Davies and Mackenzie hoping for better results as Rowlings keeps improving

Mid Wales star Davies suffered two DNFs in the main races during round seven at Navarra, in Spain, while picking up a positive seventh in the points scoring Superpole race, which left him 10th in the standings.

Meanwhile, Bathams Racing rider Taylor Mackenzie left Cadwell Park, in Lincolnshire, with a solitary DNF, which saw him drop to sixth over all in the National Superstock, after suffering a mechanical problem.

Davies began the weekend in Spain in positive fashion, starting fifth on the grid for the opening race.

After being overtaken by Michael Van der Mark and Axel Mahias, he went in pursuit of Tom Sykes and Alex Lowes, but on lap seven he lost the front end heading into turn nine and crashed, which ended his race.

Davies, 34, again lost positions early in the Superpole race but then began his comeback, overtaking Van der Mark and again chasing Sykes and Lowes, with the Team Go Eleven rider eventually settling for seventh place.

Starting on the third row for race two, disaster again struck for Davies at turn nine – but this time on the opening lap – as he again lost the front end trying to overtake Bassani, taking out Garrett Gerloff in the process.

Davies said: "Starting from warm up, I felt very good with the bike and I was optimistic for a good day.

"In the Superpole race we hadn't a good start, then I had an okay race.

"The pace was good but in this race everybody in so on the limit that it's actually difficult to go forward sometimes.

"I was quite happy with the feeling, I felt like we can maybe improve the bike a little bit for the last race.

"In race two I got another pretty bad start, lost several positions but obviously I felt like I had the potential to fight for the top five, so I passed Bassani at the end of the back straight, but in front of me there a few riders pushing each other, and I think that caught the attention of the couple of guys in between me and this group.

"Everybody was kind of anticipating what would happen but I was already overtaking. Considering my line and my speed, I couldn't consider the situation in front and unfortunately I lost the front trying to avoid Garrett, trying to stop the bike enough and I also took him out of the race.

"I am disappointed about that, to take another rider out of the race and also not have the opportunity today to put together a full race.

"I am very sorry to all the team, it was a typical first lap incident. I'm just looking forward to better times in Magny-Cours."

Davies heads to Magny-Cours, in France, with warm up, qualifying, a Superpole race and two main races taking place from Friday to Sunday.

Newport's Tom Booth-Amos, 24, will also be hoping to continue his World Supersport 300 title push as he returns to action this weekend in France.

Rutter and his Bathams Racing team suffered a setback in their championship push when the BSB and its support classes headed to Cadwell Park for round six of the National Superstock series.

A technical fault on the warm up lap of the race meant Mackenzie was not even able to take to the grid, much to the frustration of the entire team.

The setback saw Mackenzie slip to sixth in the championship, 26 points off the lead.

The race weekend had been going well through practice and qualifying as the team worked on setting up the new BMW M1000RR to cope with the unique nature of the Cadwell Park race circuit.

Mackenzie qualified in fifth, narrowly missing out on a front row start, but had been happy with the set up of the bike and looking forward to the race before the fault occurred.

The team are now focused on the next round at Snetterton, which sees practice, qualifying and racing taking place Friday to Sunday.

Rutter said: "Obviously, we are all massively disappointed about what happened.

"We had been at the circuit since the Wednesday before, working flat out to get the M1000RR dialled in, so to not be able to even start the race is tough for everyone.

"We've just got to put Cadwell behind us now and focus on the next round."

Newport's Harry Rowlings, however, enjoyed a much more positive weekend at Cadwell coming away with another PB after suffering a DNF and then pushing through the pack from the back of the grid to claim a seventh in the GP2 class of the British Supersport series.

Rowlings, 21, said: "It was a positive weekend at a track I haven’t done many laps at and isn’t one of my favourites.

"After a good start in the sprint race I’d made up a few places and was in amongst a good group but unfortunately lost the front at the hairpin and slid out but the bike and me were pretty much un touched.

"Having not set a time in the sprint race, I had to start dead last for the feature race but after making up around eight places up on the first lap – and more over the course of the race – I brought the GP2 Evo back in 16th overall and P7 in class."