Haydon on top at Croft

James Haydon has shown that he is settling in to his new role at Rizla Suzuki by setting the fastest lap at the Dunlop Croft test.

Hayden set a best lap of 1:21.3 using a new set of Ohlins gas forks and new tyre compound, beating his team-mate John Reynolds by over a second.

Reynolds didn’t get to try the new forks. He is still working on his fitness after having to sit out major part of the season so far due to injury.

“That was hot and hard work. Today I have spent a lot of time riding the bike and pushing myself to my limits, which is just what I needed after such a long lay off for injury” said Reynolds. “There’s no other exercise either in or out of the gym that is quite the same as riding a Superbike, so today was invaluable. On top of that, James has gone quite a bit quicker than me on new gas forks that I haven’t tested yet. I am genuinely excited about trying them during practice at Snetterton to see if they can help me to cut my lap times.”

The team has also said that they are giving 125cc Irish road racer William Dunlop the chance to race one of their bikes at the Castle Combe Grand National on July 31.

“This is a dream come true for me. When I was invited to test the bike it was a fantastic experience. Then when I was invited to race it at the Castle Combe Grand National, I was ecstatic” said the 19-year-old nephew of Joey Dunlop. “I plan to use it to show what I am capable of and as a stepping-stone for my racing career. It isn’t going to be easy as I don’t have much experience of riding a Superbike. The Rizla Suzuki is mighty quick and it’ll take some getting used to, but I am hoping to have another test on it before the race weekend.”