Samsung Suzuki's John Hopkins is anticpating a difficult weekend at the Thruxton British Superbike round as he has so far only dome a handful of laps in the passenger seat of a hire car.

But he American ex-MotoGP rider, whose team is based down the road in Bournemouth, is currently runner-up in the championship table and says he is full of confidence.

“I have seen a bit of Thruxton with just a few laps in the passenger seat of the car so this is probably going to be my toughest race of the season so far as I don’t really have any track knowledge compared to the other guys," said Hopkins.

"I may not know the track but my confidence is growing every weekend and I feel increasingly comfortable on the bike and getting it working how we need to. I think this will definitely be a difficult weekend for us.

“We’re in a competitive situation – I don’t think before the season started, even on my most optimistic day, I would have predicted I’d be in second place now, just a few points off the lead.

"But I’m not going to let that alter my approach, the goal has always been to be in the top six, learning as much as I can as I go, so that I’m best placed come the three-round Showdown at the end of the year – that’s when everything really has to come together.”