After his Race 2 crash in Sepang, Alex Lowes has been getting back to full health, culminating in another battle in the top 5 that saw the Brit take home a well-earned haul of points in Race 1 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

A stunning start saw the Yamaha rdier jump four positions in the opening lap before heading into the top five, his sights then set firmly on the podium. After attacking Nicky Hayden for the final podium spot, the Yamaha rider was kept at bay by the veteran Honda rider, before Hayden’s teammate Michael van der Mark also managed to get past the Brit. Just a second from the podium on a new bike as Yamaha return to the WorldSBK paddock, the top 5 result is a positive one.

"It was a good solid race this afternoon, obviously there was a bit of pressure on after a disappointing qualifying from 10th, so overall I'm happy to be fifth,” said Lowes. “I felt like, with 10-15 laps to go, we could challenge for the podium but unfortunately I was struggling to pass and just couldn't find the right place. I had a couple of attempts but unfortunately I just didn't have the pace in the areas I needed to get the pass done. In the end it felt quite frustrating but really it was a solid race and we're quite happy. I'm hoping if we can make a few changes to the bike to give me a bit more confidence in the areas that I need to get past people a bit easier, then I can really look forward to tomorrow."

Race 2 begins at 14:30 local time (GMT -7), as Lowes and temporary teammate Niccolo Canepa go for nother double top ten finish.