BILLY MACKENZIE and Gordon Crockard put the Swanmore-based Bike It Dixon Yamaha team back on the podium in the second round of the Maxxis British Motocross Championship at Polesworth near Tamworth.

Both riders are manfully shrugging off serious injury problems and both needed a confidence booster going into the new season.

The Titchfield-based Scot certainly got a lift after winning the second of the MX2 events to leap from ninth to fourth in the championship.

Ulsterman Crockard dislocated an ankle in an early-season event at Hawkstone Park and only decided the day before to ride. He wished he hadn't after crashing heavily in the first of the MX1 races and destroying his bike.

He took out a spare for the second event and finished third, just losing out on the runners-up slot to Finn Jussi Vehrilainen on the penultimate lap.

Mackenzie had led through a good part of race one before a mixture of arm pump - the result of his long lay off last season - and too soft a suspension setting saw him slip back to fourth.

The teenager got the hole-shot second time out and led until the race was red flagged to rescue an injured rider.

When it restarted Mackenzie had to force his way past Tom Church and then championship leader Car Nunn, who lost time falling off then stalled his bike as he and the Yamaha rider touched going into a turn.