MALLORY PARK proved a happy hunting ground for High Flatts teenager James Pickford.
The 18-year-old bike racer is competing in the Bridgestone Thundersport 500 championship this season and it proved to be third time lucky for Pickford.
After a promising opening round at Brands Hatch and then a tougher outing at Donington Park, he hit his best form of 2012 with a strong showing at the Leicestershire circuit.
“In terms of skill he is definitely finding his feet now,” said his father Ian.
“We are now really looking forward to the Oulton Park meeting in about three weeks time.”
The Cheshire meeting is on May 26-27, and Pickford will be hoping that his improvement continues.
He began steadily enough on his competition debut at the Indy circuit at Brands, notching a ninth-placed finish in the opening race before showing he was getting to grips with the speed of the racing and his Honda 500 by coming home fourth.
Donington brought a tougher test. and a ranking of 19th in qualifying was followed by the same placing in the race.
But at Mallory Park Pickford found his feet and in the three races held over two days he showed what he can do.
He came home second in the race on the first day of competition with Joe Barton pipping him for victory with Nick Clift in third place.
The second day of racing brought a slight slip as he finished seventh, but then came his first win of the season with a fine ride that saw him come home ahead Matthew Shillings, who also improved throughout the meeting, and Clift was again third.
