Michael Rutter eclipsed title chasing Tommy Hill in opening free practice for the fourth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park.

The RidersMotorcycles.com Ducati rider had been strong throughout, putting in a series of consistent laps across both sessions, posting his best time around the 2.18 mile Lincolnshire circuit in 1m 28.099secs, an average speed of 89.08mph

"Everything is good and for the final ten or laps we put in a new tyre and ran a good distance with consistent lap times," explained Rutter who is currently sixth in the rankings.

"It is a confidence thing with the bike - the Ducati is so perfect when it is right, and it is good here, so I am feeling strong for these races," added the 38 year old Brierley Hill rider who ran a quarter of a second faster than Worx Crescent Suzuki rider Tommy Hill.

Hill goes into the races determined to maintain the strong form that he has shown in the opening six races in which he has been a top three finisher, twice enjoying the winner’s champagne, to open up a 51 points advantage over Flying Scot Stuart Easton.

The Swan Honda rider had to be content with sixth place on the leaderboard, though his best lap of 1m 28.973secs was only half a second down on Hill, but, between them there is a pack of strong riders.

The HM Plant Honda duo of Josh Brookes and former two times British Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari ran third and fourth fastest, and they are keen to put on a real show in these races which are on their Louth based team’s home circuit.

Brookes, who took a tumble without injury during the morning session, ran only 0.013secs ahead of Kiyonari with Michael Laverty a split second down on them as he put his Relentless Suzuki into fifth place.

Laverty, who scored his maiden BSB triumph last time out at Oulton Park, is looking good for more, but Easton, also a third round winner at the Cheshire circuit, has double reasons for wanting more.

He was quick to dispel suggestions that his pre-season tumble at Cadwell Park would affect him and he wants to go one better than his pair of seconds here last August."We’ve made a decent start, and it did not take long to adjust from the speeds of the roads of the NorthWest 200 event of last Saturday to riding this circuit. I got settled in fast, and soon was putting in better lap times than before my crash here," he said.

Easton will be the Swan Honda team’s sole rider at this round - James Ellison, who had hoped for a racing comeback barely six weeks on from breaking his right femur, was ruled out by a fitness test at the circuit.

John Laverty ran seventh fastest for Buildbase Kawasaki with Martin Jessopp, despite a tumble in the afternoon session, Tommy Bridewell on the Quay Garage Honda and Chris Walker aboard the MSS Colchester Kawasaki completing the top ten ahead of Gary Mason. Alastair Seeley, Ian Lowry and Adam Jenkinson.

Steve Brogan, running 15th overall, was the fastest of the Mirror.co.uk BSB-EVO class contenders with a best lap in1m 29.845secs, a second clear of Chris Burns on the Splitlath Aprilia and Craig Fitzpatrick riding the Close Print Finance Honda.

For the record

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship, free practice times:
Michael Rutter (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) 1m:28.009s
Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +0.264s
Josh Brookes (HM Plant Honda) +0.683s
Ryuichi Kiyonari (HM Plant Honda) +0.696s
Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +0.756s
Stuart Easton (Swan Honda) +0.874s
Martin Jessopp (Ridersmotorcycles.com Ducati) +0.929s
John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +1.150s
Tommy Bridewell (Quay Garage Honda) +1.150s
Chris Walker (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +1.185s

Superbike lap record
Leon Haslam, Ducati, 1m26.654secs, 90.56mph (2007)

Superbikes on track
Saturday 22 May
10.40-11.30 Free practice
15.20-16.16 Swan Combi Roll for Pole
Sunday 23 May
09.15-09.30 Warm up practice
12.30 Race one 18 laps
16.05 Race two 18 laps

Superbikes on television
Sunday 23 May
British Eurosport 2
12.25-14.00 and 15.05-18.00 Live raceday
21.15-22.45 Highlights
Wednesday 26 May
ITV4
20.45-22.15 Highlights
(Full television schedule www.britishsuperbike.com)

Flashback
Monday 31 August – Round 9
Race one
1 L Camier, Ducati
2 S Easton, Honda
3 J Ellison, Ducati

Race two
1 J Ellison, Ducati
2 S Easton, Honda
3 S Andrews, Kawasaki