With the scene set for one of the best ever seasons, the British Superbike Championship roars into life this weekend when the opening round of the 13 round series gets underway at Silverstone on Sunday.

The championship is regarded as the toughest domestic series in the world and the sheer quality of the riders bears out the fact.

Heading the entry is pre-season favourite and twice champion John Reynolds who remains with the Rizla Suzuki team for a third season.

But JR will be under severe pressure from former teammate Sean Emmett, who this year has linked up with the double title winning MonsterMob Ducati team.

The nearly man in terms of winning the crown for several years, the Weybridge rider sees this as his best opportunity to enjoy maiden title glory and has underlined that determination by setting the pace in testing at Silverstone.

York-based Scott Smart and Aussie Glen Richards quickly dialled into Hawk Kawasaki's all-new ZX-10Rs during testing at Silverstone and reckon they will be well on the pace for the opener in which they face the challenge of Honda's new Fireblades, backed by HM Plant and in the hands of Michael Rutter and series newcomer Ryuichi Kiyonari.

Rutter is gunning for the crown, having built a wealth of experience in recent years and has turned on the speed and style in testing.

But the Midlander accepts his new Japanese teammate poses a real threat, especially as Kiyonari raced in MotoGP last season for Honda and is certainly one to watch as is his compatriot Yukio Kagayama on the second of the Rizla Suzukis.

Kagayama established himself as a firm favourite with the British fans last season with his brilliant riding that brought him three race victories and was on the title chase before he was sidelined by serious injuries in a horror crash at Cadwell Park from which he is now fully recovered.

Local hopes rest with Superbike Cup rider Dennis Hobbs from Guisborough, who finished runner up in last season's Privateer Cup following a huge crash in the penultimate race, and the 21-year-old will be out to go one better this season on his Hobbs Racing Suzuki.

Also in action will be Middlesbrough teenager Paul Veazey who rides for the JR Motosport team in the British Supersport Championship and Russell Hodgson from Hutton Rudby who goes for glory in the Yamaha R6 Cup.

l Scottish marauder Les Shand took a quartet of victories including the Laird of Croft feature race at the opening round of the North East Motorcycle Racing Club held at Croft Circuit.

With gale force winds and driving rain causing the abandonment of Saturday's programme, the Inverness rider overcame a rain shower to take the shortened race on Sunday to add to his hat-trick of support race wins.

l Heighington rally driver Guy Wilks stormed to an impressive victory in round two of the Scottish Rally Championship based in Jedburgh and held in Keilder Forest.

The Junior World Rally Championship hope was driving a hired Hyundai Accent WRC for the first time and saw off the challenge of defending Scottish Champion Raymond Munro and 2002 title holder Barry Johnson from Shildon.