BURNLEY'S Neil Hodgson believes qualifying is all important as he prepares for rounds 19 and 20 of the British Superbike Championships this weekend.

The 26-year-old currently leads the championship by just one point from Nottinghamshire rival Chris Walker going into the races at Mallory Park, Leicestershire -- with just four rounds remaining after Sunday.

And the INS Ducati rider, who has won several races from the back, knows he needs to be up among the frontrunners from the start in order to be ready for "Gerrards," a right hand bend taken at over 120mph.

"I like this circuit," said Hodgson. "Qualifying is especially important at Mallory because it's not the easiest of circuits on which to overtake.

"It's crucial to get a good start and be able to get the best drive out of Gerrards each lap, in order to be as fast as possible down the straight."

It's been head to head between Walker and Hodgson in the latest races, especially rounds 17 and 18 at Cadwell Park.

The Burnley rider won the first race -- his fifth domestic win this season -- with Walker overtaking Hodgson on the final lap to cross the line first in race two and keep the gap between the two down to just one point.

"The racing between me and Neil has been so close that I 've got a few orange and black marks on my Suzuki!" said Walker.

Besides the clash between Hodgson and Walker, another boost for the Leicestershire crowd is the addition of motorcycling's wild child Australian Anthony Gobert who will be racing for the Virgin Mobile Yamaha squad.

The talented 26-year-old has signed up for the rest of the season, taking the place of the injured Steve Hislop.

And though the British Championship can't be settled on Sunday, the team championship could.

John Reynolds, currently lying in third place, 27 points behind Walker, and Reve Red Bull Ducati team-mate James Haydon, in fourth, could clinch the team prize for the first time if they take maximum points from Mallory Park.

They are 92 points ahead of INS Ducati, who won it last year.

The remaining rounds are at Brands Hatch on September 23/24 and Donnington Park on October 7/8.