Colin Appleyard team rider Paul Young demonstrated why he is one of the most professional riders in the British Superbike Championship with a superb second place finish at Knockhill in the fifth round of the series.

The team made the most of difficult conditions with Young qualifying in second place and Kirkham seventh on the grid.

Race one started on a damp but drying track with a downpour threatening, the worst possible situation for the team. They opted to start both riders on full wet tyres. Young lost a few places on the opening lap, but quickly made amends. He out-braked current Superbike champion Steve Hislop into the Taylors hairpin, and went past John McGuinness and Glen Richards to regain his second place.

The drying track started to tear apart the ultra-soft wet tyres, but Young was patient and waited for the imminent rain despite slipping back. The promised rain came in a torrential downpour on lap 12 and he started to reel in the top three, making his way back up to second place by lap 18 of the 30-lap race.

Eighteen-year-old Jon Kirkham was less fortunate. After a good start he was forced to pull in due to poor visibility after rain had crept inside his visor.

Conditions improved for race two and from his front row start, Young launched his Appleyard Racing machine off the start line but was forced to back off after touching series leader Shane Byrne as they headed for the first corner. With all the riders on dry tyres, a downpour on lap 20 forced the organisers to stop the race. With Young in ninth place and Kirkham thirteenth.

Young said: "The first race was brilliant. The track was drying but I've raced at Knockhill enough to know that rain is never far away on a day like this. I made the decision to save the tyres and we were able to take advantage when the rain came."

n Young (right) on the Yamaha R1.