Swan Yamaha's Tommy Hill paddled his way to top spot in this morning's opening British Superbike free practice session at a wet Knockhill, fending off the attentions of team-mate Michael Laverty and Shane Byrne's HM Plant Honda with his final lap.
Hill went round in 53'327 with his last push, three-tenths ahead of Laverty while Byrne, who had been fastest right until the death, is four-tenths off the pace on a 53.744. Samsung Suzuki's John Hopkins is fourth quickest but more than half a second in arrears.
Motorpoint Yamaha's James Westmoreland stuck his YZF-R1 in fifth with his last lap but is more than a second off the pace and his time was enough to demote WFR Honda man Glen Richards into sixth. The Adelaide man is easily the fastest Evo class rider and is a tenth slower than Westmoreland.
Frenchman Loris Baz occupies seventh after setting the early pace and he heads Jon Kirkham, who took a while to get going, in eighth while Alex Lowes put the MSS Kawasaki in ninth. Ryuichi Kiyonari rounds out the top ten but is 1.5s slower than his team-mate Byrne.
PR Kawasaki's Simon Andrews slipped to 11th late in the session after holding fifth for a good portion on his Evo-spec bike while Dan Linfoot and Chris Walker, who have Knockhill history, are 12th and 13th. Early pace-setter Josh Brookes, an Aussie who is not averse to the rain, is 14th and Thruxton hero Peter Hickman is 15th. James Hiller, back from a glorious TT where he has numerous top ten finishes, is the third Evo bike in 16th overall.
