JASON Doyle has admitted he is getting "sick of finishing fourth" after narrowly failing to get on the podium in the fourth round of the Australian Championship.

The outgoing Pirate shrugged off a suspected broken ankle by reeling off three wins, a second and a third to reach the final on 12 points on his hometown track at Newcastle.

But, after finishing fourth at Gillman in an earlier round, he was forced to follow home race winner Chris Holder, Joe Screen and fellow outgoing Pirate Troy Batchelor in the climax.

Doyle, who has signed for Somerset on loan this year, said: "I'm glad I made the final but I'm sick of finishing fourth.

"If anything, I made too good a gate off four and kept going out and out.

"Troy made a good gate from three, which wasn't working all night, and he just pushed me too far.

"He pushed me out in no-man's-land, although I can't complain."

Doyle, who picked up 16 points to take his overall tally to 56 with only the final round at Sydney tomorrow (7.30am) to go, is sixth overall.

But, eight points adrift of third-placed Screen, he said: "I'm still hoping to get on the podium overall.

"If I can have a good one at Sydney and if Joe doesn't have a good one, I might still be able to catch him.

"I've only ridden there once, last year, but if I make some good starts there's no reason why I can't do better than fourth in the meeting there."

Doyle, riding with a suspected broken ankle, added: "The ankle was good.

"It didn't give me any trouble, so that was one good thing to come out of it.

"It was also awesome riding in front of my friends and family.

"My dad Kevin and mum Gail were there, which was good to see, along with a few more friends and family.

"It was great because they don't get much chance to watch me race live."

Doyle needs to overhaul Cameron Woodward as the third best-placed Aussie to guarantee a 2008 Grand Prix qualifiers' spot.