Smiths BMW’s Peter Hickman is again proving he is one of the most versatile racers in the world as he claims a place in the MCE British Superbike Showdown runners just weeks after taking five Isle of Man TT podiums from five races.

The Louth rider was disappointed to have qualified in tenth despite lapping inside the lap record and narrowly missing out on Superpole in tenth position. In the opening race Hickman was soon up into eighth place and eventually part of a large group battling for sixth before having to settle for seventh at the chequered flag.

Starting the second race from fifth position on the grid, he got pushed wide at turn two and again later in the lap, dropping him down the order to 11th place as a result. But with a concerted effort, Hickman moved forward before sealing a fine sixth place on the final dash towards the chequered flag meaning the 19 points from the two races has moved him up to sixth overall.

“It wasn’t a bad weekend and if you forget the race positions, one of the major things to come out of the weekend is that we’ve made major improvements to the bike and have learnt an awful lot which should stand us in good stead in the forthcoming rounds,” said Hickman.

“The bike felt a lot more planted and I was really hopeful of a better showing in race two so it was a shame I got duffed up a bit. I made a good start but got pushed wide twice and lost my rhythm which made it tough but I kept pushing until the end and to be back in the top six is pleasing. The team did a mega job all weekend and we’re looking forward now to pushing on even further.”