Ben Wilson was the fastest British Supersport rider of the day as he shone at the second of three official pre-season testing sessions.
The Kirton racer shaved more and more from his lap times with every outing at Brands Hatch – and in the very last session of the day he posted his hottest lap of 52.324secs.
Indeed, only four of the Superbike riders managed to set a quicker time than Wilson, making him the fifth fastest rider overall.
The track wasn’t in the best of condition after a wet and cold morning on Thursday, but by mid afternoon the temperature rose to 5.4 c.
The track condition was described as damp and the track temperature was 6.7c, which was enough for Wilson to push the Gearlink Kawasaki Supersport machine just that bit harder to claim the best lap in the Supersport class.
It was important for him to get as much track time as possible, as Brands Hatch is the venue for the first race of the new season over the weekend of April 5-7.
The third test was scheduled for two days at the Norfolk circuit of Snetterton, but with deteriorating weather conditions there was no point in attempting to ride and the Lincolnshire ace decided the best option was to head for home.
“There was nothing to be gained and an awful lot to lose so we decided to call it a day at lunchtime on the first day,” said Wilson. “The conditions were atrocious with a bitterly cold wind and a wet and slippery track.
“The temperature struggled to reach three degrees, which is far from ideal to ride a motorcycle at speed in.
“We will try to get another day of testing in prior to the first race, but with the weather as it is then it’s looking unlikely.
“But I did get a good day of testing at Brands last week, so we are well prepared and I can’t wait to get my season under way.”
You can follow Wilson’s progress this season in the Spalding Guardian.