Samsung Suzuki's John Hopkins has set the fastest time in the wet third British Superbike free practice at Oulton Park this afternoon, leading Michael Laverty and Josh Brookes with a lighning lap at the end of a session which began strangely.
On the opening laps, HM Plant Honda's Ryuichi Kiyonari crashed at Shell Hairpin and was immediately followed by Martin Jessopp on the Rapid Ducati. Shane Byrne and James Ellison also went down, prompting a red flag and track inspection which found nothing more slippery on the surface than water.
When the session re-started, Hill blitzed into the lead with a 1'49.287 and he remained more than a second ahead of the pack until he increased the pace again on a 1'49.133 but Laverty wasn't being shaken off, putting in a 1'49.616 with Peter Hickman in third place but miles off on a 1'51.013 before Chris Walker took that place with a 1'50.311.
On the half hour, Laverty finally took the lead with a 1'48.474 as John Hopkins finally woke up to go third fastest. Relentless Suzuki's Josh Brookes had that place in his sights, though, first going fifth fastest, then second quickest to depose Hill.
Hill fought back, however, going fastest again with a 1'48.377 but Brookes hit the front for the first time this year just a lap later on a 1'48.263 as Hickman re-took fourth place but was immediately usurped by Michael Rutter's Rapid Ducati.
Laverty then put in the fastest lap of the session to take top spot by half a second from Brookes with a 1'47.646. The Australian also improved to a 1'48.144 which was enough to see off Hill but Hopkins then went three-tenths faster than the Yamaha man to go quickest on a 1'47.313.
His lap bumped Rutter back to fifth and Kiyonari made it back out after some fast repair work by his team to finish in sixth. Team-mate Byrne was seventh while Walker slipped back to eighth. Hickman finished ninth with Ellison tenth.
Glen Richards took top spot in the Evo class and was 14th overall with Patric Muff one place behind. Graeme Gowland was third (17th) while early leader Scott Smart, who was sixth fastest overall early on, crashed unhurt at Knickerbrook - the same place Karl Harris lobbed it right at session start.
