Author: Tim Langham

Supported by :- A.V. Craine & Sons; Hegarty Plant Ltd.; Pagid Racing;

Whitby Cottages; Rowtec Engineering Maintenance & Tingle Windows

Words – Tim Langham (F.S.R.A. Press Officer) / Photographs – Simon Heath

The season finale at Knockhill, dubbed as a “Scottish Sidecar Festival” saw a huge turnout of over sixty sidecar outfits across several classes, which included the British F1 Sidecars and Scottish Championship Sidecars, along with the British F2 teams. The meeting was planned to include a race for the prestigious “Jock Taylor Trophy”, with the fastest teams from each category invited to take part – but unfortunately due to significant time constraints due to red flags on Sunday, this race was unable to be run as a stand-alone event, and this trophy was awarded to the winner of Sunday’s “Rowe British F1 Sidecar Championship” race.

While the Super F2 Championship winners Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley (LCR Honda), and runners-up Steve & Matty Ramsden (LCR Honda); and also the F2 Cup Champions Brian Ilaria / Arlo Brown (DDM Suzuki) had all secured enough points a fortnight beforehand at Cadwell Park, all eyes were on who would land the remaining top three places in both classes.

Supported by :- A.V. Craine & Sons; Hegarty Plant Ltd.; Pagid Racing;

Whitby Cottages; Rowtec Engineering Maintenance & Tingle Windows

Words – Tim Langham (F.S.R.A. Press Officer) / Photographs – Simon Heath

Only a fortnight after a rain-soaked Cadwell Park Sidecar Revival, the A.C.U. / F.S.R.A. British F2 Sidecar Championship made a return visit to the popular Lincolnshire circuit for the penultimate round of the 2023 season in contrasting weather conditions which made for some fast and furious racing throughout the field!

Congratulations go to Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley (LCR Honda), taking an unprecedented sixth British F2 Sidecar Championship, and to Brian Ilaria / Arlo Brown (DDM Suzuki) who needed a single point to land the F2 Cup title – they achieved this in style with a victory in class in Saturday’s opening race.

Supported by :- A.V. Craine & Sons; Hegarty Plant Ltd.; Pagid Racing;

Whitby Cottages; Rowtec Engineering Maintenance & Tingle Windows

Words – Tim Langham (F.S.R.A. Press Officer) / Photographs – Simon Heath

Changeable weather conditions did not deter Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley (LCR Honda) or Brian Ilaria / Arlo Brown (DDM Suzuki) – both of whom took an immaculate hat-trick of wins in the Super F2 and F2 Cup respectively to extend their championship leads at the fifth International Sidecar Revival at Cadwell Park. With only 100 points remaining, Founds / Walmsley hold a commanding 56 point advantage over Steve & Matty Ramsden (LCR Honda), while Ilaria / Brown need just a single point to clinch the title, regardless of other results.

Supported by :- A.V. Craine & Sons; Hegarty Plant Ltd.; Pagid Racing;

Whitby Cottages; Rowtec Engineering Maintenance & Tingle Windows

Words – Tim Langham (F.S.R.A. Press Officer) / Photographs – Simon Heath

As the championship gathers momentum following two fairly quiet months to accommodate the T.T., Southern 100 and Oliver’s Mount Road Races, there now follows a hectic five week period with three events remaining to determine the series victors, which culminates at Knockhill on the weekend of the 2^nd and 3^rd September. With the series passing the half distance point following the event at Anglesey, both the Super and Cup leaders further consolodated their positions at the head of the standings with double wins for Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley (LCR Honda) and Brian Ilaria / Arlo Brown (DDM Suzuki), both being rarely troubled in any of the sessions as they dominated at the picturesque coastal circuit.

Supported by :- A.V. Craine & Sons; Hegarty Plant Ltd.; Pagid Racing;

Whitby Cottages; Rowtec Engineering Maintenance & Tingle Windows

Words – Tim Langham (F.S.R.A. Press Officer) / Photographs – Bryan Gough & Simon Heath

Following a break of six weeks in order to accommodate the Isle of Man T.T. Races, the championship resumed at Oulton Park on Saturday 24^th June. Due to a lack of available dates, coupled with the Covid pandemic, it had been almost four years since the series had last visited the immensely popular Cheshire venue. Unfortunately, due to limited Sunday hire availability and the expense and logistics of offering a Friday Test Day, the event was condensed into a one day meeting – which was certainly one filled with drama and unpredictability.

Daryl Gibson / Rhys Gibbons (CES Suzuki) had their best results to date, taking the win in race one, while they were runners-up to championship leaders Pete Founds / Jevan Walmsley (LCR Honda) in the second outing, who had bounced back from a non-finish in the earlier race. Meanwhile, Brian Ilaria / Arlo Brown (DDM Suzuki) extended their enviable lead in the F2 Cup to 55 points taking both wins from Charlie Morphet / William Reilly (LCR Honda) who moved back to second in class following a torrid meeting last time out at Donington Park.

Supported by :- A.V. Craine & Sons; Hegarty Plant Ltd.; Pagid Racing;

Whitby Cottages; Rowtec Engineering Maintenance & Tingle Windows

Words – Tim Langham (F.S.R.A. Press Officer) / Photographs – Bryan Gough

Round three of the A.C.U. / F.S.R.A. British F2 Sidecar Championship sees the teams make a return to the immensely popular Oulton Park in rural Cheshire. It will be the first visit since a very wet season closing event in September 2019, and with similar conditions in 2018, it would be unsurprsing to see a third Super F2 lap record in 2023 broken in as many meetings if early season precedence is anything to go by.