Sidecar ace Steve Webster and passenger Paul Woodhead took a nine point lead in the 2000 Sidecar World Cup after winning at Philip Island, Australia in dramatic circumstances yesterday.

WINNER: Steve Webster

Webster, from Alne, near Easingwold, clinched victory in the final seconds after contending with a determined challenge from Austrian Klaus Klaffenbock.

With three laps to go, Klaffenbock, who had taken advantage of backmarkers holding up Webster to slipstream and then bob past him, was being hounded by the seven time world champion when the drama unfolded on the last lap.

Coming into the hairpin, Webster outbraked Klaffenbock to take the inside line but found himself on loose gravel and dust thrown up from an earlier crash involving Ian Guy. Webster's wheels locked and as he turned into the corner Klaffenbock, who had taken a wide line, suddenly cut across Webster's line.

The nose of Webster's Olympia Reisen Suzuki caught the side of Klaffenbock's outfit, causing both machines to slue sideways. The bump threw Klaffenbock's passenger Dolf Haenni from his platform and tumbling onto the grass verge.

Klaffenbock didn't immediately realise Haenni had been ejected and shot after Webster, only to find out at the next corner his outfit was light. Haenni ran to rejoin him, but Webster had streaked into the distance to win.

Webster's team-mate Jurg Steinhausen took second place, making it a one-two for the team, while Australian Shane Soutar was third with Leyburn's Andy Hetherington in the chair. A furious Klaffenbock and Haenni came home fifth.

"I knew it was going to be a tough race - we were lapping faster than our qualifying times - and when Klaffy went by on the slipstream I knew it was going to go to the very last lap.

"He cut across to close the door, we were on the 'marbles' and getting a bit sideways and we made contact. It was a shame, but it was a pure racing accident - we were both going for the same bit of road and it happened," explained Webster.

There was no malicious intent on Webster's part - his 18-season record in World Championship sidecar racing vindicates his sportsmanship. One thing for certain though, the next round at Donington on May 14 will carry some powerful emotional baggage with Klaffenbock desperate to beat Webster on his home track.

Up until the altercation the race had been a classic. Webster, on pole, had held the lead for 18 of the 21 laps apart from a brief spell on the seventh, when Klaffenbock had squeezed through only to be retaken.

Webster seemed to have the upper hand until a backmarker on lap 18 slowed him up enough for Klaffenbock to get sucked into the slipstream and use the textbook 'tow' effect to catapult past on the fast 160 mph straight. Webster was immediately with him, pushing and poking for a way through until that dramatic final lap unfolded.

The win puts Webster into the championship lead on 45, with Steinhausen and Klaffenbock both on 36. Two down, ten to go.

The result also gave Webster his 40th race win in 131 starts. It was also his 94th rostrum place, his 25th pole and win, and 45th pole.

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