Image: Keith Muir.

Response RE Racing Kawasaki rider Lachlan Epis was satisfied with 10th position in Phillip Island’s opening round of the World Supersport Championship (WorldSSP), marking a strong start to his 2017 campaign.

The 17-year-old is entering his second full season of WorldSSP this year, committed to the world championship with the privateer operation after finishing 37th in the standings on debut last season.

A top 10 at home indicates just how far Epis has come in the past 12 months, improving upon a career-best result of 15th in Qatar’s closing round of last year, and it’s given him a boost as the series travels to Thailand.

“The top 10 really sets us up well for the rest of the year,” Epis told CycleOnline.com.au post-race. “I had a really good battle for the majority of the race, which was fun, but also kept me focused. The times were pretty consistent too, which is good for us after struggling a lot last year with tyre drop-off. There was a lot of positive stuff for us this weekend.

“We’re learning heaps, every single time I get on the bike. It’s now about the bike set-up, how we can get it working the best way and that’s the next step we have to learn. I think I’m riding pretty good now, so now it’s about fine-tuning things to get it working as best as we can. We’re learning every time, so it’s really exciting.”

With his team based in Barcelona during the European sector of the world championship and Epis – who works as a real estate agent in between his racing career – travelling back and forth, it will be a busy season for the Sydney-based teenager.

“My team is like a big family now,” he added. “They’re incredible people who are helping, so a big thanks to them, and as a team, we’re only a little one. We work really well together and we’re really happy with how everything has progressed.”