'Tough weekend' for Peter Hickman, injury ends Tim Neave's racing early after being taken out - a round-up of Lincolnshire riders in action at Brands Hatch this weekend

Peter Hickman scored valuable points as the British Superbikes Championship took to Brands Hatch - despite the rider suffering a 'tough weekend'.

A crash in the first race meant he would have to fight his way through the pack, which he did in the second race to claim ninth place.

In the final race of the weekend a red flag in race three meant Hicky would have to fight through to salvage a seventh place finish.

“It was a tough weekend for me at Brands Hatch, it wasn’t the weekend that I wanted or needed," Hickman confessed.

"We had good pace on Friday and I was quite happy with how we ended up, but we did have a few issues with the set-up.

"I just couldn’t quite get the bike to do exactly what I wanted it to do.

"We were ninth on Friday after FP2 but 0.4 would have put us in third so we were not a million miles away.

“I was happy with a second row start in qualifying as we were in with a shout and then it all went a bit wrong.

"We did a clutch in the first race on Saturday, and I would like to extend my thoughts to Brad Jones.

"The team worked amazingly and we got out for the restart and I was a little too cautious on the start so made an average start and was in the pack and was just fighting.

"I was battling with Lee Jackson and just high-sided out of Surtees, but I wasn’t expecting it."

Hickman added: "The team did a great job to get the bike ready for the next race on Sunday, and I just struggled again but came through to ninth in race two.

"I qualified 12th for race three and the track was kind of inbetween and gambled on slicks front and rear and it was the right decision after the first laps.

"I was between two to three seconds a lap faster, even though we were down the pack. We would have made that up on those that went for the other options.

“On the restart I started 16th so to finish seventh was ok. It wasn’t the podiums I had hoped for, but it is points on the board.

"We need lady luck to shine down on us a bit more, but we have learnt a lot and I am looking forward to Thruxton next. It was mega to see so many people here – so thanks for everyone who came out to support us.”

In the Pirelli National Superstock, Market Rasen's Tim Neave was embroiled in a thrilling last lap battle in the weekend’s opening Superstock 1000 race on Saturday.

After a steady start to the race, as he struggled a little with the feeling from the front of his GSX-R, he was improving in the closing stages, but was taken out by another rider on the final lap.

An injury to his shoulder meant a retirement from race two, as he struggled with the pain.

“My shoulder’s in a bit of a mess to be honest. An X-ray showed no breaks but I’d bet on some ligament damage so I’ll be getting in scanned next week," he said.

"I struggled a bit at the start of the race but it was coming to me and we were in a pretty good battle in the last few laps and it was good fun, but I’m disappointed in the move, I can’t lie.

"And I knew today was going to be a struggle. I tried to race but I couldn’t hang onto the bike.

"Warm up was okay in the damp conditions but in the dry, having to attack the corners and really hang onto the thing, it was really painful.

"It’s not done my championship (hopes) any good, so I’ll have to put that to the side and go round-by-round now, and hope I’m in better shape for Thruxton.”

Twin brother Tom, riding for Honda Racing, claimed two points finishes and now sits 10th in the rider standings.

He finished eighth in race one and seventh in race two.

Also competing in the National Superstocks were Wyberton-based G&S Racing.

Innrace one TJ Toms finished 26th with Milo Ward 32nd. In race two Toms was 22nd and Ward 26th.

Tattershall's Aaron Silvester finished 12th in the Pirelli Junior Supoerstock, with Skegness youngster Rhys Stephenson claiming finishes of 14th and 15th in the Honda British Talent Cup.