FOURTEEN-year-old schoolboy Tommy Bridewell, riding for the local team UK Racing on a Honda, set a new outright 125cc lap record at the British National Champion-ship meeting at Oulton Park.

Tommy averaged an incredible 90.06mph over the very demanding and twisting 2.9 mile circuit.

Qualifying held in wet conditions on Saturday and dry conditions on Sunday saw Tommy qualify on the second row in eighth position. After a wet start to the day on Monday for the warm up sessions, the weather turned to a much more settled, sunny and warm conditions for the racing during the afternoon where the 125cc race is in support to the British Superbikes.

Tommy did not get a very good start and was down in ninth position after lap one of the 14 lap race. Moving up to seventh by lap four it had started to look good for a top result but on lap six he made a mistake braking into the new chicane and went off the circuit dropping back to a lowly 14th position, 2.5 seconds adrift of the 13th rider and some 6.5 seconds behind leader Mick Wilcox.

Tommy, now lapping in some very quick times, soon dragged himself within striking distance of the six riders battling for seventh to 12th and with four laps to go he was up to ninth and also gaining on the leaders all the time.

Going into the last lap Tommy was eighth and had just set the fastest lap of the race. Now within two seconds of the front men, over the last lap all six of this group had now caught the front two riders and a scrap was on for the podium.

At the line Tommy went up to a brilliant sixth and only one second behind winner Midge Smart, who had just passed Wilcox on the last corner. Once again Tommy had gone faster on the last lap, an amazing 1.3 seconds faster than any other rider on the circuit over the last few laps giving him the new lap record.

This finish keeps Tommy in third position overall in the championship with four rounds gone.

The team now go to Knockhill in Scotland for the next round of the Championship.