Patterson pipped at post

CHENNAI, July 27: Life, for most part, does not happen in neat little diagrams, and nothing is more tiresome than the continual pretence that it does.

The MMSC race track, the venue of the third leg of the Marlboro-FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, was enveloped by this truth and none felt it more than Matthew J. Patterson, the Brit who has made Thailand his home, in the Sports Production 250cc class.

The Colin Marshall Roberts rider, who is third in the charts this year and desperate for a win here, led handsomely for 13 of the 15-lap race and was all set to take the checkered flag with teammate Youichi Nakajima, Kuan Meng Heng Petronas Sprinta, who won both the previous legs, and Chow Yan Kit Marlboro Team Roberts Asia, who finished in that order, behind him from the start.