory of the campaign. He is brimming with confidence as he prepares for this latest showdown, “I am riding for the championship. I honestly believe that I can do it now. I am up there fighting for the title.”
The 20 year-old Ulster man is the man of the moment, having won four of the previous five races but he now has to conquer the short, but demanding Leicestershire circuit where last year Kiyonari shared the spoils of victory with Lavilla. Mallory is also the scene of Rea’s crash last year at the end of season ‘Race of the Year’ where he picked up a knee injury.
The Spanish rider although still battle scarred will be at his most determined; playing catch-up after a mid-season dip in form has dropped him to fourth place in the standings, adrift now of his team-mate Haslam who also goes into these races knowing that he needs to add to his winning tally to boost his hopes of title glory.
There are four riders from two teams in contention for the title – there are no team orders, and that should provide more intense scrapping at the front, although there are other riders joining in at the sharp-end.
Shane Byrne, riding the Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda, is showing the speed and style that took him to the title four years ago, and his young team-mate Tom Sykes is maturing with every race to pose a real threat.
Chris Walker, who clinched his return to the Rizla Suzuki Superbike team with a winning ride in the non-championship ‘Race of the Year’ at the circuit last October will be keen for an action replay of that, while his teamster, the Supersport champion who made his debut with the squad on that day will be looking for a positive result.
Tommy Hill, riding the lone Virgin Media Optoma Loans Yamaha, will be running strongly, while Michael Rutter, who lives adjacent to the circuit, is hoping for better things in a season of developing with the Isilon MSS Discovery Kawasaki. He is still carrying a wrist injury which is paining him and he suffered two falls at Oulton so he will be feeling a little second hand for his local round.
Keep an eye on Scott Smart riding the locally based Hawk Colchester Kawasaki, with Hydrex Honda’s Karl Harris, fresh from his podium finish at Oulton Park looking for an action replay while Ollie Bridewell is ever improving aboard the NB Suzuki.
Tristan Palmer riding the THR Honda will be aiming for a repeat of his British Superbike Cup winning double of last Sunday to increase his lead over James Buckingham, but the rider they have to keep in check is the local favourite Malcolm Ashley aboard the MAR Kawasaki.
