IT HAS been a busy couple of weeks for the High Wycombe Brian Gray Powerbiking Race Team-supported Sam and Adam Christie in the Sidecar World Championship.

The pair left Assen in Holland and headed for Rijeka in Croatia for round five looking to better their most recent sixth place finish.

Qualifying went well for the brothers and at the end of the first session they had knocked 0.9 seconds off their free practice time to take third place.

They were unable to improve on their time in the second qualifying session but held on to third place and started the 10-lap sprint race from the front row of the grid.

It made for an all-British front row with another pair of brothers, Ben and Tom Birchall on pole, and Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes in second.

Unfortunately their race was almost over as soon as the lights went out as the clutch on their LCR 600cc Yamaha cried enough forcing the pair out before the lap was over.

With a new clutch fitted, they lined up on the front row again for the main 18-lap gold race and this time they had no problem getting away. They did however have to conceded a place to Pekka Paivarinta and Jussi Veravainen but not without a fight.

They were soon caught up in a race long battle with Lukas Wyssen and Thomas Hofer for fourth place and, with neither pair prepared to settle for second best, it was a battle that went all the way to the flag.

The Christies got the verdict with just 0.55 seconds in hand with a best lap of 1:32.8.

They held on to their fifth place in the World Championship with 74 points and with Wyssen and Hofer behind them fourteen points adrift.

As they head for the final round at Estoril in Portugal towards the end of October, they are looking good to hold their place in the title rankings.

Adam said that after failing to finish the sprint race the whole team was made up with the result of the main race and they were over the moon to stick it on the front row at last.”

The next outing for the team will be on September 14-15 when Tommy Philp and Johnny Allum try to sew up the F1 sidecar championship at Bemsee’s Snetterton meeting.

With 413 points, they lead Jon Bicknell and Pete Ensor by 148 points and there are only 200 left over two rounds.