Rapid Solicitors Shane Byrne was on form once again during the MCE British Superbike test at Oulton Park. His best time of 1’36.472 was enough to place him at the very top of the timing screens, and was the only rider to lap inside the 1’36 bracket.

The day started off dry, but halfway through the second session it started to rain. The weather become progressively worse throughout the third test outing meaning no one was able to better their times set in session's one and two. Byrne did not go out in the final session due to the adverse weather conditions and the fact that his crew chief became ill.

In the first outing Byrne was the dominant force out on the dry track, and set his best time of 1’36.906 after a hand full of laps, with his team-mate Stuart Easton, Quattro Plant’s Dan Linfoot, and the GBmoto Kawasaki pairing of James Ellison and Chris Walker rounding off the top five after session one.

There were some notable absentees from the test session. Milwaukee Yamaha, Tyco Suzuki and the Buildbase BMW duo of James Westmoreland and Ryuichi Kiyonari were not at the track today.

Most of the rider’s were able to improve on their times from the morning outing. The rain managed to hold off for most of the session – allowing the rider’s to better their lap times. Byrne was able to go quicker than his free practice time from last year with a 1’36.472, with Easton hot on his heels with a 1’37.163.

Walker tried to muscle his way in between the two Rapid Solicitors Kawasaki rider’s but could not find that extra three tenths of a second to pip the Scot to the post. Walker ended the day third quickest with a 1’37.466. His colleague James Ellison did not go out on track for the second and third session's, but the Kendal lad still managed to get into the top six from the time he lapped in the morning of 1’37.634.

The Superstock 1000 and Supersport classes along with the BSB guys and gal were all put in together. Tsingtao’s Danny Buchan was able to out-pace even some of the BSB rider’s and was leading Stock bike - ending the day  fourth fastest overall after a 1’37.510 lap.

Linfoot’s best time was clocked in the first test – and even though he went out in all sessions wasn’t able to improve on 1’37.624 in the opening outing, but it was enough to place him inside the top five on the overall timesheets.

Smith Triumph’s Billy McConnell was the leading Motorpoint British Supersport bike finishing the day eighth overall, followed by British Superbike contender, PR Racing’s Keith Farmer. In the final wet session the Northern Irishman was the quickest rider out on track and was unafraid to brave the elements. He managed a 1’55.600.

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