Yokohama/ACU British Fll Sidecar Championship

Thursday April 2, 2009 at 8:20am

Reigning FII champions Nick Crowe and Mark Cox (Dave Hudspeth Carpets/HM Plant LCR Honda) won the first race of the Fll Sidecar Championship at Donington Park on the 28th-29th March.

The reigning F1 champions Tim Reeves and Patrick Farrance (Gunther Reuschling Motorsport LCR Suzuki) won the second but it was 'new boys' Ben and Tom Birchall (Mitchells of Mansfield LCR Honda) who took the overall honours and with it, the Bill Boddice Trophy to boot!

Two tremendous races, numerous changes in the lead and plenty of drama in a wonderful opening meeting for the 2009 title. As they returned from the warm-up lap, Dave Molyneux and Daniel Sayle (DM Racing Molyneux Suzuki) returned to the pits – an ominous rattle meant no racing for the Manx pair. Crowe had been fastest in qualifying but it was last year's FII Cup champion Steve Coombes and Paul Knapton (Dave Hudspeth Carpets Ireson Honda) who led into Redgate.

Both Crowe and Reeves soon took over with Ian and Carl Bell (Ian Bell M/Cs LCR Yamaha) up to third ahead of Birchall and Coombes. The second and third laps saw Crowe and Reeves swapping the lead and also some paintwork while Coombes, Birchall and Simon Neary and Stu Bond (Neary Racing Baker Suzuki) were in a furious dice for third.

At the Melbourne Loop on lap four, both Crowe and Reeves went in fast, both went wide and both cut back in sharpish but Reeves' outfit pitched forward and when the rear wheel touched down, the chain came off - an unfortunate end to a brilliant dice. Crowe now had a lead of two seconds with Birchall a clear second ahead of Coombes, Neary and Bell. John Holden and Andy Winkle (D&A Walmsley LCR Suzuki) were sixth just ahead of Roy Hanks and Dave Wells (Dorwingear Ltd Molyneux Suzuki) and Phil Dongworth and John Luebke (WAS Racing Ireson Honda) with the leading FII Cup competitors Dean Henry and Ian Smith (Magnam Racing Windle Suzuki) in ninth.

Neary took third off Coombes and began to close on Birchall but he responded with the fastest lap of the race though still some four seconds behind Crowe. The leaders maintained their positions except for Holden moving up to fifth. Henry and Smith took the FII Cup honours ahead of Stephen Kershaw and Robin Wilson (Blinkbonny Quarry LCR Suzuki).

Before Sunday's second race came the first of the MotoSix races and unfortunately for both Crowe and Neary the start of a frustrating day. Within a lap of each other both suffered engine blow-ups leaving them with just over an hour to change engines. Despite frantic work from their mechanics, the warm-up lap began without them, though they could have started from pit lane. There was no sight of them as the lights went out and Coombes again getting a flyer, but within seconds the red flags were out as four outfits spun off at Redgate.

Just a few minutes before the restart and as they waited for the starter, Nick Crowe and Mark Cox sped down pit lane ready to join the race, but alas not enough time for Neary. Birchall took the lead from Coombes and Reeves, but already Crowe had stopped with gearbox problems. Birchall and Reeves were battling furiously for the lead with Holden now up in to third. Reeves took over on lap four, and though Birchall regained the lead at the half-way stage, Reeves struck back a lap later. However this wonderful dice was allowing Holden to cut the deficit and with a record lap he moved to within a second of the leading pair.

Coombes was in fourth, some seven seconds ahead of Dongworth and Conrad Harrison and Lee Patterson (Printing Roller Services Shelbourne Honda). Leading the FII Cup was again Henry in 7th ahead of Andy Laidlow and James Neave (Team LFR LCR Suzuki) with the second Cup pairing of Kershaw and Wilson in 9th. On the penultimate lap, Holden had closed to 0.51 seconds of the Reeves-Birchall battle and a thrilling finish was in store. Through the Foggy Esses on the last lap Reeves and Birchall kept a tight line allowing Holden a run on the outside. As he inched ahead, Birchall too moved out and their outfits 'tangled' with Holden being pushed forwards by Birchall in an increasing smoke screen. Reeves went on to take the win and somehow Holden and Birchall separated with Holden getting to the line just six hundredths of a second ahead of Birchall. Breathtaking stuff!

Coombes, Dongworth, Harrison and Henry maintained their positions but Kershaw took 8th from Laidlow. The Birchalls' second and third places secured the Bill Boddice Trophy for the overall win and gave them 36 points to lead the championship, from Holden on 31, Coombes 26 and both Crowe and Reeves 25. The FII Cup sees Henry on 50, Kershaw 40 with Lillie and Lindley on 29. The next round is at the Brands Hatch BSB meeting over the Easter weekend.

RESULTS:

Race One – 8 Laps, 20 miles.

1. Nick Crowe/Mark Cox (Honda) 85.46 mph.

2. Ben/Tom Birchall (Honda)

3. Simon Neary/Stu Bond (Suzuki)

4. Steve Coombes/Paul Knapton (Honda)

5. John Holden/Andy Winkle (Suzuki)

6. Ian/Carl Bell (Yamaha)

7. Phil Dongworth/John Luebke (Honda)

8. Roy Hanks/Dave Wells (Suzuki)

9. Dean Henry/Ian Smith (Suzuki)

10. Tony Baker/Fiona Baker-Millington (Suzuki)