FS-3 Racing's Billy McConnell was battling up the sharp end in both MCE British Superbike races at Thruxton, but even though he was inside the top five and even started on the front row in race two he experienced tyre wear and slipped out of the points with a few laps remaining.

The likable Aussie made it all the way to Superpole during qualifying and opted for the softer rear tyre compound and with the temperature changes on the track, and the red flag restart  it did not help the tyre and McConnell finished race one in 22nd.

In race two McConnell started off strongly and was well inside the top ten after starting from P3 on the grid, but in a repeat of race one he slipped back down the pack and crossed the finishing line in nineteenth. But the rider is feeling confident onboard his ZX-10R after being in contention for a podium in both races.

"Unfortunately in the first race we know the zero does not like the temperature changes from coming in to going back out again, so that ruined race one for us a lot. For race two we didn't want to change anything and on lap nine I think I might have created a little bit of a lip on the edge of the tyre after setting it up too much," said McConnell, speaking to bikesportnews.com.

"Going into Church the back is coming around on you and at a few points there we hit the lock stops going into corners which was like  riding on a wet in the dry and it was starting to roll around everywhere. Unfortunately it was not our weekend through tyre wear but we thought we were in a really good position with it.

"Hopefully we carry on to Brands with the momentum that I know that I can run with the guys now - and the confidence. The team are pretty happy as we have two front row starts and qualified seventh and made the Superpole and other than that it has been a fantastic weekend.

"We are learning every weekend and we have not worked with each other before this season and we didn't do the Spanish test and we are a one man band team. I have got Shakey's old bike and we went faster than Shakey went on it last year which was  a bonus so it was nice to finally go faster on that bike. 

"I am a little bit disheartened that we could not get a top ten result. We knew front row was great and we thought a top ten would be awesome but not to drop back six seconds a lap. We started catching Haslam and started running with O'Halloran and I felt a bit like a did in the 600's and I knew I was not a back runner. I have some confidence to be in the top five and I feel at one with the bike and it is not out of the question be in the top ten all the time."