If Tommy Hill was trying to send a message about his intentions to win the British Superbike Championship, he did it today by claiming both free practice session wins.Hill is currently tied at the top with Ryuchi Kiyonari as the British Superbike riders enter the first of three rounds in the BSB showdown.
It was a dominant day for Hill, as he led both free practice sessions and continued to improve his pace. Hill had a .3 second advantage in the closing minutes of FP2, but Michael Rutter and Michael Laverty both put in great closing laps to close the gap to .1 seconds.
Laverty finished in second, followed by Rutter, Dan Linfoot, and Simon Andrews.
Hill's biggest competitors, Kiyonari and Brookes, finished in 7th and 8th behind James Elison. Kiyonari and Brookes were both more than a second off of Hill's pace.
Brookes and Kiyonari will have one more free practice session to fine tune their bikes before the Swan Combi Roll for Poll tomorrow afternoon.
Overall Standings for the British Superbike Before the Croft Weekend
Kiyonari – 525
Hill – 525
Brookes – 524
Rutter – 510
Laverty – 509
Seeley - 505
