Thursday April 12, 2012 at 9:59am
SMCA British Clubman’s Sidecar Championship 2012 got underway at Whaddons Farm, Owslebury on Good Friday. Round 1 hosted by Winchester Motocross Club had a full line up of thirty chairs which as it was also a Southern Centre round included one non-clubman. With the dry weather meaning potential dust problems thoughts turned to last years meeting, also on Good Friday. At that meeting the last block of races had to be cancelled so fingers were kept tightly crossed that there was no repeat performance! Although dust certainly was an issue the organisers were able to allow all three races to go ahead.
Seemond Stephens/Mike Curnow took the holeshot for race 1 and were followed around the first corner by Steve & Chris Pannell, Ross Bowers/Guy Eastman, Stephen Parr/Josh Haynes and Rob Oldfield/John Murch. Lap 2 saw a change at the front when Pannell/Pannell took over and the following lap Oldfield/Murch moved up into second. These three stayed at the front, although on lap five Oldfield/Murch took the lead and began to pull away. A rear wheel puncture for the Pannells on the last lap saw them slow down and finally crossed the line in eighth allowing Bowers/Eastman to take third. Further back there were close battles involving large numbers of outfits with only the very back seeing bigger gaps between the teams. The team of the race though had to be Luke Peters/Sam Harris who came through from thirteenth to the take fourth at the flag.
Race 2 got underway with Arthur Walton/James Georges rounding the corner first but the Pannell brothers quickly took the lead. Walton/Georges chased after them for four laps with Scott Williams/Simon Rogers trying hard to relieve them of the place but it was Oldfield/Murch who did the honours when they came through from tenth to second and eventually took the lead and held it. Williams/Rogers lost a couple of places as Peters/Harris and Bowers/Eastman moved up. Bowers/Eastman were then forced to retire with a blown motor. Out front Oldfield/Murch pulled away from Pannell/Pannell who had also pulled out a gap to Walton/Georges. Behind the top three once again there was very close racing with long trains of chairs trying desperately to pass each other. Stephens/Curnow with a bad start couldn’t do much about taking a win this time, with so many to get past, but did eventually take seventh. Peters/Harris had a brilliant race finally finishing in third with Walton/Georges in fourth.
Determined not repeat the start of race 2 Stephens/Curnow took the holeshot and stayed at the front for the whole race. Tim/Richard Carter followed them with Malcolm Collins/Chris Huntley, Williams/Rogers and Wayne Delves/Darren Elcocks close behind. It was Oldfield/Murch who showed their experience and slipped into second on lap 2 and began to reel Stephens/Curnow in who had pulled away from the others. Collins/Huntley fell back as Walton/Georges and Pannell/Pannell made their way through the field. By the flag Oldfield/Murch couldn’t pull Stephens/Curnow in enough and had to settle for second and it was Pannell/Pannell who took the third spot with Peters/Harris in fourth. Despite the dusty conditions the racing was once again close with no major incidents. Until a hundred meters from the flag that is; when Delves/Elcocks found themselves in the soft dirt and stalled with other outfits bearing down on them. Several were able to miss the stranded sidecar but coming out of the dust close behind someone else Jon Pannell/Rob Eastman found themselves with no where to go. Both chairs tipped and Elcocks was sent flying but got away with bruises but no race points but Pannell/Eastman got going again to cross the line!
The overall winner of the Southern Centre round was Oldfield/Murch but as non clubman everyone else picked up an extra place in the Clubman’s Championship. Stephens/Curnow, as leaders, going into round 2 on Easter Monday will now know how close this season is looking to be. Who will emerge at the top of the standings after Frome? By the time of reading this we will know!
The next round after Easter is at Wrangway on 10th June.
Report and photos Ann Reynolds