AFTER a promising start to the 2005 season, Middlesbrough road racer Paul Veazey finally netted his first rostrum placing when he finished third in the National Superstock Cup race at Croft circuit last weekend.

Having contested the previous three rounds of the series - which is one of the support races to the Bennetts British Superbike Championship - and just missed out on the podium, the 18-year-old gave himself a good chance of success on his local track with a front row starting position for Saturday's race, held in cool but dry conditions.

Veazey got a good start and circulated with the leaders before settling into fifth place as the race progressed. Championship leader Kenny Gilbertson crashed out of the lead and Veazey grabbed third spot, much to the delight of his Astro Kawasaki team.

The result lifted him into fifth in the championship standings going into the next round at Knockhill in Scotland in two weeks' time.

Also upholding local honour in the race was Stockton rider Andrew Bennett, who took his Acklam Conservatories Suzuki to 12th place, while Durham rider David Ward had to settle for 29th place after the 15-lap race aboard his Suzuki.

Knaresborough's Dan Linfoot continued his great run of form in the 125cc GP race with a superb second place on the Team Linfoot Racing Honda.

He moved up to third in the championship standings and the 16-year-old now leads the supporting ACU Academy Cup series by a healthy 30 points at the halfway stage.

While local Superbike ace Dennis Hobbs from Guisborough was ruled out of the meeting due to injury, the Teesside-based Shaun Muir Racing Hydrex Honda team experienced mixed fortunes when rider Kieran Clarke failed to finish in race one but gave the capacity crowd something to cheer about with a superb eighth place in race two.

Despite the less than perfect weather, fans once again turned out in their thousands to watch the action. They saw Japanese rider Ryuichi Kiyonari take the win in race one for the HM Plant Honda Racing team, while Spanish star Gregorio Lavilla (Airwaves Ducati) took race two after an epic battle involving ten bikes which proved to be the race of the season so far.

In the supporting charity BSB soccer match held over the Croft weekend, the Riders team suffered defeat for the second year in succession after a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of the Media team captained by Tyne Tees sports presenter Andy Kerr. It is hoped that about £2,000 will have been raised for St Teresa's Hospice in Darlington as a result.

* More motor sport news on page 28.