Tuesday September 6, 2011 at 9:11am
The SMCA Clubmans Sidecar Championship has been one of the best in recent years and the final round didn’t disappoint. Although Neil and Michael Franks had been at the top of the leader board for most of the season going into the last round they were only 34 points ahead of second place and in fact only 70 points separated the first four teams and with 75 points on offer it was not a done deal! The SMCA would like to express their thanks to Broadhembury Club who hosted this last round at Wrangway for a very well run meeting which made the end of the Championship something to remember. The racing was excellent at the front and the back and in fact there was action all the way down the field! Although sidecars have been to this track for the last three years the Clubmans series had not visited before and therefore it was the first trip for many riders and passengers. All the teams have enjoyed this season’s championship and were disappointed that it had ended albeit on a high.
Two teams from the top ten were unable to make the last round through injury or other commitments but nonetheless twenty three sidecars lined up for race 1. Team Franks didn’t have the start they wanted when they got caught in the gate and found themselves with work to do. Dave Goddard/Sheppard, second in the series standings before the round, also had a bad start and had to work their way through the pack. The holeshot was taken by Martin Guilford/Rob Batten followed by Stephen Parr/Jonnie Waters & Seemond Stephens/Simon Rogers with Nick Bowers/Pete Batt and Wayne Delves /Darren Elcock in hot pursuit. Parr/Waters didn’t stay in second for long before their kill switch came out and they dropped back to seventh. Guilford/Batten began to pull away from Stephens/Rogers who were racing hard to keep Bowers/Batt behind them. Franks /Franks came through to finally finish fifth but with Goddard/Sheppard in eighth they increased their lead at the top of the board. Guilford/Batten kept their lead until the flag with Stephens/Rogers and Bowers/Batt in second and third.
Franks/Franks showed they were determined to win the Championship by taking the holeshot for race 2 and once in the lead there was nothing any of the other teams could do about it!
Delves/Elcock followed them round the first corner with Stephens/Rogers, Arthur Walton/James Georges and Guilford/Batten behind. Stephens/Rogers took over in second after Delves/Elcock made an excursion off track after leaving their braking just a little too late! With Team Franks disappearing into the distance it seemed the battle was on for second between Stephens/Rogers & Guilford/Batten after Walton/Georges dropped back.
The pairing were soon joined however by Bowers/Batt, who had got past Walton/Georges, and Goddard/Sheppard making it a five way battle! Things changed later in the race when Guilford/Batten slipped to the back of the group and then on the last lap Bowers/Batt got the better of Stephens/Rogers. Meanwhile out at the front the Franks brothers were making sure of the series as they crossed the line as both winners of race 2 and Clubmans Champions 2011.
The holeshot for race 3 was taken by Stephens/Rogers with Franks/Franks behind them but despite having already clinched the title they weren’t content to settle for second and soon took over at the front. Once again they left to the other teams to fight for the minor places but with only one point between Guilford/Batten and Bowers/Batt in second and third in the Championship and an outside chance of one them taking second away from Goddard/Sheppard there was all to go for in race 3. Stephens/Rogers stayed in second for most of the race trying to keep Goddard/Sheppard and Guilford/Batten behind them with Bowers/Batt endeavouring to catch up. Everything looked set to stay as it was until the last lap when Goddard/Sheppard and Guilford/Batten found their way past Stephens/Rogers to take second and third spots.
Report and photos
Ann Reynolds