DARREN Barton rode through the pain barrier to score his first 125cc victory of the year.

The Hoddlesden bike ace shrugged off the painful effects of a boil on the backside to win the thrilling 16-lap race - round three of the British Championship - at Oulton Park.

Barton and rival Steve Patrickson produced one of the closest ever finishes seen at the Cheshire circuit when they crossed the finishing line just eight-hundredths of a second apart - after racing for nearly 30 minutes.

"It's great to get my first win of the year under my belt. Oulton is my local circuit and I usually perform well, but it was so close at the end!" said a triumphant Barton afterwards.

His success came despite suffering from a painful boil, which hampered testing earlier in the week, and having the engine on his Colin Appleyard Racing Honda 125 seize during practice.

That left the former British champion down in seventh place on the grid, with a mountain to climb.

But Barton showed all his grit and determination to power into the lead on the first lap. Having forged his way to the head of the pack and established a healthy advantage, he had to do it all over again when an accident brought out the pace car and the leading five riders bunched up behind him.

The ensuing three-way battle for first place with Patrickson and Pete Jennings had the 25,000-strong crowd on their feet, and it was to a standing ovation that Barton took the chequered flag.

He added: "It was a fantastic race, and I was so busy trying to win I never gave a second thought to the pain."

Barton's weekend work consolidated his second place in the championship, with round four taking place at Snetterton, Norfolk, on May 9.

Result - 1: Darren Barton (Honda) 29.06.12 - 91.57mph; 2: Steve Patrickson (Honda); 3: Pete Jennings (Honda); 4: Leon Haslam (Honda).

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