WORCESTER racer Liam Turberfield had a mixed weekend in rounds 10 and 11 of the North Gloucester Road Racing Club Championship at Anglesey.

Turberfield put in a lot of practice before his return to the track where he had got his first podium finishes of third and the best lap last year.

The test day did not go according to plan as Turberfield struggled with traffic on the track before finishing two seconds off the pace of his 2015 run.

A major lapse in concentration spelled trouble for the Worcester motorcyclist as he missed the start of the first qualifying race.

Rushing out on the track a full lap behind the rest, he was running last before a bad crash for his friend Loz Birkett forced a restart from eighth on the grid.

An intense race-long rivalry then saw Turberfield finish third in class only to discover second-placed Jamie Griffiths had passed him under a yellow flag, resulting in demotion and leaving the St John’s rider in runner-up place.

Heading into the championship race in second was ideal for the 26-year-old, who knew he “didn’t have the pace to win” but a bad start left him with plenty to do.

However, he picked his way through the field and returned to second in class and fourth overall.

In qualifying for the second championship race, Turberfield reeled in a three-second gap for an epic four-lap battle for first place before coming second while setting a fastest lap. He had another bad start for the championship contest but picked off competition again in climbing to second.

Turberfield was “really proud of his riding” as he battled back to second in the championship standings behind leaders Jon Wright, who seems destined to claim the prestigious title in the next round of races at Pembrey, Wales.