HOWIE Mainwaring cut a frustrated figure after he was forced out of Sunday’s Metzeler Superstock 1000 National Championship race at Croft.

The Frodsham flier, who rides for MSS Colchester Kawasaki, has now failed to finish two of the three races to date this term.

“The bike developed a bit of a misfire that got progressively worse as the race went on,” he said afterwards.

“I’m pretty gutted; I would have been happy to take the points for seventh but it just got so bad I couldn’t run at race pace and had to pull in.”

The 24-year-old, who qualified on the grid’s eighth row, is hoping his fortune changes at Thruxton next time out after slipping to 12th place in the riders’ standings.

He added: “Croft has never been kind to me, but Thruxton is fast and suits my style.”

On track, GB Moto Racing Honda’s Tristan Palmer secured a second successive victory after edging out his title rivals by more than three seconds in the race’s closing stages.

Jimmy O’Halloran (HM Plant Honda) and Mainwaring’s teammate, teenage rookie Danny Buchan, completed the top three.