FIM Sidecar World Championship.
Donington Park,
Race two report.
Once again it was very hot at Donington Park, a bit overcast and a fair breeze blowing.
News just before race two was that 2000 pounds had been pledged to the race winner by Sommai Nantakoon from “DAO” racing, this was done as the sidecar teams set off on their warm up lap, so none of the teams knew about this until the end of the race, what a great prize.
As the lights went out it was Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries who once again got the run from the start followed by Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement, Stephen Kershaw and Ryan Charlwood got a better start than yesterday, they slotted into third. Harry Payne and Mark Wilkes were next up running on the outside of Bennie Streuer and Kevin Kolsch in fifth place.
Lukas Wyssen and Thomas Hofer were on the inside of Sam and Tom Christie who were way out on the outside of the track. Rob Biggs and Jake Lowther were in eighth place with Rupert Archer and Steve Thomas in ninth. Kevin Cable and Charlie Richardson were in tenth with Pierre Leguen and Leopold Rouby in eleventh.
Cruel luck once again hit Streuer and Kolsch, passenger Kolsch fell from the outfit at the “Melbournn Hairpin” Kolsch remounted the machine but Streuer pulled into pit lane, he had seen the Kolsch had been injured and blood was visible from his arm, Streuer decided it was best not to continue.
Lap two saw a big change in the top four teams. Schlosser and Fries were relegated down to fourth, Payne and Wilkes had passed Kershaw and Charlwood for second place, and then they had a great run into the first corner and made a pass on Ellis and Clement for the lead. This was to last for a couple of laps, then Ellis and Clement took the lead once again but they pulled along Kershaw and Charlwood with them, this put Payne and Wilkes back to third. Schlosser and Fries were holding fourth but did not look happy; they were falling away from the leading three teams.
It was turning out to be a lonely race for the Christie Brothers in fifth, Biggs and Lowther in sixth, Wyssen and Hofer seventh, Archer and Thomas eighth, Cable and Richardson ninth, and Leguen/Rouby tenth.
Lap eight saw Biggs and Lowther pull into pit lane with the same problem as they had yesterday, their seat in the fairing was flexing far too much for them to continue.
Lap nine, Archer and Thomas pulled into pit lane with rear grip problems; they did not rejoin the race.
At the front the battle was raging on but Ellis and Clement with Kershaw and Charlwood had started to make a small gap on Payne and Wilkes in third. Schlosser and Fries were falling even further back in fourth place, it was the end for them on lap twelve, they pulled into pit lane, with both Schlosser and Fries getting off their machine and going straight to the back of the machine to investigate to what the problem could be. They were suffering from a severe vibration from the back but were not sure what the cause was, they headed back to their pit garage.
Again like yesterday, the spectators were getting their money’s worth, Ellis and Clement were in a great battle with Kershaw and Charlwood, the two teams were passing each and other at every opportunity they could. In the end though it was Kershaw and Charlwood who made the pass that would stick, it was close though, any mistake by them and Ellis and Clement would be back in the lead. This was not to be; Kershaw and Charlwood held onto the lead and took the chequred flag for the win, the team were extatic, so pleased with this result. Ellis and Clement took second, only 0.305 behind Kershaw and Charlwood, They too were happy with this, the two teams had a great race and congratulations were all round. Payne and Wilkes took a great third place and were credited with the fastest lap of the race a time of 1:36.341. They now are hoping to get driver, Payne, leg problem sorted before their next outing.
A great fourth place for the Christie Brothers, they had no problems with their machine, but it was a lonely race for them, but a great result for the team, another solid weekend for them.
Like the Christie boys, Wyssen and Hofer had a lonely race, but another good weekend for them they took fifth place. The team are really happy with this. Wyssen did have a slight problem during the race though, he had a stone come into the kneeler tray where his knee was positioned and could not get rid of it, and it made gear changing very sore.
After all the problems Cable and Richardson had at the beginning of the weekend it turned out not too bad for the team. Another good result, they took sixth place. The team are heading home very happy with this.
Luguen and Rouby took a good seventh place, the team are really pleased how their weekend has gone, no machine problems, the first time at Donington Park and their first year racing at this level, all good experience for the team.
The next race weekend for the world sidecars will be in Oschersleben Germany 30th September.
FIM Communications