Leon Camier enjoyed his best World Superbike Championship round of the season in America this weekend.

Ashford’s Aprilia Alitalia rider (pictured) finished race one in fourth but on his second outing took second behind double-winner Carlos Checa.

The two finishes earned him 33 championship points and he left the Miller Motorsports Park circuit in Salt Lake City sitting seventh in the rider standings, to close the gap on fellow Brits Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea,

Qualifying had been hampered by indifferent weather conditions where Camier was quickest in the wet. He eventually lined up on the third row, in eleventh, for the start of the opening race.

Camier, whose previous best was a third at Donington Park, experienced a scare midway through the opening race when he went onto the gravel, but he recovered well to finish behind the Ducati trio of Checa, Smrz and Guintoli to claim fourth.

Checa led race two from start to finish and Camier did just enough to hold off Max Biaggi and ride home for a second place podium finish.