Category: British Sidecar Championship

The fifth round of the British Sidecar Championship heads to the rapid Thruxton circuit, off the back of three races last weekend at Cadwell Park.

Well known as a daunting prospect for many passengers, this airfield track combines high speed with enormous cornering forces threatening to throw the passenger off the outfit at any moment.

Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement (Brookland Yamaha LCR) took double victories here last year and on paper are very much the team to beat. They are combining their British Championship season with the FIM World Championship, being reigning champions in both. As a result, they missed out on three races last weekend at Cadwell Park, opting to defend their world title at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. In doing so, they sacrificed the lead in the British Championship. The DHR/Express Tyre Services Yamaha of Lewis Blackstock and Paddy Rosney profited hugely as a result, and now come to Hampshire with a twenty-four-point lead in the Championship.

Last year at Thruxton also saw double podium spots for George Holden and Oscar Lawrence with their Kawasaki, and they too have jumped ahead of Christie brothers Sam and Tom, who also headed for Austria last weekend. Craig Currie/Justin Sharp now sit fifth with their Honda ahead of Martin Kirk/Kyle Masters.

The Cup class is much more finely balanced behind leaders Phil/Carl Bell. With Phil Hyde on board last weekend, the Marin Motorsport Yamaha of Bell eked out a twenty-six-point lead from Brian Gray/Clement Conil, who in turn are just two points clear of Paul and Tom Kirby. Cadwell hat trick exponents Luke Williams and Jason Pitt are hell-bent on further gains, so their progress from sixth place in the standings should be fun to watch.

All-dominant Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley have the F2 lead, with little or no opposition to date.

Three rounds and six races remain, with no further FIM world clashes and Ellis/Clement in determined mood. The permutations are endless, but Blackstock/Rosney know what they must do, and the season is now set up for a grandstand finish.

Eurosport TV are covering both races, with highlights to follow on our Youtube channel. Make sure you miss none of the action by staying

across all the news as it unfolds on www.britishsidecarchampionship.co.uk

Media Matters – Barry Nutley barry.nutley@btinternet.com

This winter has seen frantic activity behind the scenes as the premier domestic sidecar race series grappled with the departure of its long-standing promoter RKB-F1 Motorsport.

A small team of sponsors and ardent supporters with former Grand Prix competitor Andy Peach at the helm has rescued the series from an uncertain future. The title sponsor has yet to be confirmed, as budgets and funding are still being finalised, but everything else is in place in terms of infrastructure. Mike Dommett and his Bemsee organisation will handle the administration and entries.

A seven-round, fifteen-race championship calendar has been announced, with five rounds running alongside the Bennetts British Superbike Championship as before, with that relationship heading into its twelfth season. The BSB October finale at Brands Hatch will carry the now traditional double points structure. Eurosport TV have again pledged their support, with both races shown live, either on TV or the Eurosport App.

The two “stand alone” rounds are the ever-popular Cadwell Sidecar Revival in early August run and promoted by Roger Body. The Revival has grown year-on-year and is a firm favourite with the fans. The comes a first for the series with a trip to Knockhill for the Jock Taylor Memorial early September. This annual event is run by Boris Stroud to commemorate the life and remarkable success of the Scottish World Champion.

It will be a fitting tribute attracting the best sidecar racers in the country as the long F1 outfits do battle with their shorter cousins over the 1.3-mile lap.

The ravages of the pandemic are now behind us, although the impact of the disruption is still being felt in many areas of sport. Dwindling sidecar grids were an unwelcome feature during 2022, so that problem needed addressing.

A change of regulations will now see both short and long chassis outfits competing head-to-head, with three classes as follows. 1/ GP Class (long F1 chassis, Minimum weight 370 kilos), 2/ Cup Class (long F1 chassis, minimum 395 kilos), 3/ F2 Class (FSRA rules minimum 370 kilos).

The points system is revised in line with the changes announced for the BSB other classes. This will give added spice to the track action, whilst keeping grid sizes high.

We will continue to bring you all the news and stories as they unfold, with our website now dedicated solely to the British series.

The 2023 calendar is –

April 29-May 1 Oulton Park BSB

May 19-21 Donington Park BSB

July 7-9 Snetterton BSB

August 5-6 Cadwell Revival

August 11-13 Thruxton BSB

September 2-3 Knockhill Jock Taylor

October 13-15 Brands Hatch BSB