Mirfield racer Ryan Strafford was pipped on the penultimate lap as he chased glory in the final race of round four of the Thundersport GB Golden Era Superbike series at Cadwell Park.

Victory had beckoned for Strafford on the Lincolnshire track that was hit by heavy rain throughout the meeting.

The conditions made tyre choices crucial for the final race of the meeting and in the end John Deiterman’s selection proved the winner as he made up ground to overtake Strafford, with Richard Blunt the other rider to make the podium.

“We seemed to be plagued with heavy rain, every time we went out on the bike the heavens opened and flooded the track,” said Strafford, who had picked up two third place finishes in the opening two races.

“However, it was a fantastic race, I really enjoyed leading from the front again.

“It was just a real shame I couldn’t convert it into a race win and I’m gutted for the team. I put everything I had into that race.

“It was a challenging meeting, but we’ve made some real progress and we know what we need to change for round five at Oulton Park at the end of June.”