Oxford Ducati's Tommy Bridewell has targeted race wins in the near future if he is to challenge for a Bennetts British Superbike title in 2019.

The Devizes rider, who put in a stellar performance as Eugene Laverty's replacement at the Imola WorldSBK round, took two second places behind Josh Brookes at Oulton last time out but says it's time to take regular top-step finishes.

“I need to start winning more races, there is no question about it. At Oulton Park we just didn’t hit the nail on the head with the set-up as quick as Josh, but at the end of race two we knew what we needed to do," said Bridewell.

The goal is simple. We are going to Donington Park to fight for the win. I believe Scott and Josh will be fast there but I am happy that there are three races this weekend and I feel ready for it.”

Bridewell is, for some, a surprise runner-up in the current title chase but a close-knit, highly-sarcastic team has enveloped the 30-year-old and year-to-year consistency has brought some confidence.

"I have to be honest, if I got asked if this is where I would expect to be ahead of Donington Park I would say I fully expected to be fast from the start, but that is probably more of a confidence thing as you never quite now what will happen.

“I felt as satisfied coming out of the weekend we had at Silverstone as we did coming out of Oulton Park even though the results were better as Silverstone is always a bogey circuit for me as I struggled a bit there in the past.

"To come away from there with a fifth and a fourth felt like a lucky escape but we did expect to be fighting for the podium at Oulton Park so then coming away from there it was more like a pat on the back for myself and the team for a great result.”

The Oulton race weekend saw Bridewell the only rider able to keep former champion Brookes honest, finishing two tenths behind in race one with third place man Danny Buchan another three seconds behind.

Race two saw a 2.6s gap to the front but a five-second gap back to Buchan again, which boosted Bridewell even further.

“That’s the monkey off my back with the first podium of the season. The races at Silverstone were pretty hectic but Oulton Park was more of a normal race. It has been a very good start to the season but we need to keep pushing.

We have a good base setting that I am really happy with as we can go that if we need to and what we have been learning from the bike is actually really interesting.  

“I think that the National circuit layout should help us; in the past I have always lost time out of the Esses and the Melbourne Loop and it usually took me most of the weekend to get it right.

"The knowledge we have now and the characteristics of the bike I am hoping will make this a good weekend for us."