NORTHWICH rider Pete Founds and his sidecar passenger Jevan Walmsley continued their assault on the British F2 Championship at the weekend.
They were back on home soil at Oulton Park in their first outing since their incredible displays in the Isle of Man TT, where they secured two second-place finishes and in doing so became only the second pairing to achieve a 120mph lap round the Mountain Course on their Honda LCR.
Again they were on the podium at the weekend, but this time in the number one position.
The weekend did not fully go to plan though.
With a lot to be packed in by organisers Wirral 100, the first action was a combined practice/qualifying session with the F1 sidecars and Founds and Walmsley wasted no time in putting down their marker.
Still running the No2 plate, the FHO Racing Honda was rapid out of the blocks and secured pole position for the first of two races.
On the front row, Founds and Walmsley lined up alongside the CES No17 Suzuki of Lee Crawford and Scott Hardie who are only doing selected rounds, but were always going to make a race of it.
As the lights went out Crawford and Hardie made a better start and were in front by the first corner, with Founds and Walmsley settling into second.
The first two laps looked like an epic battle brewing but then Crawford and Hardie raised their hands and pulled into the pits with a puncture.
No sooner had this happened, disaster struck for Founds and Walmsley who slowed and dropped down the field.
They also had problems, which turned out to be a broken engine safety lanyard, so the third place bike of Daryl Gibson and Founds' nephew Rhys Gibbons inherited the lead and secured their first British F2 win together.
Race two had the usual reverse grid format for the top six finishers from race one but as Founds and Walmsley hadn't finished they started from the back of the grid.
Founds made a lightning start and with bikes in front taking to the right-hand side of the track, he saw a huge gap and put the chair wheel on the grass and overtook nine bikes.
By the end of lap one, the No2 bike had made up an incredible 13 places and was second behind father-and-son pairing Steve and Matty Ramsden.
The FHO Racing Honda followed the No99 for one lap, then made the overtake into Lodge Corner the next time round.
Now at the front, no one could get anywhere near them as they pulled away and took a dominant win by more than 13 seconds.
This result, even with a DNF, keeps them at the top of the championship as they head to the next round at Anglesey at the end of July.
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