British SuperBike Championship - Round 11 - Mallory Park

The high-speed, head-to-head battle for the British Superbike Championship continues this Sunday (16 September) as Steve Hislop and John Reynolds charge into the double race eleventh round at the demanding Mallory Park circuit.

The two former champions have dominated the exchanges throughout the campaign with some some frantic duelling for supremacy, with Hislop having the better of the exchanges, just, taking eleven race wins to the nine of Reynolds and in the process building up a 20-points advantage in the title stakes.

Hislop, the 39-year-old Isle of Man-based Scot, is pleased to have the upper-hand in the standings as he prepares his MonsterMob Ducati for action: "I've not raced at Mallory since 1998 - John has and he has also had some good results there.

"That said, I am ready for the challenge and intend to keep the pressure up on him and keep building the points up - another winning double would be superb but the title chase is not out of the woods yet," said Hislop who last won the crown in 1995.

Reynolds, who took third and second placings in the corresponding races last year, goes into the action knowing that he has to get ahead of Hislop to claw back points. The Nottingham rider, the champion back in 1992, underlined his fighting determination last time out at Brands Hatch.

Then he hit back brilliantly to win the second race after a near high-side had relegated him to second, behind Hislop, in a closely fought opener. "Winning that race was elation," said Reynolds as he matched the score on the day, maintaining the status-quo on his rival.

Now the Red Bull Ducati rider is ready for the Mallory action: "this was one of the first circuits that I raced on - it is short, tight and there is no room for error. You have to stick your neck out to go well at some of the corners. To be a winner, you have to ride at eleven tenths."

Reynolds intends to be doing just that, in his efforts not only to beat off Hislop, but also the growing in-team threat from the hard charging Sean Emmett and the determined James Haydon who, aboard the Virgin Mobile Aiwa Yamaha, is still chasing a season first victory.

Shane Byrne might already have won the Privateers Cup category, but he will not be given an easy time to celebrate as two locally based teams intend to show what might have been. Gordon Blackley and Mark Burr should be on the pace aboard the Hawk Racing Kawasakis while Dean Ellison is long overdue success aboard the D&B Honda.

Around the two feature Superbike races there are also five other British Championship races, with some of the hottest action promised in the Supersport race where there is a four-rider dice for the crown. Leicester rider Matt Llewellyn will be aiming to make local knowledge count as he bids for the victory aboard the V&M Yamaha which would put him ahead in the title stakes. Currently he is third in the rankings, adrift of Karl Harris and Kirk McCarthy, but ahead of John McGuinness, with only ten points separating them - that should ensure another classic showdown.

Dave Jefferies needs victory to prevent Aussie Paul Young taking another step towards the Superstock crown while in the 250cc standings Adrian Coates, Shane Norval and Darren Barton continue their title duel. Adding further action are rounds of the 125cc Championship in which teenagers Casey Stoner and Leon Camier head the way, while in the Junior Superstock series another victory by Ben Wilson would see the Lincoln rider edge further clear of Declan Swanton in the points standings.

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