Rizla Suzuki’s Chris Walker was ninth and Cal Crutchlow 10th after today’s two water-logged 50-minute-long practice sessions for the eighth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park in Cheshire. Set against a backdrop of unrelenting heavy rain, the riders had to cope with a much delayed first practice session after oil and water mixed on the 2.69-mile long circuit forcing the organisers to clean the surface. ‘Stalker’ and Crutchlow made steady progress throughout the day, improving their lap times progressively in the treacherous conditions. Honda’s Jonathan Rea was fastest. Due to noise restrictions, racing at the eighth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship starts slightly later than normal, with the premier class taking to the track at 1350 on Sunday, July 15th. Chris Walker: “I rode my Rizla Suzuki as hard as I could in the wet conditions. The circuit was soaked with water and it made riding both difficult and dangerous. That many bikes fell down at Druids it looked like a bike park. I’m hoping it will be dry tomorrow.” Cal Crutchlow: “My only issue was my Rizla Suzuki was backing in a lot and that was because of the wet weather reducing grip and not allowing my slipper clutch to work properly. We changed the settings on the clutch late in the day and that sorted it straight away.” Simon Buckmaster – Team Manager: “It’s been a very wet and difficult day for Rizla Suzuki. Both riders improved as the day wore on and there is more to come – ideally we want to be on the first or the second row of the grid for the races.” Friday Practice Times: 1: Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:45.431 2: Karl Harris (Honda) +0.471 3: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +1.456 4: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +2.050 5: Tom Sykes (Honda) +2.220 6: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +2.597 7: Michael Rutter (Kawasaki) +2.852 8: Shane Byrne (Honda) +2.921 9: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) +3.907 10: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +4.067