After a few issues in practice with the Superbike, we opted to run the Superstock bike with slicks, different swinging arm for the Superbike race and I was really looking forward to the race but as soon as I left the line, the front wheel came up and didn't come back down until the end of pit lane. And when it did, a yellow warning light came on telling me the electronics had turned off. No sooner had I realised that, I got quite a big wobble going down Bray Hill.

The bike righted itself and I took a nice tight line rounds Quarter Bridge but when I crossed the white line on the exit, the front tucked which un-nerved me for about four miles. Once I got to Ballacraine I told myself 'c'mon, time to get stuck in'. I got through Ballaspur and saw the yellow flags so realised it was one of the front runners and there were bits of Guy's bike all across the road.

I put it to the back of my mind and the next part of the lap went ok  but going into Quarry Bends I saw this big bird on the track which I thought could be problematical. Sure enough, it took off just in front of me and although I ducked out of the way, it hit my shoulder so after everything that had gone on in just half a lap I definitely thought it wasn't going to be my race.

At the first fuel stop, we were able to re-set everything and everything was working well for the next half lap or so before the warning lights came on again and they kept coming on and off for the rest of the race. I was a bit disappointed with the speed of the bike too and I was struggling to pull top gear, only getting up to fifth most of the time. It was only when Dan Kneen came by me and I was able to follow him that I could start using 6th gear again and it got my interest back.

To finish 6th in a Superbike race is obviously pleasing, given we weren't on a full Superbike, but I was a bit upset with how far away from the leaders I was. It would have been nicer to have finished sixth and be 30s off the front as opposed to almost two minutes but after everything that had happened, it was a good result.

We know we can use the same bike in the Senior but the Bathams/SMT Racing team has spent a lot of money on the Superbike so ideally we'll be using that come Friday. We've changed a lot on the bike, including the head angles, and have been working really hard to get it right but we need the practice lap on Wednesday and decent weather before we know for definite.

It would have been nice to have had a Supersport bike as the more laps you do around this place the better but with no competitive bike I had to sit Monday's race out and to be fair, being only three mechanics and myself in the team, we've had loads of work to do as it is.

In theory the Superstock and Lightweight races should give me my best chances this week although, of course, it doesn't necessarily work out like that. I know the Stocker inside out and if I can get another top six finish I'll be happy whilst I'd like to get a podium in the Lightweight. The Paton boys have done a great job with it and although it's down a bit on top end, about 7mph to Martin Jessopp's bike, hopefully I'll be able to make that up through the corners.