Tom Sykes, the Bennetts British Superbike championship Rookie of the Year for 2007, shattered the Calafat lap record while testing with Rizla Suzuki in Spain.
Sykes, 22, from Huddersfield, recorded his best time during the final day of the session on the 2.02-mile undulating circuit when he clipped almost a second off the previous best with his 1000cc GSXR 7R.
"I managed to get in a lot of laps on the bike and my progress has boosted my confidence both in the bike and myself," said Sykes, who was snapped up by Suzuki after finishing sixth in last year's BSB series on a Stobart Honda.
And Sykes, who has made the podium five times and twice been runner-up this year, added: "I almost got a winner in my first full season of superbike racing and certainly aim to make it in 2008."
He is joined in the Dorset-based team by two times Japanese superbike champion Atsushi Watanabe, who will be making his European debut in the premier British series.
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Jonathan Pearce
ALEC STEWART
THE MOLE