Australia’s Glenn Allerton was tantalisingly close to a podium finish at his first attempt in the British Superbike Championship before misfortune saw his Doodson Motorsport Evo BMW run dry of fuel on the final lap at Brands Hatch.

With regular rider Tom Tunstall still recuperating following a broken pelvis, the current Australian Superbike Championship leader was drafted into the Doodson team only days before the eighth round of the British Superbike Championship.

Despite learning the track and getting used to new tyres, Allerton’s pace was immediately impressive, having posted the third fastest Evo time in the opening free practice.

However session two saw the Australian lose the front end of the BMW S1000RR into Druids bend after only a few laps, luckily escaping without injury.

With not enough time to repair the damage before qualifying, Allerton was forced to start from last place on the grid for race one.

“I came to BSB confident I could get the bike on the Evo podium. It’s been a challenge to come to a new circuit that’s not easy to learn and I was picking it up pretty quick but the accident put us back with time on the track,” Allerton commented.

“The team worked really well to get the bike back together as fast as they did as there was a lot more damage than first appeared and a short turn around.”

Only moments before Saturday’s race start, a rain shower wreaked havoc for tyre selection and the choice of a front wet only lasted a few laps before the front gave up on the drying track. Pitting to change the front tyre along, with a large portion of the grid, Allerton ended the race as seventh Evo and ruing the lack of dry track time.

Sunday’s first race was fully dry and gave Allerton a chance to gain more vital time, ending the 20 lap outing in seventh but crucially doubling his experience around the Kent circuit.

“Sunday’s first race was difficult as we didn’t have the set up. A lot is different to the BMW I have in Australia, there’s a whole bunch of variables that are different with the tyres, suspension package, and electronics that I had to get used to,” Allerton explained.

With further tweaks to the machine for the third race, Allerton launched off the line and cut his way straight up to fourth by the end of lap one.

While battling with American Jake Zemke for third on lap 18, Allerton had him well in his sights until the bike started to cut out with half a lap remaining and abruptly causing Glenn’s helmet to smash through the screen, before he could nurse the bike back home to sixth.

“The second race I was happy with, I got a good start and set a good pace and looked like I was going to be on the Evo podium and the first BMW home, but had the problem with the fuel, all in all I was happy with how it went considering it has been a learning weekend.”

“Hopefully we can test and get the feel of the bike closer to how I’d like it and I’m sure we’ll get better results in the future”.

Allertion will now turn his attention back to the Australian Superbike Championship, where he will look to extend his 56point lead in the series.