Shane 'Shakey' Byrne has yet to climb onto the podium after the opening two rounds of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship but the defending champion is determined to bounce back at Oulton Park this Bank Holiday weekend.

Byrne was sidelined from the opening two races of the season after a warm up crash at Donington Park and the Be Wiser Ducati narrowly missed out on the podium with a fourth place in the opening race at Brands Hatch. However a crash in the second race put Byrne out of contention for the podium but following the official test, where he posted the second fastest time, he is ready to come out fighting for the team’s first win of the season this weekend.

Byrne said: 

“If I am perfectly honest I was a little bit too excited about the test at Oulton Park last week, having ridden at Brands Hatch just a few days before. It was really good to get more riding in, so I was really looking forward to it. Something seemed to be a little bit amiss at the test as we went there, to a circuit that really suited the Be Wiser Ducati last year, and we tried lots of things, but nothing really fixed the problems we were having last week.

“It was difficult to be one step ahead of the bike at the test, that isn’t like me. The bike at Brands Hatch was perfect, although it was the first time it had been run on track since the crash, but the team have gone through all the data since the test so we are ready to come back this weekend. I wasn’t overly disappointed with the test, as I know I can go faster. To finish second last week was quite a surprise and it was a good test and from a training point of view it was important.”

“It seems all I've gone on about lately is getting my season started. Donington Park never went to plan at all and then Brands Hatch wasn't what we needed so onwards and upwards. The fact remains and is quite simple, I need to win and that’s my intention.”