McGuinness 'down in the dumps' over TT tragedy.

John McGuinness endured a tough weekend at Knockhill, the AIM Racing Yamaha rider failing to start race one and then returning after five laps into race two.

"It's been really difficult. I've been trying my best and getting nowhere really. The level of competition in BSB now is absolutely incredible and I'm just getting caught with my pants down," John, who had qualified 19th, told Crash.net after race two.

"In the first race I thought I wouldn't have a bad race pace, but when I pulled up onto the line I had an oil leak out of the side of the crankcases - one of the clutch covers - so it was a 'no no' and in the second race I had brake fade.

"I'd had a really bad start, I got duffed up a little bit in the first few laps and I got left in no mans land towards the back of the field. Then going into the hairpin I had really bad brake fade, the lever was coming right back to the handlebars," he detailed. "I just thought 'for 30 laps I'm not going to get away with this - I'll skittle someone off'.

"I've had no luck at all this weekend. We've got to try and put it behind us, but I'm a little bit frustrated, disappointed and upset, to a certain degree with everything. To be honest my mind isn't on the job at the moment - I don't know what's going on - maybe the bike's good and I'm crap!"

All of which was in stark contrast to the huge success enjoyed by McGuinness at the recent Isle of Man TT.

"Yeah, I've got the experience over there - the R1 is a fantastic package; it's mega reliable - it might not be the fastest thing in the world but it never missed a beat at the TT and we did the job," replied McGuinness. "I enjoyed it; I've always wanted to win the Senior - and we won both Superbike races. The TT was magic apart from the tragedy on the last day when I lost my friend.

"Everything's insignificant now; I mean, I won the race, I broke DJ's Senior lap record, we did all the podium ceremony and I was on such a high - and then I found out we'd lost Gus (Scott). I was going to be Gus's best man at his wedding and it was really disappointing for the place to take him away in the circumstances we all know about, and which I won't mention."

An investigation into the accident is yet to be completed, but Scott is believed to have collided with a marshal who was crossing the track to help another rider - both Scott and the marshal were killed.

"It shouldn't really have happened. It was an unbelievable accident and we have to try and put it behind us. For the TT to survive it needs to work out what went on and make sure it doesn't happen again," he said.

"I've been down in the dumps the last couple of weeks now - I went to his funeral last Tuesday and he had a good send off - but I've been going around a bit like a bear with a sore arse I suppose."