What was a SYNETIQ BMW 1-2 to begin the penultimate𝓀 British Superbike pre-season test se🗹ssion around Snetterton, quickly became an FS-3 Kawasaki 1-2 as Rory Skinner led the way from Lee Jackson. 

While gaps behind Skinner were close, the Scottish-born rider had a huge margin of 1.2 seconds to his te𝐆am-mate after going within a second of the new official lap record set by Jason O’Halloran. 

The first rider to get rem💞otely close to Skinner’s time was Tℱom Sykes as the new Ducati rider went seven tenths slower, as did Honda rider Glenn Irwin. 

As lap times continued to get quicker and quicker, Sykes then reduced the former Bri💮tish Supersport champion’s lead to just 0.107𝔉s, while Jackson also got within half a second of his less experienced team-mate.

Tarran Mackenzie then split the two💜 leaders by going 0.0𒅌04s quicker than Sykes - still +0.103s away from Skinner. 

The first rider to get the better of Skinner’s✤ early time was O’Halloran as the Australian posted a time of 1:47.433s. 

Late charges from Buchan and Bradley Ray then saw the two Brits move into second and third. However, that wasn’t the only movement to take place as Ray went on to claim top spot after setting a 1:46.968s on his very ne🌠xt lap.

But just 𝕴as it appeared Ray had done enough, Skinner responded in the dying seconds with a time💯 of 1:46.735s - two tenths clear of the Yamaha rider.  

Session 4 (first of the day)

With track conditiꦓons yielding considerably less grip than Saturday due to cold air temperatures, McAMS Yamaha rider O’Halloran was untroubled on 𝐆combined times despite not setting a lap. 

One of the first riders out on-track was former champion L🌼eon Haslam, who makes his return to the BSB paddock for the first time since 2018, the same ye💟ar he won his one and only title thus far. 

With m♕ore than half the session complete and just nine𒆙 riders circulating the Snetterton circuit, a track that’s one of the longest on the calendar, it was the Visiontrack Kawasaki rider who enjoyed considerable time at the top. 

A time of 1:49🃏.010s was set by Hasl𒀰am which is 2.5 seconds off O’Halloran’s quickest time from day-one. 

Another rider eager for track time despite the conditions was reigning champion Mackenzie🍌, as the WorldSBK hopeful is returning to on-bike action for the first time since suffering a broken leg during an accident at Cartagena in January𒈔. 

While he didn’t ta꧅ke to the track in session one of the final day - fourth official session of the weekღend - the big news heading into this weekend was the return of Sykes aboard Ducati machinery.

Notꦕ one to waste time getting up to speed, Sykes was one of five riders to go underneath the existing lap record on Saturday, a record previous🐷ly set by Shane ‘Shakey’ Bryne in 2017, again on a Ducati Panigale V4 R. 

Joining Haslam in the low 1m 49s was new Buildbase Suzuki rider Christian Iddon, before the former Ducati man went quickest by less than a tenth, a position he held onto until the checkered flag.&♋nbsp;

A total of♋ ten riders took to the track with only eight completing flying laps, however, that should drastically change during S2 and 3.