As he walked up pit lane after the session, Byrne's comments reflected the relaxed way he's handling his 1098F FO8 this year. "The Airwaves Ducati guys spend hours toiling on these bikes for me, and I have the easy bit - I just ride them for 25 minutes."
Riders have used the practice windows to seek optimum setup for Sunday's two 20-lap races, as grid positions were determined in the qualifying session for the snowed-off opening BSB round at Brands in April. Byrne will start from pole, and Crutchlow, Haslam and Rizla Suzuki's Tom Sykes will complete the front row.
"We're getting a better understanding of the bike, and I'm feeling it more and more," said Camier, who broke a femur last year and suffered further injuries in testing earlier this season. "I'm pretty much back to fitness. I'm still not 100 percent, but every time I get on the bike I feel stronger."
The three young lions - Camier, Sykes and Crutchlow - are performing well this year, but it's hard to see them ruffling Byrne on a track where he scored a World Superbike double on a Ducati in 2003.
Saturday pm - Crutchlow Fourth Despite Injury
The injured Cal Crutchlow finished fourth fastest on his HM Plant Honda in the first of today's two free practice sessions this morning, just 0.808 seconds slower than the quickest rider on the 2.3-mile circuit, Shane Byrne on the Airwaves Ducati.
"I'm confident I can run round here at the front with the boys," Crutchlow said after climbing off the Fireblade. "Moving my body weight around was not difficult, and I am not putting my forces through the right-hand peg. I'm here to win races, but if tenth is the best I can do, tenth will be it."
The big question hanging over Crutchlow is whether his damaged right ankle will stand up to two 20-lap races tomorrow.
Crutchlow, 22, Tom Sykes, 22, and Leon Camier, 21, the three young lions expected to challenge the old guard in BSB this year, have all experienced difficult starts to the season through injury or crashes.
