O'Halloran sets new Snetterton BSB lap record, Sykes and Haslam make returns

The McAMS Yamaha rider set a new all-time BSB lap record during the third and final session of the day, which came after S1 and 2 also had previous lap records broken. 

The first rider to go underneath former five-time BSB champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Bryne’s previous lap record, was SYNETIQ BMW rider Danny Buchan. 

A lap time of 1:47.111s was set by the ex-Kawasaki rider, before MCE Ducati rider Josh Brookes set a new benchmark. 

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The Australian went four tenths clear of Buchan’s time in S2, which resulted in no one getting within six tenths of the two-time series winner. 

And while Brookes looked set to keep hold of his new lap record during the closing stages, late time attacks from O’Halloran and a certain ‘someone', meant Brookes was reduced to P3 on combined times.

That certain someone being 2013 WorldSBK champion Tom Sykes.

The former WorldSBK champion, who is making his comeback to British Superbike for the first time since 2008, is also aboard Ducati machinery for the first time in his career. 

Riding a heavily blacked-out livery due to the newly-named MCE Ducati team not unveiling its official 2022 colours yet, Sykes has seemingly adapted well the the Panigale V4 R. 

While a lot of hype is surrounding Sykes’s return, the former Kawasaki and most recently BMW rider was not the only high profile name to be making his return from WorldSBK to BSB action, as 2018 series champion Leon Haslam made his debut for Visiontrack Kawasaki. 

Although Haslam slipped down to P15 by the end of the day, the 38 year-old showed enough potential throughout to suggest he’ll be in contention. 

Behind the leading trio of O’Halloran, Sykes and Brookes was Bradley Ray, who after switching from BMW to Yamaha machinery (with the same team), looks to have found a more complete package, or at least one he’s more comfortable on. 

On a day where big names returned from another series, there was a big return to action for the current BSB champion, Tarran Mackenzie. 

After breaking his leg during an accident in Cartagena last January, the McAMS Yamaha man has been void of any on-bike action until this weekend.