In the second race of the sidecars in the Superside World Championship and IDM, it was world champion-like. Not only were the teams out on the track, but the claws also came into play.
For Tom and Ben Birchall (Wyckham Blackwell by Birchall/LCR Honda) things went well in the second race. Apart from a messy start that saw them relinquish the lead on the first lap to Harry Payne and his co-driver Kevin Rousseau (Steinhausing Racing/ARS Yamaha), but quickly regain it, the second race also went smoothly for them. The Brits kept their sidecar running and ended up winning in front of a raucous crowd of spectators. "It was great to race in front of so many spectators and celebrate with them,“ said Ben Birchall joyfully. The multiple world champion and his brother leave the Sachsenring with full points.
Stephen Kershaw and Ryan Charlwood (Kershaw Racing/LCR Yamaha) finished second. They benefited from a scuffle between Harry Payne and the Birchall brothers in the early stages and eventually settled behind the leaders. However, Ben Birchall’s dash away could not be stopped by Kershaw.
Sam and Tom Christie (Hannafin Racing/LCR Yamaha) completed the podium with third place, which they had to take back from Payne with elbows out on the eleventh lap. The pair fell back slightly from third after the start, but gradually clawed their way to the rear of Panye. The latter lost his runner-up position to Kershaw earlier and tried to fight off another attack by any means necessary. But Christie held firm and eventually left Payne/Rousseau behind. „We are pleased,“ said Tom Christie after the race, „however, we would have had the pace for second place today if we had started better.“ Kershaw/Charlwood, however, were already too far ahead by the time they overtook Payne, making it impossible for Christie to catch them.
The reigning world champions Todd Ellis/ Emmanuelle Clement (Team Ellis/Clement/LCR Yamaha) just about saved themselves from Ted and Vincent Peugot (Seventy-Four Racing/LCR Yamaha) in fourth place in the final meters. Harry Payne eventually finished sixth after spinning on lap 14. Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes (Bonovo Action Team/ARS Yamaha) were also unable to keep up with the competition in the second race with an underpowered engine and ended up in seventh, ahead of Bennie Streuer/Kevin Kölsch (Streuer Racing/ARS Yamaha).
Race 2
1. Ben BIRCHALL/Tom BIRCHALL (GBR)
2. Stephen KERSHAW/Ryan CHARLWOOD /GBR)
3. Sam CHRISTIE/Tom CHRISTIE (GBR)
4. Todd ELLIS/Emmanuelle CLEMENT (GBR/FRA)
5. Ted PEUGEOT/Vincent PEUGEOT (FRA)
6. Harry PAYNE/Kevin ROUSSEAU (GBR/FRA)
7. Tim REEVES/Mark WILKES (GBR)
8. Bennie STREUER/Kevin KÖLSCH (NLD/GER)
9. Josef SATTLER/Luca SCHMIDT (GER)
10. Pekka PÄIVÄRINTA/Ilse DE HAAS (FIN/NLD)
IDM.de