WORCESTER-based sidecar racers Phil Dongworth and John Luebke beat three world champions in the Eastern Airways Race of Champions at Mallory Park.

They finished the 15-lap race nine-tenths of a second ahead of multiple world champion Steve Webster, with 2002 champion Steve Abbott third.

Webster led from the start, but despite a 400cc advantage over Dongworth's Formula Two outfit, could not break away, and the smaller outfit continued to snap at the heels of the eight-times world champion until at half distance Phil saw a chance and drove round the outside of Webster at the hairpin.

Sheer speed saw Webster re-take the lead and they were wheel to wheel for the next lap.

Then Dongworth repeated the move and this time he made it stick, and despite everything Webster could try, he simply could not take advantage of the extra power in the wet conditions, and it was Dongworth who took the chequered flag and the trophy.

After the race Webster was most complimentary about Dongworth and Luebke's riding, and admitted he just couldn't beat them on the day.

He said said he looked forward to the day he could race with them in the world championships, if they can get the bike and the backing.

Dongworth and Luebke also won the Super F2 championship race, the final race of the series.

After winning the qualifying heat and starting from the front row, they made a poor start and had to fight their way through to second, and then gradually hunted down leader Andy Laidlow, taking the lead in the final stages.

To round off a perfect day, they finished second in the Kevin Lowndes Trophy handicap race, one of the traditional highpoints of the Festival of Sidecars.

They started last and came through to within 0.18 seconds of winner Nigel Connole of Scunthorpe at the end.