Steve Plater can’t wait to get his race underway at his local circuit of Cadwell Park where he will be defending his series lead in the ninth round of the Fuchs/Silkolene British Supersport championship over the Bank Holiday weekend. The championship lead is delicately poised with only seven points separating Billy McConnell from Plater, plus fellow Lincolnshire rider Ben Wilson and Hull’s James Westmoreland are only a handful of points away from the two front runners, thus making for a close and exciting battle at the Lincolnshire circuit. “I realise the need to score maximum points on Monday to ensure I leave Cadwell Park having extended my series lead,” said the ever-smiling Steve Plater. “Cadwell is my local circuit, I live just a few miles down the road and the circuit attracts the biggest crowd of the year. It’s a festival as well as a race meeting so with a maximum capacity crowd it is very important for me to get the win. Of course the HM Plant Honda base is at Louth and they too will be anxious for me to put on a good display on home tarmac. “A lot of local people come here to watch me and to perform in an arena like this is just awesome. There are quite a few circuits I do enjoy but Cadwell is special and it means more to me to win here. Hopefully the weather will be good and we can all enjoy the whole weekend.” Plater has experienced a good season on the roads with wins at the TT and the North West 200 but to win the British Supersport title which so far has eluded him would eclipse all that. “I have been going very well all year,” said Plater. “I won both classes, the Supersport and Superbike, at the North West 200 and then the Senior TT at the Isle of Man Festival for HM Plant Honda. But to win the British Supersport championship would really be the cherry on the cake for me.” The weekend at Cadwell begins with free practice on Saturday ahead of the two qualifying sessions on Sunday. The British Supersport race is to be run over 16-laps of the 2.25- mile circuit with a start scheduled for 3.45pm on Bank Holiday Monday.