AFTER the disappointment of not scoring last Sunday in Holland, sidecar world champion Steve Webster and passenger Paul Woodhead are desperate to make amends tomorrow.

They are racing in Oschersleben, in Germany, in the penultimate round of the 2000 series.

Webster holds an 18-point lead over his German rival Klaus Klaffenbock, but there are still 50 points to ride for and the Easingwold racer needs to keep winning.

"Of course we were disappointed last Sunday when Paul fell out, but the main thing was that he was not hurt," said Webster.

"He had a few bruises but he's fully fit for tomorrow, and we've got to put it behind us and go all out for another win."

Last Sunday the race win was seemingly in the bag when Woodhead slipped from the oil-covered passenger platform at the start of the last lap.

"Paul told me afterwards the oil had stared leaking after the third lap, but he was able to still hold on," explained Webster.

"Then at the end of the second to last lap, another gush of oil came out and he tried to tap me on the shoulder to tell me to shut off.

"But I was braking hard into the corner, and we bumped over the curbs and I just didn't feel it. As I accelerated out, the oil had got under his boots and once he'd lost his grip, that was it."

Webster had been leading the race when the incident happened.

Team-mate Jurg Steinhausen won, but only after clashing with Klaffenbock, who took grave offence and the pair ended up having a rather animated discussion in the pit lane after the race.

So, with two races still to go, what should have been a steady run-in to the title now becomes a real battle.

Both Webster and Klaffenbock have one 'no-score' ride against their names and, although Webster can afford to let Klaffenbock win as long as he gets second, it is going to be a rather more 'edge of the seat' affair than had been anticipated a couple of races ago.

And Oschersleben is a relatively new track.

Webster raced and won there for the first time in 1998 to win his sixth world title, and also raced there late last season in a German championship race.

"I know my way round OK, but it's a short twisty track with only a short straight, so it will be hard work," said Webster.

"Paul has not been there before, but after a couple of laps he'll have it sussed.

"Obviously it's very important to get a good result. I was happy with the way we'd gone last week - up until the point where Paul fell out.

"I'm going to try to see if we can get the softer tyre to work there."

Webster does have a chance of lifting the title if Klaffenbock fails to finish, but the fiery Austrian will feel the chase is still wide open and realistically it is going to go to the last race at Brands Hatch next month.