MICHAEL Laverty set the fastest time in today's practice sessions ahead of this weekend's British Superbikes races at Snetterton.

The Samsung Honda rider repeated the pace he showed in pre-season testing at the Norfolk circuit as he set the benchmark on a warm afternoon with a best time of one minute 49.340 seconds.

Laverty is looking to get his title bid back on course after failing to score as well as he would have liked over the first three rounds of the campaign.

"I've put in a couple of really good laps and though I have a good pace we need to continue working on a few things," said Laverty, whose best finish so far this season came with sixth place in the opening races at Thruxton and Oulton Park.

"The good thing is that we have dry conditions and that gives us the consistency to be able to get on with the job and get it sorted for the races in which I need strong results and a big points score."

Laverty led the way by around three tenths of a second from reigning champion and current points leader Tommy Hill of Guisborough-based Swan Yamaha with the Kawasaki of Shane Byrne in third.

Alastair Seeley set the fastest time in the opening free practice this morning, but hit trouble in this afternoon's quicker second session.

Seeley crashed at Riches while travelling at around 100mph on his fourth lap, sliding across the run-off area behind his somersaulting Tyco Suzuki bike, which caught fire.

"The wind caught me and took me off line and onto a dirty part of the track - the front end of the bike folded in and that was it, I was down," Seeley said.

"The bike went somersaulting across the run-off with me sliding across behind it - then I saw it on fire, flames everywhere.

"I'm okay - I am a wee bit sore, but nothing more than that so I will be able to continue here."