NEIL Hodgson is no big beer drinker. There are times, though, when rules have to be broken.

Having just completed the most successful day's racing of his career, he allowed himself a sly swig of the magnum of champagne presented to him on the Donington Park rostrum.

Three hours later, he was halfway through his first bottle of lager.

"I have only had that much and I'm already talking nonsense.

"And the Burnley posse -- all my mates from home -- are here as well. So it could go downhill from here," he confessed from a joyful GSE Racing hospitality suite.

It was not the first time during the three days' racing that he had been feeling giddy.

At his home track, the public relations demands on Hodgson's time were extensive, to the extent that he did not have any time to eat lunch between qualifying sessions on Saturday.

During the afternoon's final practice, he started to feel light-headed on his Ducati 996.

It did not show as he set the fastest Superpole time before being pipped to pole position by fellow Isle of Man resident and good friend, Steve Hislop.

Then, parked on the grid, rain started to splatter the visors of the riders causing widespread panic throughout the paddock as mechanics -- particularly the Italians -- frantically searched for wet weather tyres.

But Hodgson was already drunk on the notion of success -- at all costs.

"Perhaps it was a bit of a stupid attitude, but I chose slick dry race tyres because I felt like I had nothing to lose. So I just went for it. Even if it rained, I was going to ride as hard as I could until I crashed," he confessed.

It didn't rain and he didn't crash. Instead, despite another indifferent start, he soon picked his way through to park himself on the shoulder of reigning world champion, Colin Edwards.

And, with the Texan out of the way by lap 15, Hodgson had the race in the palm of his hand.

A brief flurry from Hislop perished in the grass and Hodgson was effectively home -- and dry.

He said: "It was a bizarre race because I got a two second lead then started slowing down. So I tried to push harder. Then Steve made a mistake and it was hard trying to stay focused.

"I was even saving my tyres for the last lap, just in case I needed them.

"But I did all the work on Saturday, and didn't feel like I did a lot in the first race."

The repeat race was no such cakewalk. This time Hodgson got off to a flyer and was behind Edwards into the first corner.

Again the champ was made to look a chump as Hodgson powered through to take another commanding lead.

However, as the passionate partisan support settled back to toast another British victory, Troy Corser and Frankie Chili appeared on the horizon.

Corser briefly took the lead, but Hodgson was surprised by how easily it was regained within a matter of two laps.

And from lap 13 to 22, with the Italian Suzuki rider now his chief threat, Hodgson rode a brilliant defensive race.

But, typically of his luck this season, problems changing down the gears began to develop.

And, at the Melbourne Loop on lap 22, he locked the back wheel and ran fractionally wide. It was the kind of opening that Chili is red hot at accepting. Hodgson made a manful effort to repair the damage at the same spot on the final lap, but the veteran held on to win by 0.125 of a second.

"When Troy came past I was pleased in a way because I didn't realise how tense I was riding.

"Then I found a bit of rhythm. But I had a small problem with the clutch when I was downshifting, so I didn't ride as smoothly as I can.

"I was there to mug Chili if he made a mistake on the last lap. It was good to battle with two hard and determined riders," he added.

The 27-year-old's 45-point haul, four better than his wild card performance of last year when he won one race and was third in the other, lifted him from eighth to fifth in the standings.