Category: British Sidecar Championship

The British Championship, run at the British Superbike Championship

Double top for Ellis/Clement but Christies extend lead as Blackstock and Rosney falter

Posted on 25/07/202225/07/2022 by Barry Nutley

Photos by Ian English

An eclectic mix of competitors made for a very interesting grid at Brands Hatch for the third round.

From World and British Championship regulars and series leaders for both series, to new names and wild cards testing the water for the first time, the weekend was always going to have an unknown flavour. Certain predictions were inevitable, but equally there were surprises along the way. For the first time ever, the Santander Salt team featured two lady passengers, as Sarah Stokoe joined Rob Biggs alongside Todd Ellis/Emmanuelle Clement. Sarah is well known in the sidecar world, partly as George Holden’s partner, but also for her exploits alongside multiple TT winner Rob Fisher in classic racing.

Jenny ‘Triker’ Wells. R.I.P Our friend.

Posted on 11/07/202211/07/2022 by Steve English

It is with a great sadness that I have been asked to let everyone know that Jenny Wells has passed away this morning after a very short battle with cancer.

I am in a state of shock here. The last I heard from Jen was not that long ago when she was saying she wouldn’t be doing any more photography due to illness and then just days ago that she was too weak for treatment.

Jen my friend, you will be missed at race meetings.
Not only for the photos you loved taking and that were appreciated so much by so many, but for the proper laughs we had at circuits everywhere, if ever there was a chance to laugh at anything I got wrong you were always there.

Details of further arrangements will be posted when they are ready. I will see you all at The Revival

I’ll have one or maybe even two for you there Jen, and I won’t be alone in doing so. xx

I had to include a few shots 😉 ..

Knockhill thrills as the title lead changes hands

Posted on 30/06/202230/06/2022 by Barry Nutley

From Barry Nutley

As the southern half of the UK basked in Mediterranean temperatures, Fife was a total contrast, with a very wet opening day on Friday.

A relatively small entry was amplified by a clash with the FIM World Championship in Hungary which kept the series leaders Todd Ellis/Emmanuelle Clement away.

Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau also signalled a late change of plan and were not present, along with double TT winners Ben and Tom Birchall. This left the door well and truly open for others to capitalise.

Knockhill awaits as Blackstock/Rosney eye up series lead 17-19 June

Posted on 12/06/202212/06/2022 by Barry Nutley

The Isle of Man TT has come and gone, the FIM World Championship has seen three rounds of great action involving last year’s top four teams, and now it is time to resume the domestic series at the popular Fife circuit of Knockhill.

The aim of second-placed Lewis Blackstock and Paddy Rosney must surely be to amass as many points as possible in the absence of series leaders Todd Ellis/Emmanuelle Clement. The Santander Salt duo will be defending their fourteen-point lead in the FIM World Championship in Hungary, leaving the door open for others to capitalise.

The Birchall Brothers Ben and Tom were early entries in Scotland, with their focus being to retain their British title. For 2022 they also plan to contest selected World rounds, but having missed just the Oulton Park opener, the appeal to stay at home is obvious. That opinion is shared by Birchall Racing team-mates Craig Currie and Justin Sharpe, although a good appearance at the Estoril World finale last season whetted their appetites for more international action.

Cadwell Sidecar Revival is not far away – get on board

Posted on 08/03/202208/03/2022 by Barry Nutley

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.

Cadwell Sidecar Revival is coming in August – don’t miss it.

Posted on 17/02/202217/02/2022 by Barry Nutley

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.

Donington Park joins the party in October as penultimate round

Posted on 21/12/202121/12/2021 by Barry Nutley

Donington Park has been added to the 2022 schedule making nine rounds in total, with eight of those alongside the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. The Leicestershire circuit is popular with the sidecar teams and always provides great racing.

(Don’t forget the dinner dance January 29th, form here for download. )

The inclusion of Donington Park creates an attractive and exciting season for the established star names, as well as several new crews who have signalled their intention to step up and compete in the full series.

All systems go as 2022 Molson series dates confirmed.

Posted on 20/12/202121/12/2021 by Barry Nutley

UPDATE: Donington Park added, see here

The 2022 British Sidecar Championship roars into action with two races at Oulton Park in the traditional opener over the weekend of April 30-May 2nd. This will set the scene for an eight-round series, with the now firmly established Cadwell Park Revival meeting the only exception outside of the Bennetts British Superbike calendar.

