Kiyo tops Silverstone Saturday practice

Ryuichi Kiyonari set the fast time in Saturday morning’s free practice session at Silverstone, in preparation for Sunday’s third round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship.

Kiyo’s time of 1:25.96 was just outside the HM Plant Honda rider’s own lap record of 1:25.51s set last year and 0.22s quicker than second placed Gregorio Lavilla on the Airwaves Ducati.

Third was Leon Camier on the Bike Animal Honda with a 1:26.32 and Virgin Yamaha’s Tommy Hill completed the top four with a 1:26.36.

Leon Haslam could only set tenth quickest time on his Airwaves Ducati but he was still feeling very second hand with heavy bruising to his left thigh and knee from his crash in Friday practice.

Rizla Suzuki pair Cal Crutchlow and Chris Walker were eighth and ninth respectively still trying to find a good base setting with the K7 GSX-R1000, even though they tested a new shock link at Oulton Park a week ago and thought they had solved the answers to their early-season problems. 

Dennis Hobbs set the pace in the first Supersport qualifying session on the Padgetts Honda. Virgin Yamaha’s Billy McConnell, Ian Lowry on the Relentless Suzuki and John McGuinness riding the second Padgetts bike completed the provisional front row. Series leader Michael Laverty was sixth quickest.

Tom Grant set fifth fastest time but crashed at Maggots and sustained a suspected fracture ankle and is uncertain for tomorrow’s race.  Stuart Easton also crashed early in the session and failed to register a lap time but after a visit to the medical centre to have a check up, he’s expected to ride his second MSS Kawasaki this afternoon.