Rizla Suzuki’s Tom Sykes took a hard fought third place at Oulton Park for round seven of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, while his team-mate Atsushi Watanabe came home in 13th position. The 50-minute qualifying session started off in damp conditions but the 2.69-mile Cheshire circuit dried rapidly. Sykes was always in contention for pole position and led the time-sheets for much of the session, showing he has real race-winning pace. Watanabe used his previous experience at Oulton Park to maintain his top 15 placing and will be aiming for a top 10 finish when the racing starts in anger.