NORTH Yorkshire sidecar aces Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead sealed a masterful victory with a three-second win at the Nurburgring, in the third round of the German Championship yesterday.

Competing in the third round of the domestic German series mainly to test new rubber for race tyre manufacturers Yokohama, the Team Castrol Suzuki pairing were nevertheless keen to record a victory over rivals Jorg Steinhausen and Trevor Hopkinson.

At the start of the 15-lapper run on the short club circuit, Steinhausen was first away but with Webster and Tim Reeves close on his tail.

Explained passenger Woodhead: "We followed 'Steiny' for the first three or four laps and then Steve managed to outbrake him going into the right-hander at the end of the main straight.

"We then got stuck in and did a few fast laps and we were able to pull out about a five-second lead."

Back markers than came into sight, and Steinhausen and Hopkinson were soon back with Webster.

Added Woodhead: "He was then only about a second behind us, so we had to turn it up a bit and do a few more fast laps to build up the lead again, until we were safe, and then Steve backed off a little on the final lap"

While no championship points were at stake for Webster and Woodhead, they still piloted their Suzuki GSXR1000-powered outfit the only way they know how - flat out.

Tyre testing also went well, although a too-soft sidecar tyre prevented Webster from getting pole by two-tenths of a second. Obviously affronted by this, Webster reverted to his usual compounds for the morning warm-up and was immediately three-quarter of a second faster than Steinhausen's pole time. In the race they went even quicker, smashing the lap record and knocking a further two-tenths off to post a lap time of one minute 30.977 seconds.

Webster and Woodhead resume their chase for the British title next weekend at Croft, near Darlington.

Updated: 10:38 Monday, June 21, 2004