Lee Johnston believes that he is in a great position ahead of the 2015 Metzeler Ulster Grand Prix and is ready to show exactly why is one of the rising stars in road racing.
The 26-year-old has had a successful season so far, picking up victories in the Lightweight and Superstock events at the North West 200.
Johnston also managed to secure his first-ever podium finishes at the Isle of Man TT, finishing third in both the Superstock and TT Zero races.
A confident Johnston said: “I’m really enjoying riding all my bikes and for the first time I’m properly comfortable on the superbike.
“The last few years I didn’t spend as much time on the big bike and it just took a bit longer get everything right, but this season has been a step up.
“Even at the Ulster last year we weren’t completely there. It was nice to run with Bruce and Guy and know that we have the pace, but it wasn’t until we went to Macau that it all clicked.”
Johnston’s East Coast Construction team have made a successful switch from Honda to BMW and he believes that they will be on the pace at Dundrod.
He said: “As a team we’re not searching for anything now, we know we have the speed and we know where we should be, so the focus is purely on finding a good set up.
“The BMW is very technical but we can manage it well. I’m the sort of rider that takes a little bit of time to get going but hopefully we’ll be there or there abouts come race day. There are no prizes for practice after all.”
Following on from his podium finishes at last year’s event, Johnston only has one thing on his mind ahead of the 2015 event.
He explained: “Everybody wants to win a superbike race. That’s the goal. There’s no reason we can’t do it. I feel good in myself and I’m fit and healthy so we’re in a good place.”
Bike Week gets underway on Monday 3 August with practice sessions taking place on Wednesday 5 August. The races themselves are scheduled for Thursday 6 August and Saturday 8 August.
