HM Plant Honda's Ryuichi Kiyonari has been given the 'thumbs-up' to make a racing return in the double race fifth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Mondello Park on Sunday 15 May.
The 22-year-old Japanese rider has been given clearance by medics, having recovered from the bruising he took in a high speed crash during the third round last month and now Kiyonari is a man in a hurry, playing catch-up in the title stakes.
He had won the opening four races to be the comfortable leader in the points standings, but his crash in the opening action at
Mallory Park proved both painful and also costly in terms of his title dream.
Michael Rutter, his team-mate, fully exploited his absence by moving comfortably clear in the rankings as he enjoyed a hat-trick of victories with Honda powering the victors of the first seven races. That sequence was ended, in a dramatic style last time out by Leon Haslam, the Airwaves Ducati rider, who won a fairing bashing last lap encounter to win the dash to the flag.
The victory underlined the impact the Airwaves backed GSE team is enjoying on their return to the series, and as they power into the Irish round, they will be expecting further consolidation, with Gregorio Lavilla looking to tighten his hold on second place in the standings.
The Spanish rider will be riding the short, demanding circuit for the first time, but he has proved to be a fast learner, taking six top three finishes so far, to be running 56 points down on the confident Rutter who has bitter-sweet memories of the circuit.
Last year, he was leading the first race comfortably when twice his Fireblade bucked awkwardly out of line - he managed to hold it once, but the second time he was down. Some consolation came with victory in the second race. Now he is intent on a winning double to keep the threat of his hard, fast riding team-mate Kiyonari at bay.
The Honda duo expect to be setting the pace, but they can take nothing for granted about the Ducatis. Lavilla has still to taste the winner's champagne, Haslam enjoyed it and now is eager for more.
