EASINGWOLD'S Steve Webster and passenger Paul Woodhead have moved a decisive step towards the 2004 Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship title with a fine double win at a blistering Brands Hatch.

The maximum 50 point haul - their third double of the season - moved them into a 54 point lead in the championship, effectively now giving them a race in hand.

But Team Castrol Suzuki ace Webster was made to work hard for his victory spoils.

After setting pole position with a scorching time of 1 minute 29.719 seconds, Webster had a torrid time in the early stages of Saturday's 15-lap first race, run in baking 28-degree heat.

He immediately lost his front row advantage to fast-starting Tim Reeves, with Derek Brindley pushing through to second place. German ace Jorg Steinhausen then demoted Webster to fourth on the second lap, and it looked as though it was going to be a tall order to battle past the leading bunch.

Nine-times world champion Webster held his station for three laps as race leader Reeves tried to make a getaway, and by the fourth lap burst past Brindley.

Webster, determined not to let Reeves make the break, then out-braked Steinhausen at the start of the fifth lap going into Druids to take second spot.

With Steinhausen retiring with a loose exhaust pipe, and Brindley dropping back, it was down to a straight race between Webster and Reeves.

On lap six Webster made his move, literally forcing his way into the lead diving into Graham Hill Bend, simultaneously blocking Reeves' attempts to re-pass.

Webster then tried to make a run for it and gradually built up a 1.4 second advantage before back markers allowed Reeves to close to mere yards on the last lap. Webster managed to hold the lead though to win by 0.3 secs.

"It was a tough race, and the heat made it very hard work. We got a bit bullied in the opening stages and I was pleased to finally get a clear track in front of me," said Webster.

With temperatures marginally cooler for Sunday's second leg, Webster predicted lap times would tumble.

The first six laps were almost a copy of Saturday's race, but this time Steinhausen hung in there. However, Webster picked them off one by one, fighting through from fourth to the lead by lap six of the fourteen- lapper.

With Brindley dropping back, less than two seconds covered Webster, Steinhausen and Reeves, but the North Yorkshire ace upped the pace. Having set a new lap record in the opening race, Webster reeled off a string of sub-1min 30 laps, posting eight lap times all under the lap record, and in the process setting a new one at 1min 29.622, a tenth faster than his pole time.

Webster roared across the line to take the race win by just over seven seconds with Reeves second and Steinhausen third.

"All-in-all it's been a great weekend. The weather was perfect, and we got two wins. That stands us in good stead for the championship, and we're now a race in hand," said a happy Webster.

Updated: 11:10 Monday, August 02, 2004