Round four of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Thruxton was an eventful meeting for Ryan Vickers but the RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki runner came away with a career best finish of fourth, a result he achieved not once but twice in the three races.

 
It could have been even better too had the 21-year old not slipped off at the Complex whilst in a podium position with just half a lap to go of Sunday’s opener.  
 
There were a couple of other bumps along the way with a red flag infringement on Friday denying him a front row start on Saturday after qualifying in third and a long lap penalty during Sunday’s first race but both he and team owner Lee Hardy were smiling on Sunday evening.
 
“It’s been an amazing weekend and the team worked seriously hard both before and during the meeting so it’s great to take my best ever BSB finishes,” said Vickers, now in his third season in BSB.
 
“I’ve got a great relationship with Lee and my crew chief Stu and the whole team have belief in me and trust my input so we’re making big steps which I always felt we could and would. I’ve had the capability from the first year but Rome wasn’t built in a day.
 
“I’ve never stopped learning since I jumped on the Superbike and what’s pleasing about the weekend was that I was fast in all conditions. Of course, it would have been great to have taken a podium but there are so many positives to take away and we know we can still improve further so roll on the next round.”
 
The long lap penalty saw riders take an extra wide line at the Complex before rejoining the track at the apex of the following corner, Vickers and Bradley Ray almost coming together but, following consultation with series boss Stuart Higgs, this was removed for the final race and a time penalty issued instead.
 
Hardy and Vickers were seen having discussions with officials at the end of racing on Sunday about the penalty but, after picking up just three points – for three 15th’s – at the previous round, Hardy was still delighted with the efforts and results at Thruxton from his young charge.  

“I’m delighted with how the team turned it around after a difficult previous round. We would have loved it if Ryan had taken his first BSB podium but we understand these things can happen and it's ironic that he crashed when taking the safer option into the corner. He took a tighter line to try and eradicate the bike backing in but that was what, ultimately, caused the crash.
 
“The two fourth place finishes were brilliant rides though in very different conditions and the fact he was able to be fast in both the wet and dry speaks for itself. An issue with his visor prevented him from really taking the fight to the top three in the final race but he had good grip in all races and was managing the tyres perfectly so we're really pleased he got the results his efforts deserved."