HOBBS Racing rider Dennis Hobbs endured further frustration when his bid to regain the lead of the THINK! British Superbike Cup was thwarted at Oulton Park last weekend due to a combination of tyre problems in race one and a broken clutch in the second of the day's races.

Aboard his Scott Leathers-sponsored 1000cc Suzuki and after qualifying on row five of the grid, the 21-year-old from Guisborough recorded his fourth consecutive second place in the opening race around the Cheshire circuit despite a front tyre which became increasingly out of balance as the 18-lap race progressed.

Hobbs was hoping for a change of fortune as the bikes lined up for race two, but any hopes of an inaugural victory this season went when the clutch failed on the warm-up lap, leaving him to try to nurse the ailing machine home around the demanding track.

However, despite a brave bid, the unit gave up the ghost completely with just six laps to go, which resulted in Hobbs' first non-finish of the season.

He said: "I knew it wouldn't make it, but I was determined not to give in until the clutch did.

"There's still a long way to go in the championship and, although this is a setback, it's not a disaster."

To make matters worse, main championship rival James Ellison (Yamaha) took his second successive double victory in front of yet another massive BSB crowd to move 31 points clear going into the next round at Mondello Park in Ireland in two weeks time.

Hobbs is still second, eight points ahead of fellow Suzuki rider Jon Kirkham with 18 races still to go.

Meanwhile, Hobbs travels to Italy next weekend to contest a one-off round of the European Superstock Championship at the famous Monza track on the outskirts of Milan, for the Beowulf Suzuki team.

Also in action at Oulton Park was Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup contender Russ Hodgson, who saw his disastrous 2004 season continue when he was denied his first ever series podium in the latter stages of Monday's race.

After two crashes in the opening three races, neither of which were his fault, 'Rusty', from Skutterskelfe, near Hutton Rudby, was hoping his luck would change in round four of the series aboard the Alan Haywood Racing machine, and all looked to be going to plan when he set his first ever R6 pole position during qualifying.

In front of another bumper bank holiday crowd and the live Sky TV cameras, Hodgson made a great start to take the lead only for the race to be red-flagged due to a first corner incident.

The restart saw Hodgson grab the lead again, but he slipped back to third as he shadowed the two riders in front, waiting to pounce late in the race.

But an overshoot at the chicane on the penultimate lap, caused by a re-occurrence of his arm-pump problems, saw the 23-year-old outdoor pursuits instructor relegated down the field and he ended up crossing the line in eighth place.

With just eight rounds remaining in the main championship series, in which riders are allowed to drop their worst two scores, Hodgson has no option but to gain maximum points in the majority of those races to stand any chance of landing the prized ride in the Virgin Mobile Samsung Yamaha Superbike team for 2005. The next round takes place at Thruxton in Hampshire in June.

Middlesbrough teenager Paul Veazey endured a weekend of problems aboard his JR Motosport Yamaha R6 in round four of the British Supersport Championship to round off a difficult weekend for the locals.

The 17-year-old suffered with an old wrist injury as he tried to muscle his machine around the twists and undulations of the track, eventually recording 25th place at the flag.

l Stockton motorcycle racer Michael Hill was forced out of last weekend's British 125cc Championship round at Oulton Park after thieves broke into his garage and stole a number of items of equipment, including his leathers, helmets, boots and gloves as well as his Taboo Motorsport Honda's spare wheels.

Returning from injury and machine problems which had wrecked his season to date, the 25-year-old was full of optimism for round four of the series and, although another pair of mechanical failures during qualifying threatened his progress, a four-year-old cylinder was borrowed from a rival as Hill managed to qualify in the final stages of the session.

Hopeful of a good points-scoring ride, Hill awoke on race day to find that he and ten other teams had been the victim of a serious theft. As a result, he was unable to race.

With the cylinders that were damaged needing repair and the loss of race equipment amounting to more than £3,000, Hill and the team are facing an uphill struggle to make the grid for round five in Mondello Park in Ireland.

l Catterick Village Autograss racer Martyn Tinker was on top form at the Yorkshire Dales Autograss Club's Stu Nichols Memorial Trophy meeting last weekend, emerging with three victories at the Kiplin circuit.

Driving the MAN Transmissions Millington-engined Class 7 Renault Clio, Tinker was using the meeting as a test session for the forthcoming North of England and BAS Championships at York on Whit bank holiday Monday, but romped to victory in both heats before defeating defending champion Graham Blackburn in the feature race.

l Caterham Roadsports racer Bill Addison contested rounds four and five of the championship at Castle Combe last weekend and it was a case of ninths all round for the Yarm driver at the Wiltshire circuit.

Having qualified in ninth place in the wet, Addison opted for a wet set up in the opening race only for the track to dry out, leaving him ninth in the race. With no dry settings for race two, Addison gambled on a set up which meant he could only repeat his earlier result.

However, with the news that three of the main championship contenders had failed to finish at various points during the weekend, Addison's points haul sees him maintain his seventh position in the standings going into next weekend's round at Knockhill in Scotland.

* Northallerton road racer Darren Grimston's hopes of continuing his early season form were scuppered when he suffered problems at Oliver's Mount, Scarborough over the bank holiday weekend.

The 28-year-old shopkeeper, who comfortably leads the Auto 66 Club Sound of Thunder Championship, was forced out of the opening race with a fuel leak, but worse was to follow in his second outing aboard the 998 Electrocare Ducati.

Rounding the infamous Mount Hairpin while dicing for the lead, Grimston hit a damp patch on the track and ended up sliding off his machine, fortunately without injury.

Team manager Paul Mackley said: "The damage to the bike was cosmetic and we hope to have the machine back on the track shortly, but there is the possibility of some engine damage so it may mean that Darren will have to miss this weekend's Auto 66 meeting while we get the problem sorted."

* While fellow countryman and series leader Nelson Piquet was having a weekend he'd rather forget, Brazilian Danilo Dirani had his best weekend of the season by winning both British F3 Championship races at Croft last Sunday.

On both occasions, the Carlin Motorsports driver grabbed the lead from the start and disappeared off into the distance under sunny skies. Britain's James Rossiter followed him home ahead of Aussie Will Davison in the first race, with Davison edging out another Brazilian, Lucas Di Grassi, in the second leg.

Scholarship class honours were taken by Australian driver Barton Mawer, who finished ahead of Brit Stephen Jelley in race two after Ryan Lewis, the winner of race one, put in a storming charge from his last place on the grid and ten-second penalty to be right with the class leaders at the chequered flag