"I'm looking forward to Mallory because for the first time since I came over, I'm actually going to a track which I've seen!" said the 30-year-old Chardon, Ohio rider. "We had a test there a few weeks ago so at least I know which way to go at turn one and it's not full of jumps and hills like Cadwell and Knockhill" continued the 1999 Supersport 750 champion.

Fellow American Roland Sands is looking to put his Cadwell disaster behind him whereby a crash in practice aboard the TSR250 was followed by retirement in the race after a tyre gamble failed to pay off in the wet race.

"Mallory looks good and when we tested there, everything felt fine so I'm sure we can pick it up again this weekend. I just hope it doesn't rain because I've had two races in the UK and the weather has played a part in both. Give me it dry and I'll show you what I can do on this bike" said the 24-year-old from his La Palma, California home.

Team Kawasaki return to the scene of their first victory of the Millennium with a fully fit squad and high hopes of repeating their Race of the Year success.

Steve Plater - winner of Mallory's Race of the Year back in March - has now made a full recovery from the injuries he suffered in a qualifying crash at Oulton Park and has tested extensively at the Leicestershire circuit.

And team-mate Marty Craggill will be back in action for the team after breaking three ribs and a collarbone in a fall at Knockhill last month.

"The win at Mallory earlier this year showed that we can be competitive here but it will be much more difficult to win a British Championship race," said Plater, from Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire.  "I will be aiming to get myself on the podium for the first time in the series and anything else will be a bonus," he said. "I set myself a target of a rostrum place before the end of the season and time is running out."

With just three rounds of the series remaining Plater is embroiled in a personal battle to finish the championship as the best of the riders who moved up to the Superbike Championship from last season's British Supersport Championship. Just two points separate him from rival John Crawford, providing yet more incentive to turn in a good performance.

Double Australian Champion Craggill's injuries forced him to sit out the last round at Cadwell Park and he can't wait to get back into the thick of the action.  "Like most racer's I am not a very good spectator," he says. "The sooner I get back in action the better. I like Mallory and I think the team can put in a good result here," he said.

Simon Buckmaster, manager of the TOTAL-backed team, agrees. "We have done some pretty exhaustive testing at Mallory and it looks like we are in very good shape for this race. Both the riders are fit and both are in the right frame of mind to get a result."

Anthony Gobert will be standing for the injured Steve Hislop on a Virgin Yamaha R7.  "I have seen the Virgin Mobile Yamaha R7s in action at the two rounds of the World Superbike series they have been a part of as Wild Cards and I know that they are very good bikes," Gobert said. "When I was offered the chance to ride the Yamahas for the team against the British Superbike regulars I jumped at the chance. The UK series is very competitive and I can’t wait to get out there on a good bike to show what I am capable of."

Hislop gave his blessing to Gobert’s first full-time visit to the UK: "Anthony has proved that he has plenty of talent on all kinds of machinery and to have him in the British Championship will no doubt be a huge attraction for the crowds. It is pretty fraught out there during a race – I am sure that Anthony will love it! It will be very hard for me to watch someone else ride my bike but there was just no way that I could race again without the injury that has been dormant for so long being operated on. I’ll definitely be leading the Gobert cheering section though!"

Aussies in the British SuperSport series hold 4 out of the top 6 positions but they have their work cut out for them if they are to catch championship leader Jim Moodie.