Plater leads the championship chase by 23 points, taking the advantage after McConnell suffered a disappointing DNF at Snetterton, but now the MAP Raceways Yamaha rider is determined to close the gap and force his HM Plant Honda rival back to second.

Plater said: “It is spot on to be leading the championship but there is still a long way to go before it will be decided and as you can see from Snetterton, anything can happen. There has been a break between rounds which has given the HM Plant Honda team the chance to regroup so hopefully we can come back even stronger this weekend. It’s a short lap so you have to work hard and be accurate every lap, one mistake there is going to be costly and you need to qualify well. I have only raced once at Knockhill in the past five years for a variety of reasons so I need to get dialled in but I like the place so I am looking forward to it.”

James Westmoreland will be looking to build on his strong performance at Snetterton, when he took a maiden podium finish for the JW Racing Triumph team. A strong performance in Scotland could see him move into the top three in the standings; he is just five points adrift of Daniel Cooper in third and will be able to take advantage of Dan Linfoot missing out through injury for the NW200 Coca-Cola Zero Yamaha team.

Centurion Racing Honda’s Daniel Cooper is the third rider to have won a race so far this season and after finishing second best to Plater at Snetterton he is seeking to beat his Honda rival.

Hudson Kennaugh on the Linxcel-Seton Tuning Yamaha is desperate to finish on the podium for the first time this season. Last year’s title contender has finished fourth twice and the pressure is mounting for him to return to the podium this year.

Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport Championship standings after round five:

Steve Plater (HM Plant Honda) 95
Billy McConnell (MAP Raceways Yamaha) 72
Daniel Cooper (Centurion Racing Honda) 57
Dan Linfoot (NW200 Coca-Cola Zero Yamaha) 52
James Westmoreland (JW Racing Triumph) 52


You can see Steve Plater and Billy McConnell in action ahead of the weekend at Wednesday’s Superbikes in the Square presented by Swan. The title contenders will be completing demonstration laps and meeting the fans in George Square, Glasgow from 17:00.