Round 6 – East Fortune – Melville M.C.C. – Sunday 18th September
Words – Abbey Brooks / Photographs – Sid Diggins
The teams headed to Scotland to join Melville Racing Club for the penultimate round of the series. Saturday looked set to be a good day of racing with conditions being dry and reasonably warm for a late September morning. However, this was until the riders were called for a briefing to be told due to a shortage of medical staff that the only option was to run the opening day solely as testing / untimed practice. With this being frustrating to most teams, on the “flip side” it was helpful to others as first time visitors were able to get to grips with the track, and experiment with machine settings.
This coming weekend sees the Pre-injection teams heading to East Fortune for the sixth round of the series. Following some close – and incident packed – racing at croft we look forward to seeing some more action this weekend. The points are close in both tiers of the championship, particularly in the F1 class. Unfortunately, with Gary Fairhurst / Billy Andrews (Windle Kawasaki) not able to compete owing to Gary recovering from injuries sustained at croft we could see a change in the tables, with Dave Tibbles / Raitch Greenwood (FJ Yamaha) looking to capitalise. The F2 championship is not yet sealed either, with Andrew Bingham / Dalton taking topping the standings after Croft, but the pairing of Liam Saunders / Ben Stell will certainly be looking to make amends.
This meeting kicked off on Saturday morning with a warm up which invited all sidecar teams to take part in, some of the pre-injection teams decided not to go out in this having tested on the Friday afternoon. We saw a couple of the teams go out to get some laps in before qualifying.
In contrast to the previous weather at Anglesey, the weekend was warm and dry throughout – too warm at times.
F2 crew Liam Saunders / Ben Stell topped the leaderboard after qualifying, a second and a half ahead of Andrew Bingham / Steve Dalton, also F2. Three F1 outfits followed closely, with one F2 before the next three F1s.
The way time is running, we will be into full swing with racing action before we know it.
Our season kicks off at Oulton Park, with Knockhill and Brands Hatch the next up.
It is then off to Cadwell Park for the excitement and spectacle of the Sidecar Revival Festival. The early August date is guaranteed to appeal to all sidecar fans, who have demonstrated in previous years how much they welcome the variety of outfits and personalities on show.
With all eyes on a full Molson Group British Championship in 2022, it’s important to note the fourth round will be at the popular and now well-established Cadwell Park Sidecar Revival.
This event has become a favourite with teams and spectators alike, and with restrictions imposed by two years of pandemic now easing, the entry is expected to be bigger than ever.
There was a hat-trick of wins for both the F2 and F1 F.S.R.A. / Wintec Racing Pre-Injection Championship leaders at Croft over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd August. Rob Fisher / Sarah Stokoe (600 Baker Yamaha) won all three F2 races with ease, and were the first Pre-Injection outfit home each time overall. Simon Horton / Jordan Forrest (1200 Wintec Suzuki) took the three F1 race wins, bouncing back from their disappointing Sunday last time out at Cadwell Park.
The third International Sidecar revival at Cadwell Park was held over the first weekend of August, at which the F.S.R.A. / Wintec Pre-Injection Sidecar Championship hosted their fourth round, the first time that the series has been invited to this event.
Next weekend is the premier British sidecar racing event of the season, the “International Sidecar Revival”, hosted by B.M.C.R.C. at Cadwell Park on the 7th and 8th August, along with optional testing on the Friday.
Following a five week break due to the cancellation of the Anglesey round owing to Covid restrictions, E.M.R.A. welcome back the F.S.R.A. Pre-Injection Sidecar Championship for their third round at Mallory Park. The previous visit was on a very wet Bank Holiday Monday in May, but hopefully the weather will be kinder this weekend. A big thank you goes to E.M.R.A. who have in these difficult times helped all entrants with reduced entry fees for this event. The Pre-Injection teams will form a joint grid with the club sidecar, with a capacity entry of twenty four teams. Also on the programme are the A.C.U. / F.S.R.A. British F2 Sidecars, with this being an event which will appeal to all fans of sidecar racing. Advanced tickets can be purchased from the Mallory Park website. The Pre-Injection sidecar championship allows for a platform for teams to enjoy competitive racing with more affordable, less high-tech machinery, and is an ideal “starter class”. The series is made up of teams with different budgets, abilities and experience – from novices in their orange jackets to old hands with many years of racing behind them. This mixed with various types of engines and chassis all adds to the interest as at these present times sidecar racing at club level is largely on the decline. The Pre-Injection championship is an ideal opportunity to try out sidecar racing whether as a driver or passenger. Our supporters are Wintec Sidecar Racing Services; PAGID Brake Pads and the Formula Sidecar Racing Association (F.S.R.A.). Anyone interested in being a part of this championship or thinking of having a go at sidecar racing please contact Dave Tibbles (sidecar number 181).
A wet Mallory did not dampen the spirits of the Pre-injection teams participating in the FSRA Wintec Championship bank holiday Monday meeting. With a full grid of sidecars with over two thirds of the grid being Pre-injection teams it was two wins out of two for both Rob Fisher/Sarah Stokoe F2 class and Simon Horton/Jordon Forrest in the F1 class. In the rain and windy conditions Fisher with new passenger Sarah Stokoe on his Baker 600 Yamaha not only won the Pre-injection F2 class but took the chequered flag in front of the more modern machined club racers in both races.
The first round of this year’s F.S.R.A. / Wintec Racing Pre-Injection Sidecar Championship blasts off this coming Saturday at Cheshire’s 2.6-mile Oulton Park circuit. Unfortunately, due to Covid regulations, there is no spectator access – just teams and pit crew are being admitted.
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