North Yorkshire sidecar ace Steve Webster has given himself a great chance to get his 2001 world championship bid back on track at the new Lausitzring circuit, near Dresden, in Germany tomorrow.

The record eight times world champion from Easingwold has taken provisional pole after dominating the first day of practice.

He posted the fastest times in the rain-affected free practice session and went 15 seconds quicker in the dry qualifying session, clocking 1 min 45.671 sec, exactly two seconds faster than nearest rival Klaus Klaffenbock.

Final grid positions were being determined in today's superpole session.

Webster is a lowly eighth in the points standings going into the fifth round of the ten-race series and is desperate to make up ground on Klaffenbock.

The Austrian is 55 points clear after three wins from three races, but that lead has come gift-wrapped as Webster's machine suffered a water leak in Italy, and passenger Paul Woodhead's knee locked up two weeks ago at Donington. Webster was leading at the time of both these mishaps.

Woodhead, who is based in Milton Keynes, has been having intensive therapy on his injured knee.

The injury was not as bad as was at first feared. When he had an operation in Australia to remove the cartilage a fragment was left in the knee. This had moved into the joint and Woodhead could not straighten his leg.

Another operation has not been necessary. He has had the joint manipulated and had some physiotherapy.

"He is confident it'll be okay now," said Webster.

Webster was second in Spain in the opening race of this year's championship and set the lap record. But then the Australian race was rained off, and this was followed by the water leak at Monza and then Woodhead's knee injury at Donington.

It was the first time in his career Webster has had two consecutive non-finishes and has been all the more frustrating because Webster was on pole for the last two races.

He recorded the fastest-ever outright top speed for a sidecar at 176mph at Monza, and recorded the fastest lap at Donington after shattering his own lap record in practice.

"It's no good being quickest if we can't finish," he said.

"I really thought we were going to do it at Donington last time out.

"We know we can win races. Now we've got to string some results together.

"Klaffy (Klaffenbock) will now maybe start thinking about the championship and defending his lead.

"Realistically he's got to break down if we're going to stand any chance, but we're not giving up.

"Maybe it's not going to be our year, maybe we've used up our luck for the time being, and maybe he'll win it this year, but we're still out to get as many points as we can and fight him all the way."

The 4.265km Lausitzring circuit is totally new to Webster.

" I've seen a picture and a circuit map, but that's all. I am looking forward to it though. I always like going to new tracks," he said.

"Its short and twisty, a typical modern computer designed circuit. There are six rights and eight lefts, and the main straight is only 650m, so it will be quite demanding.

"I've also heard it's got quite a slippery surface, but other than that I don't know what to expect."

Updated: 11:16 Saturday, June 09, 2001