Roger Body and his RKB-F1 team have been frantically busy since close of play at Brands Hatch juggling dates for both the British and FIM World Championships, with the sole objective of running meaningful, high-profile rounds and the minimum of clashes. A top priority has been to offer all teams the opportunity to compete in both championships with a real chance of succeeding in both.

RKB British Sidecar Championship Dinner Dance & Awards Presentation

Posted on 20/12/202120/12/2021 by Steve English

From Glenn Walsh

The annual awards presentation will take place Saturday 29th January 2022 at
“The Bentley Hotel – Leisure Club & Spa”
Newark Road,
South Hykeham,
Lincoln LN6 9NH

Please make a date to celebrate an outstanding 2021 season!

Live Band Entertainment by “The Certain people” & Disco to the early hours.
Tickets are £50.00 each to include 3-course meal .

2022 Molson Dinner and Dance

1 file(s) 59.36 KB

Download

Dramatic end to season at Brands with Birchalls already champions

Posted on 20/10/202120/10/2021 by Barry Nutley

The late cancellation of the FIM World Championship entry at Brands Hatch freed up some top names to race alongside the Molson regulars as wild cards. Reigning British Champion Steve Kershaw with Ryan Charlwood made an appearance on that basis.
Other top teams had registered for both series, so were eligible to score points. Among those crews were Todd Ellis/Emmanuelle Clement, currently lying second in the world rankings. With double points on offer in this final round, they had a good opportunity to make the Birchall Brother’s lead look less dominant, although they too would be going for glory. Also on the race card were Kevin Cable and Kyle Masters, having enjoyed their foreign trips, now back to score British points. Also falling into this category were Ellis’s Santander Salt teammates Rob Biggs and Jeroen Schmitz.

Birchalls put the title out of reach at Donington Park

Posted on 04/10/202104/10/2021 by Barry Nutley

A distinctly winter feel greeted the crews at Donington with heavy rain and wind on Friday. Saturday was another tricky day with the organisers moving the schedule to fit the weather which was predicted to deteriorate as the day unfolded.
Free practice saw a good performance by John Holden, with the Birchall brothers distinctly faster in the dry. They expressed concern that Avon had not brought enough of the new wet radial rear tyre with them. So, they would be obliged to use the older cross-ply version which did not perform as well.

Birchall brothers flying high to Donington Park 1-3rd October

Posted on 28/09/2021 by Steve English

With eleven victories from thirteen outings Ben and Tom Birchall (Haith Honda) head for Donington Park on target for the championship. But for the double points on offer in the Brands Hatch finale, they would be home and dry anyway, However, Lewis Blackstock and Paddy Rosney still have a mathematical chance of stealing the title. Their record of podiums is equally impressive, having only missed out twice.

Birchalls prevail at Snetterton as they and Ellis smash lap record

Posted on 07/09/202107/09/2021 by Barry Nutley

All photos courtesy of Jenny Triker Wells – JTW Photography

Fresh from double victory in the German national championship in which they defeated main rivals Tim Reeves and Markus Schlosser, Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement had every reason to feel buoyant ahead of this home series round. In free practice, it became clear this would be a renewal of the battle between the Santander Salt pairing, and the Haith Honda of Ben and Tom Birchall. They had edged free practice by seven one-hundredths of a second.

Snetterton Preview – Ellis and Clement versus Birchall brothers in round six Snetterton September 3-5th

Posted on 01/09/202101/09/2021 by Barry Nutley

TIMETABLE, LIVE TIMING FOR THE WEEKEND AND ENTRY LIST ON THIS LINK
(GOES TO STEVEENGLISH.COM/BSB)

Well into the second half of the season, Ben and Tom Birchall have taken the lion’s share of victories, having been defeated just twice. The only crew running them close on a regular basis is the Lewis Blackstock/Paddy Rosney duo on the DHR/Express Tyre Service Yamaha. Last time out at Cadwell Park, inclement weather conditions played a part, with Blackstock/Rosney just one second behind at the flag. They sit second in the table by a comfortable margin.
It was in similar weather conditions one month ago, also at Cadwell, that World Championship runners Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement took the Santander Salt Yamaha to twin victories ahead of the Birchalls and will be looking to do the same at Snetterton.