Wednesday August 17, 2011 at 11:26am
Simon Neary and Jason Crowe (Hudspeth/Crowe Racing LCR Honda) had the perfect weekend at Cadwell in the 4th round of the British FII Sidecar Championship taking pole, two wins and leaving Lincolnshire with a 39 point lead in the championship!
However pole position didn't count for too much in race one, Neary going into Coppice in fourth place behind Ian and Carl Bell (Ian Bell M/cs LCR Yamaha), Carl Fenwick and Mark Sayers (Russ Fenwick Transport Shelbourne Honda) and Gary Bryan and Gary Partridge (Drury Engineering Baker Honda). Roy Hanks and Dave Wells (Dorwingear Ltd Molyneux Suzuki) and Frank Lelias and Mike Aylott (L&W Contractors LCR Suzuki) completed the top six. Lap three saw Dave Atkinson and Phil Knapton (Garland Moore LCR Suzuki) get ahead of Lelias while Neary hurtled up to Park and dived in ahead of Bryan. A lap later, same spot and Neary was up to second past Fenwick. Bryan retired on lap six with gear linkage problems which saw Tony Thirkell and Nigel Barlow (TT Motorsport MR Equipe Honda) move into seventh ahead of Tony Baker and Andy Winkle (Team Cumbria Express Baker Suzuki), Dave Kimberley and Stu Castles (Just Landscapes Ireson Honda) and Gordon Shand and Lee Barrett (Mullen Shand Suzuki). Winkle was having a one-off ride with Baker as reigning FII Champion, John Holden, was attending his son's wedding! Neary, out to make hay while the sun shined, again made the power of his outfit tell to take the lead, again at Park, and hoped to open a gap on Bell but the experienced campaigner had other ideas.
Going into the last lap, Neary and Bell were together, Fenwick safe in third, with Atkinson hounding Hanks for fourth. Bell tried at every possible place to edge past and managed to draw level with Neary exiting the hairpin, but Neary got the better drive down to Barn and crossed the line 0.069 seconds ahead. Fenwick was third and Hanks stayed just half a second clear of Atkinson, with Lelias a lonely sixth. Thirkell, Baker, Shand and Kimberley completed the top ten with Howard Baker and Mike Killingsworth (Conmed UK Shelbourne Honda), Russ and Rod Pearce (Pearce Racing LCR Suzuki), Pete Alton and Shaun Parker (OTC Dyno Centre Baker Yamaha) and Gary Gibson and Heath Lane (Ziron Flooring Yamaha) the other finishers. Dave Lillie and Rob Bell (Ian Bell M/cs DMR Yamaha) and Steve Hicks and Alun Thomas (Pete Minion Racing MR Equipe Suzuki) had both retired with engine problems.
John Holden and Andy Winkle (D&A Walmsley LCR Suzuki) were re-united for the Sunday race but Neary had turned their one point championship lead into a 24 point deficit and in addition Holden would have to start from the back of the grid. Alongside him would be Conrad Harrison and Lee Patterson (Printing Roller Services Shelbourne Honda) who had an engine blow-up in Saturday's qualifying and had missed the first race. The progress of these two from the back of the grid would make it interesting for the spectators!
Neary used his pole position to good effect this time, leading the field from Bell, Bryan, Hanks and Fenwick with Atkinson and Lelias again battling for sixth. Both Harrison and Holden had been boxed in at the start but had progressed to 11th and 12th positions respectively. On the third lap, Fenwick moved ahead of Hanks and when Bell's engine 'cried enough', he found himself upto third and closing on Bryan. Neary meanwhile was already some three seconds to the good while Harrison and Holden were now seventh and ninth. The order of the leading six remained unchanged from lap four to nine but Holden had got past Harrison and then they both took Lelias, relegating the Frenchman to eighth.
Neary's lead was now over nine seconds and he cruised to victory. Two laps from the flag, Fenwick got past Bryan and there he stayed, for him and passenger Sayers, their highest championship finish. Hanks, Atkinson, Holden and Harrison were 4th to 7th with Lelias, Thirkell and Shand completing the top ten. Tony Baker, Pearce and Hicks were the remaining points-scorers while Alton, Lillie and Gibson all retired with mechanical issues. Howard Baker lost passenger Mike Killingsworth at the hairpin on lap ten but he was uninjured.
And so, a double victory for Neary and Crowe which saw them take a 39 point lead in the title chase, and they also received the Andy Brown and John Dowling Trophy, proudly presented by Andy's parents Kath and Alan. Neary now has 160 points to Holden's 121 with Fenwick third on 100. In the FII Cup, Fenwick leads with 165 ahead of Atkinson on 130 and Lelias on 125.
Results
Race One, 10 Laps, 21.73 miles
1. Simon Neary/Jason Crowe (Honda) 16m 49.065s 77.525 mph
2. Ian Bell/Carl Bell (Yamaha)
3. Carl Fenwick/Mark Sayers (Honda)
4. Roy Hanks/Dave Wells (Suzuki)
5. Dave Atkinson/Phil Knapton (Suzuki)
6. Frank Lelias/Mike Aylott (Suzuki)
7. Tony Thirkell/Nigel Barlow (Honda)
8. Tony Baker/Andy Winkle (Suzuki)
9. Gordon Shand/Lee Barrett (Suzuki)
10. Dave Kimberley/Stu Castles (Honda)
11. Howard Baker/Mike Killingsworth (Honda)
12. Russ Pearce/Rod Pearce (Suzuki)
13. Pete Alton/Shaun Parker (Suzuki)
14. Gary Gibson/Heath Lane (Yamaha)
Fastest Lap: Bell/Bell 1m 39.258s 78.813 mph
Race Two, 12 Laps 26.08 miles.
1. Neary/Crowe 20m 05.168s 77.892 mph.
2. Fenwick
3. Bryan
4. Hanks
5. Atkinson
6. John Holden/Andy Winkle (Suzuki)
7. Conrad Harrison/Lee Patterson (Honda)
8. Lelias
9. Thirkell
10. Shand
11. Tony Baker/Fiona Baker-Milligan (Suzuki)
12. Pearce
13. Steve Hicks/Alun Thomas (Suzuki)
Fastest lap, Neary/Crowe 1m 39.215 s 78.847 mph.