MICHAEL LAVERTY is hoping it’s a case of third time lucky when he takes to the track at Croft this weekend.

The Swan Yamaha rider has mixed it with the frontrunners in every race so far this season, but has yet to finish on the podium.

Laverty is in sixth place in the standings after the opening two events at Brands Hatch and Oulton Park, with team-mate Tommy Hill in fifth.

A huge high side at Brands while leading put paid to his chances in the season opener, but he recovered from that to grab fourth in the second.

Last time out he missed out on pole in the first race by a mere 0.291seconds to Hill, but ended up having to be satisfied with a pair of fifth-place finishes.

Speaking at Croft ahead of this weekend’s action – the home round for the Guisborough-based team – the laid-back Northern Irishman said: “It’s been strange. We are two rounds in and Tommy has had two crashes and two injuries, and I have had a lot of bad luck, crashed out myself without injury during the first round, and the last round at Oulton Park I made a lot of mistakes.

“I still haven’t had a podium, never mind a win, but we have a bike and team that’s more than capable of winning races, it’s just that the stars have not aligned for us yet. Hopefully, this weekend we will put that right.”

Laverty admits it’s been a frustrating month or so, but refuses to let it get him down.

“I am arguably one of the strongest in the championship so far, but to not even have a podium out of it is hard to take,” he said.

“But if you let those sort of frustrations build, it adds pressure. I am coming here with a clear head and, hopefully, we can rectify that, get at least one win, but aim for the double.”

Laverty said a victory at Croft would not only be “awesome” for the Shaun Muir Racing outfit, but for him as well.

“I consider it a fairly local race for me too, as a lot of people from Northern Ireland come over to this one, as here and Knockhill are the easiest tracks for them to get to,” he said. “The nature of the circuit is quite like the Northern Ireland tracks as well, being an old airfield, that’s a little bit bumpy. It’s got a little bit of everything – kind of like what I grew up racing on back home. I enjoy the atmosphere, get on with the people here and it works well for me.”

Laverty, who moved to Swan Yamaha in the winter, said he was happy with what he had seen so far and was sure he had joined a team with championship-winning potential.

“That is how I have seen it since day one,” he said. “It was like ‘right, this is my opportunity’. I have got the tools that I need to do the job.

“In my eyes I have got the kit, it is up to me to deliver now.”