FOUR 1000cc sidecar crews from Cornwall travelled to the Tonbridge and Malling Motorcycle Clubs' International Battle of Britain at the boarded circuit, Collier Street, Yalding, Kent, on Sunday to fight it out with 28 other crews from around the country.

With only three heat rides each to gain their points, everyone was attacking hard from the outset. Wayne Westaway and Mark Courtney from St Austell were the first of the four to experience the smooth, almost slick track conditions, but couldn't repeat the same pace of racing that they had shown two weeks ago at the Westcountry Winner.

The second crew out of the box were Richard Thomas and Kevin Woodley from Helston who were hoping to maintain their good form from their first outing of the season, and managed a close second behind Ivor Matthews/ Mick Stace, who had beaten at Cornwall.

The next heat saw Matthew Tyrell and Shaun Yates show the crowd how it's done by pulling off a win ahead of one of the top crews, John Halsey and Jason Glenie.

Myles Simmons and Dave Hogan from Redruth had to wait until the last of the 1000cc sidecar heats before they, too, had a tightly contested heat with Duncan Tolhurst and Nicky Owen to finish second.

In the second round of heats, Simmons/Hogan took a win from Halsey/Glenie. Thomas/Woodley took a second again behind Matthews/Stace. Tyrell/Yates had a fourth and Westaway/ Courtney a fifth.

With points still counting as to whether or not they had a place in the 'A' or 'B' final, there were no concessions by any of the crews who competed just as fiercely. Thomas/Woodley were the first to go out in the third set of heats. Finishing third left them with 11 points, but still in with a chance of one of the finals. Simmons/ Hogan, who had a very bad start, finished in fifth place with Tyrell/Yates finishing behind them in sixth. Westaway/ Courtney, however, made a fantastic gate and shot like a bolt into first place, and managed to hold off Rob Wilson/Ian Whale's advances to cross the winning post in first position. However, this didn't give them enough points for either final, but gave them a win that they deserved.

So it was left to Thomas/ Woodley and Simmons/Hogan to keep the Cornish flag flying in the 'B' final.

Thomas/Woodley, lifting the bike from the start, went into the first bend last, but managed to creep their way past Simmons/ Hogan and Gary Jackson/Carl Pugh to finish fourth, and Simmons/Hogan fifth, in what can only be described as very, very dusty conditions.