Wrentham rider Andrew Saunders stormed to his maiden motorcycle race win with a brilliant performance in the hotly-contested BMZRC MZ 250 Championship at Snetterton last weekend.

Wrentham rider Andrew Saunders stormed to his maiden motorcycle race win with a brilliant performance in the hotly-contested BMZRC MZ 250 Championship at Snetterton last weekend.

Andrew, 22, put his local knowledge to good effect, achieving his highest-ever points score over a single weekend and lowering his own personal best lap around the Norfolk circuit by almost half a second.

The proppa.com-backed rider's weekend began superbly, despite an oil leak in practice.

He broke his 2009 curse of always failing to finish the first race of a weekend with an excellent second place following an entertaining scrap with two other riders, and another runners-up spot followed in the second encounter, following an equally mature ride.

Even more was to come though in the shape of Sunday's first race, which took place on a dry track, but with rain threatening. Andrew rode a typically assured race and looked set for another excellent second place.

But when his team-mate Dean Stimpson made an overambitious attempt to lap a backmarker at the Esses on the final lap - and crashed - Saunders was able to make his way by and take the chequered flag in style for his maiden victory.

Even crashing out of the lead of the final wet race could not dampen the mood of the racer who, in addition to his victory, closed to within eight points of second place in the championship having started the weekend 33 adrift of the spot.

As well as that, he and team-mate Stimpson won all the races on offer between them, allowing their 'Young Ones' team to move into an almost unassailable 331-points lead in the teams' championship with half the season gone.

Saunders said: “I'm delighted to have my first win under my belt, and in only my second year of racing too.

“We didn't start off too well in the practice on Saturday, but we steadily improved things and this was the result, which is what we've been working for all season.

“I'm disappointed that I crashed in the last race, but there's six weeks or so until the next round, so there's plenty of time to clean the mud off the bike.”

Round five of the BMZRC MZ 250 Championship takes place on the world famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit over the weekend of July 25-26.