Racing with the Derby Phoenix Motor Cycle Club, "Bomber" is fifth in the 751-1300cc standings with eight races still to ride.

Slater is also the highest placed standard "stock" bike in the championship and the top competitor running on Bridgestone tyres.

His most recent race was a one day meeting at the scenic track of Oulton Park in Cheshire.

Over the last five years the circuit has not been kind to Bomber and the team.

During testing Slater was only able to complete two good sessions, but he felt he was happy with the bike set- up and tyre performance.

With a damp track on race day, he went with the wet Bridgestone tyres.

He made a reasonable start and was sitting in 12th place at the end of lap one with 28 other riders behind him.

At the end of lap three he was in ninth place and closing in on some more ahead.

On lap four at the "Shell" hairpin, rider Charlie Wilson came up on the inside of Slater and T-Boned him.

This knocked him to the outside of the circuit and to prevent a fall, he ran up onto the grass to avoid some other competitors.

He subsequently finished in 14th place after some more hairy moments around the 2.69 mile circuit, collecting two points.

Race two was always going to be a struggle. The track was dry and the field in front was not going to be easy to pass.

All the riders were of similar standard and all needed to stay in front of Slater to gain some points on him for the championship placing.

Undeterred, Bomber managed to finish in 12th place and retained his position in the championship.

With eight races still to ride over the next two meetings, Slater will be trying to retain his goal of finishing in the top five of the rider standings.

The meetings are at Anglesey, North Wales on August 21 and 22 and at his 'local' circuit of Cadwell Park near Louth on September 18 and 19.

On his last visit to Cadwell, Slater produced his fastest ever lap around the circuit with an impressive average speed of nearly 81 miles per hour.

751-1300cc Championship standings: 1st Daz Dellworthy 551 points; 2nd Liam Marchant 334pts; 3rd Kerrigan Read 245pts; 4th Dave Norton 219pts; 5th Christian Slater 174pts.