Round 3 Aintree 13 June 2015 2015 FSRA F350/Post Classic & pre-injection Sidecar Championship

[Tibs]

Whilst most of the country was covered with heavy rain Aintree was blessed with sun all day with temperatures of 23 degrees and perfect racing conditions.

A thank you to the Aintree MCC who invited us for our third round giving us a five lap and two seven lap races around the 1.535 mile circuit. With a third of the circuit being a straight with a tightening right-handed at the end really tests the top speed performance and braking abilities. The club provides the three races for less than most clubs provide two and the scrutineer comes to you the only shame is it being a one day event.

The new FSRA F350/Post Classic & pre-injection Sidecar Championship is still struggling with numbers down to six teams for this round, but Wattie Brown and Brian Taylor TZ350 though they were not championship contenders gave Joe Heys and Marc Maier 350 Banshee a hard time. Ice creams early for Tony Wheatley and Adam Nix Ireson their TZ 750 Yamaha carried on with its gremlins from the last round at Mallory going well in practise to seize again in race one. This is such a same as I think this is the only TZ 750 being raced in the UK these days.

Marianne Walford and on her second time out novice passenger Kerry Hughes on a Baker 600 Thundercat, Ed Taylor Ian Breakell Suzuki GSX 1100 and myself with Mark Edwards on our FJ1100 made up the FSRA championship grid. Even though our numbers were low we did make up a good sidecar grid with four F1’s and another six F2’s, sixteen on a club sidecar grid the weekend after the TT is good.

Race One
Wattie Brown and Brian Taylor’s 350 eventually got the better to win by only 0.3 seconds from Joe Heys and Marc Maier 350 it was close. Third was taken by Ed Taylor Ian Breakell Suzuki GSX 1100, my FJ fourth and Marianne and Kerry’s Thundercat fifth and the unfortunate retirement of the TZ 750.

Race Two
Joe Heys and Mark Maier Banshee swapping places throughout the race but this time eventually get the better of Wattie’s and Taylor’s TZ350 this time winning by 0.4 seconds. The Suzuki 1100 lost its gearbox sprocket nut and chain causing its retirement. The ladies on the Thundercat had an ignition failure and with the TZ750 team watching with more ice-creams the FJ was third.

Race Three
With the TZ team gone (sold out of ice creams) but the Thundercat and Suzuki repaired the remaining five made and finish the last race. Joe’s Banshee just gets the better of Wattie’s TZ to take his second win but only by 0.2 seconds. Mark and I on our new FJ after years on the Kawasaki we are now slowly starting to get used to it and had some good dicing with the Suzuki but Ed and Ian got the third place and Marianne and Kerry going the best they have so far finished fifth.

A bit of Gossip was that a 600 Thundercat engine being loaded into Joe Heys Van?

Many thanks to Aintree MCC for a great day and for their support.

Next rounds

July 25/26 Anglesey
Aug 15/16 East Fortune
Sept 12/13 Cadwell Park


Report Written by Dave Tibbles

[Metalface.]

It was heavy that engine.

[tonybsa2008]

And after all those Ice creams me and Adam are rather heavy too...