WESTHOUGHTON motorcycle racer Joe Lawrence moved up to 10th place in the Thundersport Pre National 600 Sport championship after an action-packed weekend in Anglesey.

Wet weather made qualifying tricky but the 27-year-old JDL Racing Kawasaki team rider came through it in seventh place, on the third row of the grid.

He made up for a slow start to finish fifth in race one and repeated that performance in the final race of the first day of the meeting.

After making a number of changes to the bike, Lawrence upped his speed on day two and was able to compete for a podium place.

But the racing gods were not with him as he managed just two points in race three following a racing incident and he then crashed out of race four when well placed.

"In morning warm-up of the second day the bike felt mega and going into the first race I was looking forward to trying to keep the leaders in sight," he said. 

"I got a great start and managed to get into second or third but going into the second corner I was hit by another rider.

"Luckily I managed to stay on the bike but I was dead last in 29th.

"After a lot of fun filtering through the pack we managed to get a few points and come home 14th, and the lap times were pretty good considering I had no clear laps.

"Again we made more changes to the bike and got a great start in the last race.

"I went straight into third place and after making it around the first lap we were all having a great battle for the top three.

"After fading to seventh I managed to get back into fourth and was catching the battle for second but unfortunately on the sixth lap I was taken out at Rocket.

"Luckily both of us were able to walk away but that was the end of the weekend."

Lawrence has two more meetings to come, at Donington this month and the Championship finals at Cadwell Park in October, when he will be hoping to supplement his place in the top 10.

He added: "Overall, it was a bit of an up and down weekend, we are finally back up the top end and getting to grips with the Kawasaki.

"The team was faultless all weekend, and even though it ended on a downer we were all very happy with how we are progressing.

"Now we need to get the bike repaired and ready for Donington. I cant wait for that weekend, I love that place."