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News, Views & Racing Results ....
 BSB: IMPRESSIVE REA TOPS OFFICIAL TESTING AT SNETTERTON - 25-03-2007
Jonathan Rea underlined his credentials for a determined challenge for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship with a series of consistently fast laps during the final day of the official test, featuring all of the major players from the series, at Snetterton.
Riding the HM Plant Honda, he had set the pace during the second of the three sessions but saved the best for late on providing a champagne winning finale as he recorded a lap of 108.094secs, covering the 1.952mile Norfolk circuit in 1m 05.010secs.
“We still have a bit of work to do with the bike, fine tuning one or two things, but I am happy enough with that,” said the 20 year old Ballyclare rider who recently had also topped the time sheets during testing in Spain. “Everything here has been good, and I am so lucky to have such a good team around me.”
Leon Haslam, riding the Airwaves Ducati, was never far adrift, and he was one of only a handful of riders to brave the damp and chill of the first two days: “It was a case of getting acclimatised to those conditions, getting the gearing set-up, but it was much better on the final day, despite the blustery wind.
“I’ve been quick throughout testing, and am ready for the opening round – I won the final race of last season at Brands Hatch and now I intend to win the first one of this year there.”
His best lap came in 1m 05.829secs, while the reigning champion Ryuichi Kiyonari recorded a time of 1m 05.912secs, as like his team-mate Rea, he lapped consistently, to be running two tenths of a second up on Virgin Media Yamaha rider Tommy Hill.
Gregorio Lavilla, the champion of 2005, ran fifth aboard his Ducati, lapping in 1m 06.165secs with Tom Sykes, graduating from British Supersports with the Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport team completing the top six with a time of 1m 06.386secs.
Leon Camier, a former winner of the Supersport title, showed his style with a time of 1m 06.473secs aboard the BikeAnimal Honda, just ahead of former champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and the returning force of Chris Walker who recorded a time of 1m 06.963secs aboard his Rizla Suzuki, a split second up his team-mate, Supersport champion Cal Crutchlow, who took a tumble without injury.
Karl Harris continued his testing programme with Hydrex Honda with a time of 1m 07.737secs, just ahead of Michael Rutter on the latest MSS Discovery Kawasaki with the Bridewell brothers, Olly and Tommy, in close contention on the Team NB Suzukis, as Haw Kawasaki rider Peter Hickman completed the top fifteen.
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