Rea and Laverty chase podiums at Mallory.

Red Bull Honda riders Jonathan Rea and Eugene Laverty head to Mallory Park circuit this weekend for round six of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and the British Supersport Championship respectively.

Red Bull Honda riders Jonathan Rea and Eugene Laverty head to Mallory Park circuit this weekend for round six of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and the British Supersport Championship respectively.

Currently, 19-year-old Jonathan Rea lies in sixth place in the ultra-competitive British Superbike Championship and is raring to claim his first-ever BSB podium. So far this season, Rea has scored two fourth place finishes and has consistently demonstrated, with inspiring race performances that his first rostrum finish is clearly within his grasp. The Louth-based rider has, time and again, mixed it with the front runners in the fierce Championship and is determined to continue in the same vein at the 1.41-mile Leicestershire track.

While Rea concentrates on a top three finish, fellow Red Bull rider Eugene Laverty will be focused on retaining his British Supersport Championship lead as he lines up on the grid aboard his Dunlop-shod CBR600RR race machine.

Presently, Laverty has a slim one-point advantage over Cal Crutchlow on the Northpoint Ekerlold Honda. The Ulsterman has stamped his authority on the series with two consecutive race victories and a one hundred per cent rostrum finish rate, but the 19-year-old has been under pressure all the way to the top and Laverty knows that there will be little, if no, let-up this weekend.

Both riders are keen to get back on track after the last rounds of their championships were cancelled due to torrential rain at Mondello Park. The series' organiser, MCRCB Events, has now decided that the cancelled races in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship will not be re-arranged, however the points at stake in the aborted fifth round will now be transferred to the final meeting at Brands Hatch on Sunday 1 October. This means that in each of the two races at the Kent circuit, double points will be awarded. It has also been decided that the British Supersport Championship race will be moved to Brands Hatch, giving the competitors a double-header, with two races at the final round.

"It was a shame not to be able to race at Mondello Park and now it seems quite a while ago that we were in the thick of it, so I guess everyone is looking forward to this weekend," said Rea, "We tested at Mallory at the beginning of May and it went well for us so, hopefully, this weekend I will be tasting some of that champagne."

"The pressure is certainly on and as they say; 'it's tough at the top', but I'm confident of a good weekend. When we were here at the beginning of May I was the quickest so we know that the CBR600RR is strong around here and hopefully that hasn't changed," commented Laverty.

"Both the guys are doing really well at the moment and we just have to keep concentrated. Jonathan's first rostrum isn't far away and we are looking forward to that," said team manger Havier Beltran, "He has shown that he is more than competitive while Eugene has proven that he is a consistent podium finisher and race winner. It is good to be where we are at this stage of the proceedings; there is a good feeling in the camp and we are looking to keep it that way."

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