NEIL Hodgson has admitted that the World Superbikes Championship is now beyond his reach.

But the Burnley bike ace is determined to blaze a storm for the remainder of the season.

Tomorrow he will have a test run at Brands Hatch, ahead of Sunday week's seventh round of the championship.

After securing a place on the podium at Saguna Leca last Sunday, the 22-year-old insists his confidence is returning and he intends to maintain his present momentum until the end of the season.

"I think in any sport confidence is crucial," he said.

"And mine wasn't exactly sky-high after the early season results.

"It reached the point where I was saying to myself, 'You just aren't destined to do well in Superbikes'.

"But I have now managed to dispel those negative thoughts.

"And I've got that taste now for a place on the podium."

He intends to get to know the Brands Hatch circuit a little better through tomorrow's test mission.

"The last time I raced there was 1992 and that was on a 125cc," he said.

World Superbikes champion Carl Fogarty finished sixth in the first free practice at Suzuka, Japan in preparation for Sunday's Suzuka Eight Hours endurance race. Fogarty teams up with Japanese Castrol Honda team-mate Takuma Aoki.

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