Tommy Bridewell starts the British Superbike Championship on Easter weekend confident he can win the title.

The 22-year-old goes into his second season in prime shape on a finely-tuned bike and says there are no excuses for not fulfilling his potential this term.

And he believes he will be boosted by riding in the memory of his brother who died in the same championship in 2007.

"I feel it's an advantage I've got over everyone else. I've got Ollie riding with me," he told BBC Points West.

"It's a weird way of looking at it perhaps, but it's like you've got two powers.

"To start with it hit me hard and I had walked away from road racing. That was it. But now it's made me so mentally strong to succeed and not just for me, but for Ollie and my family."

Bridewell's older brother died at the age of 21 after suffering head and neck injuries in a crash in practice on a sodden track at Mallory Park.

I've got to make sure this year I show what I can do and then it could turn into big things Tommy Bridewell

Then 18, Bridewell, who had been in the pit garage with his father at the time, had also been competing in the championship but turned his back on racing and did not ride a bike for a month.

However, with the support of his parents Marcus and Elizabeth he was soon back in thrall to the bikes and has embarked on building a career with Tyco-Honda that is coming to a crossroads.

"I can't imagine a life without bikes," said the Devizes-based rider. "Bikes is my life and anything before or after can hold on for a minute or two.

"I'm at an age where I'm 100% fit enough, I'm 100% mentally strong enough and I can really come on strong and show what I can do. Or I can disappear.

"It's a cut-throat sport and I've got to make sure this year I show what I can do and then it could turn into big things and go a long way for me."

Last season Bridewell finished 11th in his first full BSB campaign with 11 top-10 finishes and a best performance of fourth a Cadwell Park.

BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Starts at Brands Hatch 22-25 April 12 rounds concluding back at Brands Hatch in October 38 riders, including defending champion Ryuichi Kiyomari, former MotoGP star John Hopkins and two-time British Superbikes champion Shane Byrne Jenny Tinmouth will become the first woman to ride a BSB season this year

But Bridewell goes into this year's 12-weekend, 26-race calendar on an upgraded bike and confident of making that impact despite admitting pre-season has been complicated by technical issues.

He said: "Last year I was on an older bike and then the team got a sponsor in Tyco and they bought the new bikes.

"It's a bigger, upper-class team now. It was time to go that next step for the team and for me so they got the bikes, a proven bike, and there are no excuses.

"Some weekends will be really hard, I know that and the team knows that, but when it goes right we'll be a force to be challenged with.

"The bike's harder to set up and harder to ride, but if you get it right you go a lot, lot faster with it.

"My expectation is firstly to crack getting on the podium and get that duck off my back and then really concentrate on being consistent and getting in the top-six showdown where everyone's at an equal playing field to win the championship.

"I don't think it's an unrealistic goal. It's going to be a hard challenge as there are so many good riders this year, but they'll have to be good to challenge with me."

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