For the second event in a row Josh Elliott recorded the fastest lap in a British Superstock Championship race, but the Ballinamallard riders admits he is frustrated that he has not yet turned that pace into a podium finish.

Josh finished sixth in both races at Thruxton over the weekend but is taking plenty of positives from what was just his third event of the season.

“I had the fastest lap at Thruxton and I had the fastest lap at Brands Hatch as well in the last round so I know the speed is there,” he said.

“If we had done a normal year starting from the start of the season I would definitely be winning races by now. It’s only my third round on the Superstock bike and I’m already up battling with the front guys, and I feel that if I had a full season behind me I would be winning.”

Josh qualified tenth and twelfth for the two races of the weekend.

Tyre problems in race one restricted him to sixth overall, and he was to record a similar result in the second outing of the weekend after a weekend of set up problems.

“It was frustrating because we struggled with set up all weekend,” he admitted.

“In race two we changed the bike for the race and pretty much put it back to what it was last year, and it was a lot better. The bike was doing what I wanted it to do and I was progressing through the pack quite fast and putting in some hard passes. I was making good progress and then unfortunately it was red flagged.

“On the eight lap restart I got away with the front pack and I was sitting there comfortably but I was just lacking a bit of speed down the back straight to get past two guys in front of me.

“I think had I been able to get past them I would have easily been in with a shout of getting a podium but any time I pulled out of the slipstream down the back straight I just couldn’t get past them. It was really frustrating because I knew the bike was capable of a podium and maybe even a win.

“I got the fastest lap of the race and I knew it was there for me but I didn’t have the power to get out past them. I just had to try and make the most of it, and I made a move on the last straight and moved from seventh to sixth.

“It wasn’t ideal but we are working towards getting on the podium and get a race win or two before the end of the season. The speed is there. What is hindering me at the minute is getting away with those front riders and getting into a fast rhythm.

“It’s just getting myself away from the riders that want to battle with you every corner of every lap and don’t let you get into your rhythm. “ Josh has returned his focus to the British Superstock series after a brief outing on a Superbike. After a season that took a while to get going, Josh is now hopeful that he will complete the rest of the rounds of the Championship. “We are running a Superstock machine until the end of the year at the minute unless something happens,” he revealed.

“It’s a verbal agreement at the minute for the Superstock. The only reason I was on the Superbike was because the other person was injured and unless something happens to one of the Superbike riders I can’t see me getting in there. We will maybe try to do something, get out as a wildcard at Assen or something, to get a run out in that Superbike class.”

Josh’s next opportunity to grab a podium comes next weekend at Caldwell Park, and he is hopeful will be challenging at the front.

“I didn’t go that well there last year but we think we know why that was. In terms of set up we are going to try something, and try to be as competitive as possible and try to win the race or at least be up battling for the win.”