Tsingtao WKbikes Performance rider Howie Mainwaring Smart had a solid start with his ‘last minute’ team over the MCE British Superbike weekend at Oulton Park. In the final race the rider was as high as sixth, but ended up crossing the line in eighth after successfully out pacing Buildbase BMW’s Jon Kirkham in the process.

The Frodsham lad has had a difficult few days after MH Kawasaki pulled out from the round after a delay in sponsorship, so the rider put together a hybrid team with his sponsors and Tsingtao beer and MSS. After some technical issues Mainwaring Smart made an impact in race three, and hopes his good form continues to Cadwell in two weeks time.

“I am feeling quite good and on a bit of a high, especially when we arrived on Thursday and we were told we weren’t going to go racing. It is nice to give something back to the lads, and now we need to take the bad points and make them into good points, and we did that in the last race. But the bike needs a bit of work to help it where we need it to be,” said Mainwaring Smart, speaking to bikesportnews.com.

“I think we can run in the front group, but we need a bike behind us, but it is not quite up to spec at the moment but once it is we will be there. According to the team what we are doing on that bike it should not be where it is, so we are over riding the bike to put it there. So we have definitely got the package and people behind me, and my crew are not going anywhere as we are like a family.”