Rutter fastest in practice.

HM Plant Honda's Michael Rutter set the fastest time in the last practice session ahead of Rizla Suzuki's John Reynolds in the fourth round of BSB from Oulton Park.

Reynolds, who has been dominant this weekend so far, was pipped for fastest time in the dying stages of the second practice session by Rutter. HM Honda's sole rider, following Kiyonari's accident this morning which has put him out for the weekend, goes into tomorrow's qualifying at the top of the time sheets.

HM Plant Honda's Michael Rutter set the fastest time in the last practice session ahead of Rizla Suzuki's John Reynolds in the fourth round of BSB from Oulton Park.

Reynolds, who has been dominant this weekend so far, was pipped for fastest time in the dying stages of the second practice session by Rutter. HM Honda's sole rider, following Kiyonari's accident this morning which has put him out for the weekend, goes into tomorrow's qualifying at the top of the time sheets.

Reynolds team mate, Yukio Kagayama, shares third fastest time with Sendo Ducati's Dean Thomas. Kagayama, who won the first race last weekend at Snetterton, is apparently unhappy with his bike set up and has made many changes during the second practice session. Following these changes he is reportedly happier with the set up and confident of a top four in tomorrows qualifying sessions.

World Superbike contenders, Leon Haslam and Noriyuki Haga of Team Rengade Ducati, set the ninth and fifteenth fastest times respectively. The pair are here for some race practice but due to having to run on Pirelli tyre's for the WSBK championship they are unable to contend at the front of the pack. This highlights the speed difference of World and British Superbikes, Haslam, the fastest of the two WSBK contenders, is two seconds off the front man Rutter.

BSB has historically been faster than WSBK. We only have to look at last season's WSBK British round held at Brands Hatch where Shane Byrne beat the WSBK field as a wild card rider, to see this. That was back when the WSBK riders where not limited to running Pirelli tyres. Many teams in the BSB paddock do not consider any of the WSBK teams a threat irrespective of tyre's, even though WSBK is considered to be the pinnacle of Superbike racing.

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