2003 ASBK champion Craig Coxhell is impressing aboard a BMW S 1000 RR Superstock machine in 2010.

CJC Racing’s Craig Coxhell continued his exceptional mid-season form on BMW’s S 1000 RR in the Australian Superstock 1000 A-grade category on Sunday at Queensland Raceway, the former ASBK champion now focussed on breaking into the top five of the combined Superbike category.

Coxhell rode to sixth in race one and ninth in the second Outright as top Superstock finisher, his Superpole position of fifth also coming as a highlight for the weekend.

“We’re continuing to make improvements all the time and the gap is closing between us and the front runners and we’re really pleased with how far we’ve come in only three outings,” the 27-year-old explained. “The BMW S 1000 RR’s working really well, I’m getting more and more comfortable on it now and we’re starting to understand it a lot better.

“Radar and the team did another great job again this weekend and I can’t thank them and our supporters enough. We met a lot of terrific BMW people up here this weekend and I hope we gave them plenty to cheer about.”

Coxhell surprised by taking the lead on the opening lap of race two on Sunday afternoon, albeit suffering a tyre problem that forced him back down the order during the 16-lap affair.

“I had two great starts today, the second being almost the perfect launch and I was in the position I wanted to be to fight up the front,” the Victorian explained. “But even from the first lap I was having issues with the rear tyre and couldn’t match the pace we had in the first race.

“It was a frustrating way to end the weekend to be honest, as we genuinely had the pace to finish inside the top 5 and we all want to put on the best show we can for Southbank Motorcycles and Bisley and the rest of our sponsors. I’m not sure if I spun the tyre on the wheel with that launch or not, but the racing gods had a giggle at my expense in race two today.

“That’s racing – a couple of the other guys out there had similar issues over the weekend – so we’ll be back out there at Phillip Island and I’m determined to get our first top five.”

Coxhell now sits fourth in the Superstock championship after missing the opening two rounds of the season.