Honda Racing's Dan Linfoot bagged his first podium finish of the season, when he stepped on to the second step of the rostrum in the opening MCE British Superbike race at Brands Hatch.
Race one was a dramatic affair and starting from the front row of the grid in third place, it was clear Linfoot meant business as the flag dropped. Keeping well within the front group, the Yorkshireman was in second place when the safety car was deployed on lap six following an incident on track.
As the race resumed Linfoot instantly made his move and launched into the lead, but with a chasing pack close behind battle commenced. Trading places with his BSB rivals the 29-year-old swapped between the lead and second place, and it was in the final stages when Be Wiser Shane Byrne took the lead at Surtees. With changing weather conditions the race was red flagged with two laps to go and Linfoot took his first podium of the season in second place.
Scoring the fastest lap in race one, Linfoot lined up in pole position ahead of the second race of the day. However his race came to an early end on the fourth lap after losing the front of his CBR at Druids while running in third place.
Linfoot remains tenth in the overall championship standings and is just one point away from ninth place. Now the Fireblade rider is on a plane going to Suzuka, where he will make his debut in the Eight-Hours race, competing for the Moriwaki Motul Honda team.
"Well the weekend didn’t really turn out the way I wanted it to in the end. Race one was great, I scored my first podium of the season and felt really good with the Fireblade and my confidence was up," said Linfoot.
"Also setting the fastest lap and starting from pole was positive, so we have that under our belts now. Race two, well there’s not much to say really, of course I am disappointed.
"I was trying to chase Josh and Shakey, they passed me and I tried to continue my pace and thought if these are the faster guys, I’ll settle here and keep my pace as much as I can. But as I entered Druids I lost the front and went down, I didn’t think I did anything massively different to what I had before, but it’s just one of those things.
"In hindsight maybe I shouldn’t have tried to push and just settled with fourth or fifth to get some more points, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. But onto Thruxton now, I’ve got the taste of the podium now, so will be keen to get back there soon."
