Source: Supplied.

Australian talent Levi Day raced to his first-career British championship podium on Monday at Donington Park, claiming third in the Supersport Evo ranks to open the 2015 season.

Day is contesting the standardised Supersport Evo category this season with CPE Motosport Kawasaki, starting out his campaign with a competitive haul of 4-3 results.

“In Saturday’s 10-lap sprint race, there was a crash midway though the race, which meant the red flag was bought out and it was restarted at a shortened six-lap race,” Day explained. “I was reasonably happy with the way I rode, although I lost the front Evo bikes earlier than what I wanted. I came away with fourth in our first Supersport Evo race, so I was stoked with that result.

“The way the grid is determined for the feature race the next day, is they take each riders fastest time from race one, and grid you off that, not off your finishing position. So although I got fourth Evo, I had only posted the 11th fastest time, and with the other Supersports included, I was down in 21st position!”

Sunday’s feature race saw Day charge through the field to third for his maiden British championship podium on board the CPE Motosport ZX-6R.

“I knew the 18-lap feature race on Sunday was going to be tough,” he said. “There were a load of fast riders, and starting so far down the grid, I had to get away with them at the start. I felt that a fifth or sixth place could be possible perhaps, but I knew I’d have the race fitness to still be strong at the end of the race.

“I got a great start and was up to 15th overall and sixth Evo by the end of lap one. While the front guys got away, there ended up being a scrap with six Evo bikes and Guy Martin on the Smiths Triumph Supersport bike.

“We had a race long battle for third place on the Evo podium with Bjorn Estment, Josh Day and Sam Coventry. I felt great at the end of the race, and my final two laps were my fastest of the race, and we were able to come out on top in the battle to claim third position in the race!

“I’m so happy to have started the season off with a fourth and third and my first podium in British championship. With such little testing before the season, the team and I went in to the first round without any huge expectations, other than giving it 100 percent and so long as we knew we were improving each time we were out on track, then we were doing everything we could.”

To follow Day’s progress throughout the season make sure you visit his personal website at www.leviday57.com.