Ben and Tom Birchall won a shortened 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT race on Friday afternoon, the race being stopped due to an incident at Ago’s Leap when the majority of competitors were on their second lap.
It is with deep sense of sorrow that the Isle of Man TT Races can announce the loss of Roger and Bradley Stockton following an incident on the final lap of the second Sidecar Race of the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races.
Roger and Bradley were father and son, and driver and passenger respectively.
We extend our deepest sympathy to their families, loved ones and friends.
Aged 56, today marked Roger’s 20th race start in his 11th TT appearance. Bradley, aged 21, was competing in his second race at his first TT. Racing together, they recorded an impressive 8th-place finish in the first Sidecar Race of TT 2022, with a best lap at an average speed of 106.00mph.
Whilst it was Bradley’s first TT as a competitor, it was by no means his first experience of the TT, having grown up in the paddock and made his first visit as a one-year old. Aged 16, he decided that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and asked if he could race alongside him as his passenger. Once he had returned to the Isle of Man to begin studying the course, he said ‘he couldn’t wait to race in the TT‘.
Roger’s first TT was in 2000. He competed regularly until 2008 and returned in 2010, 2017, and for this year’s event. Speaking earlier in the year, he said: ‘I’ve retired a few times before, but always come back for my love of the sport. Going around the course with my own flesh and blood will be incredible.’
The loss of two members of our paddock and two people from the same family is truly heart-breaking, but the bond between a father and son who achieved their dream to compete together at the TT provides us with a glimmer of light at such a dark time.
Ben and Tom Birchall lived up to expectations on Monday afternoon and led the opening 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT race from start to finish, the Haith Honda duo lapping at 119.22mph, just a fraction outside their own lap record, to win their 11th TT and eighth in a row.
10.45 Supersport 3 lap Race 1 13.10 Sidecars 2 laps Race 1 NOW 14.15 START 15.00 Superstock 3 laps DELAYED SEE BELOW
Superstock race due to go ahead this evening at 18:30. Once sidecar race has finished, roads will open except for the Mountain section. Roads to close again at 18:00
No fewer than seventeen crews took to the grid for this, the third round of the 2022 FIM Sidecar World Championship.
Absent on Isle of Man TT duty were Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau and Harry Payne/Mark Wilkes. Ordinarily, it might easily have been a case of “when the cat’s away”, but the two crews at the top of the standings maintained the pace which got them there and starred once more in Belgium.
Free practice saw Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement (Santander Salt Yamaha) edge out Markus Schlosser/Marcel Fries (Gustoil Yamaha) and Benny Streuer/Kevin Kolsch (Bonovo Action Yamaha) to the tune of half a second.
The Isle of Man TT Races regrets to confirm that Olivier Lavorel, 35, from Sillingy, France was killed in an incident during the first Sidecar Race of the 2022 Isle of Man TT Races. The accident occurred at Ago’s Leap, just under 1 mile into the Course, on the opening lap of the race.
Olivier was competing in his first TT as a passenger to César Chanel. César was taken to Noble’s Hospital by road and airlifted to Aintree Hospital in a critical condition.
Olivier and César were both newcomers at the Isle of Man TT Races and had been elevated from start number 39 to start number 21 after qualifying as the 15th fastest pairing, having posted an impressive lap speed of 108.420mph.
An experienced pairing, Olivier and César had taken numerous victories and podiums in the French F1 and F2 National Sidecar Championships.
The isle of Man TT Races pass on their deepest sympathy to Olivier’s family, friends and loved ones, and our thoughts and best wishes are with César at this time.
For the full press release including solos.. click read more.
Due to a change in schedule, the Sidecars had got the evening underway at 6.30pm and it was the Birchalls who were again first away followed by John Holden/Dan Sayle, Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau, Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson and the Manx Crowe brothers.
Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde made an early stop just after Union Mills before proceeding but all the sector times had the Birchalls as comfortably the quickest and that proved to be the case as they completed the opening lap at 117.516mph. The quickest lap of the week so far, that was some 19.5s quicker than the Crowes whose lap of 115.564mph was another personal best.
Newcomer driver Harry Payne, with Mark Wilkes, went third quickest (112.398mph) with Lee Blackstock/Patrick Rosney (112.354mph) and Reeves/Rousseau (112.34mph). 17-time winner Molyneux was sixth (110.827mph) just ahead of Paul Leglise/Melanie Farnier (110.236mph) but both Holden/Sayle and Lee Crawford/Scott Hardie had stopped out on track.
The Birchalls pulled in to make some set up changes but the Crowes went straight through for a second lap only to retire at Sulby Crossroads. That meant it was Reeves/Rousseau who were first to complete their second lap, at 113.708mph which was six seconds up on Blackstock/Rosney who improved to 113.137mph.
Payne/Wilkes upped their pace to 112.798mph whilst Steve and Matty Ramsden moved into sixth on the leaderboard with a best ever lap of the TT Course of 111.903mph, and although the Birchalls posted another 117mph+ lap, their first lap remained the quicker of the two.
After a delay of almost thirty minutes due to an incident in the Supersport and Supertwin classes, the Sidecars were able to get out onto the Mountain Course for the first time since Sunday afternoon but with both time and light disappearing, it was only for one lap.
As expected, the Birchalls, on the Haith Honda, set the pace through all the sectors but Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley (FHO Racing) were staying in touch but both Dave Molyneux/Darryl Gibson (DMR) and John Holden/Jason Pitt (Barnes Racin) stopped, at Cronk-y-Voddy and Sulby respectively.
The latter got going but leading the way on the road were the Birchalls and they completed their solitary lap at 115.663mph, not surprisingly the quickest of the week so far. Founds/Walmsley slotted into second, 13.7s adrift at 114.326mph but ahead of Ryan and Callum Crowe (112.545), Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney (111.164) and Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau (110.768).
Newcomers Harry Payne/Mark Wilkes and Lee Crawford/Scott Hardie were next up at 109.733mph and 109.709mph respectively.
Monday Night Sidecar Session Cancelled due to red flag in previous session. Sam West injured but OK.
From @ttracesofficial
“Sam West was involved an incident near Laurel Bank, reported as conscious with hand and leg injuries. The fire service were required to extinguish his machine and he has been airlifted to Noble’s Hospital.”
“We are still managing the incident and by the time we’ve got the solo riders back, it will be too late. Unfortunately tonight’s Sidecar session will now be cancelled.”
Can you help me? I’m putting a page together of all the sidecars at the TT in order, but I need a few more photos to finish the page. If you have any better than the ones on the page already that I can swap I will do as well.
ThePAGE IS HERE, have a look and if you have any of the missing numbers or better photos please mail to me via the contact page or message me on FB Thank you!
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