SIDECAR aces Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead will be hoping that a dose of Adriatic sunshine will shine some luck on their breakdown-ridden 2002 sidecar world Championship campaign, when they compete in round six of the series at Misano, near Rimini, Italy, tomorrow.

Easingwold's Webster is currently fifth in the championship, some 40 points behind leader Jorg Steinhausen, who has amassed 90 points from consistent top four finishes at every round, including a victory last time out at Lausitzring.

With five races to go including tomorrow, Webster needs to turn his obvious qualifying and lap speed superiority into race wins if he is to mount a challenge for what would be a ninth world title.

The 4.6kilometre Italian circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Webbo. After a win and a second in the early 90s, he was second in 1999, when the series returned to Misano, and has won there on the last two visits.

Victory would yield a well-earned hat-trick and give Webster the points his skills undoubtedly deserve.

Since the beginning of the 1997 season, in 50 outings he's been on pole no less than 42 times, but a fall from his once unquestioned reliability has cost him dear. Certain wins at South Africa, Silverstone, and Germany have been denied by mechanical problems on the fast but fragile 1200cc Suzuki, and has meant he now languishes in fifth rather than being way out in front.

But, to win you've got to finish and since the last round Webbo has been burning the midnight oil to make sure the Suzuki engines are on song.

Said Webster: "You can't legislate for the problems we've had this year, but this weekend should be our last outing with the older 1200cc Suzukis. They are fast motors, but because Suzuki don't make them any more we have to use some second hand parts so we get reliability problems.

"I'm hoping we'll have the new 1000cc engines sorted soon.

"We'll go out there to do our best, and nothing less than a win will do to keep us in the championship chase. There's a gap to make up but there are still 125 points to go for so it's still wide open."

After Saturday's race, there's a five-week break before the next round at Brands Hatch.

Updated: 12:35 Friday, June 21, 2002