Michael Rutter underlined his determination to regain the early season chase for the THINK! Briti🥂sh Superbike Championship as he set the pace in free practice for the double race third round at th🃏e super-quick Snetterton circuit in Norfolk.

The HM Plant Honda Fireblade rider goes into the races trailing Rizla Suzuki rider John Reynoldsℱ by a single point but is confident that he can head off any challenges.

"I'm looking forward to the races - it is such a fast track and I am sure that the power characteristics of the Fireblade are well suited to it," said Ru✤tter. "I want to get back ahead in the points and am looking forward to getting back onto the top step of the podium."

Rutter's best lap came in a time of 1m 06.237s, an average speed 106.09mph, but Reynolds was not far💟 adrift, running just 0.304s⛦ecs slower. The Suzuki rider remains upbeat.

"The rac൲ing is mega tight this year and despite winning more races than anybody else, I still only have a one point lead in the championship," said JR. "Th🌜e harder the racing gets, the harder I will race and the more determined I am to win."

Aussie Dean Thomas was third on the leaderboard, a tenth of a second up on MonsterMob Ducati rider Sean Emmett who is keen to take 𒐪back-to back victories, following his success at Brands Hatch, to make further inroads in ꦫthe advantage of the leading duo in the title stakes.

Steve Plater, riding t♔he Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha, set fifth best time, despite taking a tumble at around 160 miles an hour - he escap💃ed unscathed as did James Haydon, the former Foggy Petronas rider, who returns to the series on a 'one-off' basis aboard the ETI Ducati as rider replacement for the injured Stuart Easton.

He crashe𓃲d at Russells, as did Yukio Kagayama, who escaped with a shaking, setting seventh best time, slightl🦩y slower than the Hawk Kawasaki of Scott Smart.