AFTER racing sidecars at World Championship level for 16 seasons at 121 Grand Prix races in 16 different countries, most would have thought that Steve Webster had been pretty much everywhere by now.

But not so. And with the revitalised sidecar World Championship well underway, Webster finds himself at his third 'new' track in four rounds of the series tomorrow when he ventures out at the high-speed Monza circuit, near Milan in Italy.

The most famous and oldest track in Italy - opened in 1922 - it has somehow seemed to avoid the three wheelers.

In fact, the last World Championship sidecar race to be held there was way back in 1967, when German Georg Auerbacher and Billie Nelson won on their 500cc BMW outfit.

Webster is looking forward to the first track of the year, where he believes that his not so nimble, but thundering 1200 Suzuki may have an advantage over the neat handling two-stroke 500s.

"It's a long track - the third longest this year - at three and a half miles round - and it's also very fast.

"There's a couple of chicanes that will bunch things up, but I feel it's the first one where outright power is going to be an advantage and favour the big four-strokes.

"We knew at the start of the season some tracks would be better for us, and others better for the two-strokes," explained Webster.

"Up to now in Australia, Donington and Spain, there were enough slow corners to give the two-stroke boys an advantage so I'm really looking forward to this.

The world champion added: "It's always great to go somewhere new because we all start with the same track knowledge, gearing and chassis settings so there is a lot of work to do.

"But everyone is in the same boat."

Going into round four Webster is looking to reel in some of the 11-point championship advantage Steve Abbott has earned himself.

Using an ex-Team Boesiger/Webster crankcase, Abbott has this year finally found the consistency his talent deserves, and has so far had residency on each step of the rostrum in the three races held.

Austrian Klaus Klaffenbock is a further nine points down.

There are seven rounds to go, but not surprisingly a trend is appearing with Webster, Abbott and Klaffenbock being the fast boys.

Last year's rising stars Markus Schlosser and Scotsman Stuart Muldoon haven't got on the pace yet, but Webster is tipping Schlosser to go well at Monza.

"He's got Rolf Biland's old bike and he's the only one getting direct help from the BRM Swissauto factory and that V4 is really fast, so he could be the cat among the pigeons."

To bolster Webster's armoury, brake manufacturers AP have come up with some new stoppers developed from their F3000 car equipment for Webster to try out.

Passenger David James is also hoping the race will stir up a bit of interest in the Italian media.

Previously based in Wisbech, James now resides with his fiance near the Imola circuit in Italy and is mischievously claiming Sunday as a 'home' GP.

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