Yamalube/Star Racing/Yamaha’s Dan Reardon is determined to capitalise on his opportunity in the US this season, remaining confident he can challenge for the podium.

The Queenslander rode to a Monster Energy AMA Supercross West Coast 250SX season-best of sixth in Phoenix last Saturday night in another positive performance.

However marginal improvements to be made in his execution as the season approaches its mid-term break and the second half could propel him to reach his targets before the season’s up.

“If you look at the results at the end of the racing and really break down the race, for some people it may be out of reach or it wouldn’t be possible, but I know that it is,” Reardon told MotoOnline.com.au in this week’s Catching Up interview.

“I just need to change a couple of things and they’re not big things, it’s not like I all of the sudden need to cycle twice as long this week or ride twice as much, they’re only small things and it’s about putting myself in a better position earlier on. It’s not out of reach, I know it’s not, and that would be awesome to be able to do that.

“Even to win a heat race and be in contention to win a heat race, my riding so far, there’s been really good points about it and some points that weren’t that great. It’s just about putting all of those pieces together and making it count – it’s possible, definitely.

“Sixth is maybe the best result I’ve had this year, but it’s still not good enough. I know I’ve got a lot more to showcase and we just need to alter a couple things and change a couple of things during the week. They’re not drastic changes, but I want more than that and that’s pretty much it.”

There’s no lack of honesty in Reardon’s assessment of his own performances, eager to establish himself as a competitive candidate in American supercross year in, year out. And at 31 years of age in the 250SX division, he knows results are critical.

“To be honest, they were kind of average,” he said of his opening four rounds. “It’s good, but it’s not good enough, and that’s just me – I’m not getting pressure from anyone else.

“I’m not executing a couple of things as well as I would like to and when you have the depth and talent that is here – this is the best of the best – you need to make sure that you’re on your game all the time. It starts in the first practice and continues all the way through the night show.

“Each round I go to I get excited to turn up to a new round, a new track, you feel like you can re-do everything again. Things are good, but they’re not good enough and I really want to try and turn this around a bit in this next half of the season.”