Allingham's bid for the perfect double

David Allingham’s charge towards the British Superstock Championship has become one of the most compelling stories of the motorcycling season – not just for the results, but for the personal turnaround behind them.

The Northern Ireland rider has taken seven wins from nine races, a run he admits he “would have taken all day long” if offered back in January .

The transformation has been established with new confidence, something Allingham says “is everything”.

A double victory at Brands Hatch last year proved pivotal.

“I came home that weekend and said, you know what, I can actually do this – at every track, not just Brands Hatch,” he told the BBC Bikes podcast on BBC Sounds.

Allingham speaks openly about the mental battles that once held him back. He tried sports psychologists, but found the process “nearly over complicating the whole job” and piling pressure on top of pressure.

Instead, the breakthrough came from within and from home. His fiancée Megan became his sounding board, his motivator, and, at one point, the person who stopped him quitting the sport entirely.

“I was doing so much that when I didn’t win, it was a massive failure,” he admitted.

After a broken leg due to a crash at Thruxton left him questioning whether to continue in the sport Megan stepped in.

“I said to her I don’t even know if I want to do this anymore,” Allingham recalled.

“She nearly told me off and told me you have got this, start believing in yourself and the champagne will taste even sweeter when we win.”

Now the pair share another special goal.

“My dream is to win the British Championship and then get married the week after. That would be perfect ending to a defining year.”

Equally central to Allingham’s success is his Northern Irish team, SMS/Nicholl’s Oils BMW, who he says rebuilt his confidence after injuries and self-doubt.

“We are a little team from Eglinton and Greysteel trying to give it to the big teams. The first thing them boys done was put an arm around me,” he said.

Older, wiser and finally believing he belongs at the front, Allingham is riding the crest of a wave – and chasing the perfect double.

You can watch the full BBC Bikes podcast with David Allingham on the BBC NI YouTube channel now