Tom and Ben Birchall won the main race of the FIM Sidecar World Championship in Spa, Belgium. After eleven laps on the 6.985-kilometer track, they dominated the field, finishing ahead of defending world champions Todd Ellis and Emanuelle Clement and third-place finishers Stephen Kershaw and Ryan Charlwood.
The Birchalls made it clear right from the first lap that they weren’t going to go down without a fight today. After a precise start by pole-sitter Ellis, they overtook their British compatriot in the very second turn and took the lead. A group of four formed at the front, consisting of the Birchalls, Ellis/Clement, Sam Christie/Tom Christie, and Stephen Kershaw/Ryan Charlwood.
There was a gaping gap behind the leading quartet. It was clear that the top four teams would be battling it out for the podium spots in this race, with Ellis/Clement soon regaining the lead. The whole thing turned into a game of cat and mouse. Everyone was waiting for the other to make a mistake and for their chance to capitalize on it. With three laps to go, Birchall/Birchall suddenly made their move and took the lead. Kershaw/Charlwood, right in their wake, slipped past Ellis/Clement and were suddenly in second place. Was that the decisive move? No, on the tenth lap, Ellis/Clement undid everything. But they didn’t hold that position for long either. Birchall ultimately crossed the finish line two-tenths of a second ahead of them. Kershaw/Charlwood were just 1.488 seconds behind. Christie/Christie followed 1.876 seconds back.
Behind them, things were no less chaotic. As early as the first lap, Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau spun out after Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes had zoomed past them. Pekka Päivärinta and Ilse de Haas were unable to avoid them, and a collision ensued. Payne was able to continue, but for Päivärinta, the race was over.
Reeves, who had struggled with electrical issues during practice and finished third in the sprint race, led the chasing pack this time, which saw several retirements. Bennie Streuer pulled into the pits with technical problems. Ted Peugeot, Claude Vinet, and John Holden also failed to see the checkered flag. And Pekka Päivärinta, as mentioned earlier, was stopped by Payne’s spin.
The results led to many changes in the standings. The Birchall brothers now lead the standings with 95 points, ahead of Ellis/Clement, who moved up one spot. The sidecar teams will be back in action in just one week, when the next round is scheduled to take place in Most, Czech Republic.
Main Race Results
1. Ben Birchall (GBR) / Tom Birchall (GBR)
2. Todd Ellis (GBR) / Emanuelle Clement (FRA)
3. Stephen Kershaw (GBR) / Ryan Charlwood (GBR)
4. Sam Christie (GBR) / Tom Christie (GBR)
5. Tim Reeves (GBR) / Mark Wilkes (GBR)
6. Harrison Payne (GBR) / Kevin Rousseau (FRA)
7. Josef Sattler (GER) / Luca Schmidt (GER)
8. Robert Biggs (GBR) / Ferry Segers (NED)
9. Rupert Archer (GBR) / Adam Christie (GBR)
10. Kevin Cable (GBR) / Charlie Richardson (GBR)
World Championship standings after four of 14 races:
1. Birchall 95 points; 2. Ellis 74; 3. Payne 49; 4. Kershaw 47; 5. Christie 43; 6. Reeves 36; 7. Sattler 34; 8. Päivärinta 29; 9. Streuer 25; 10. Archer 20
World Championship Sidecar: Birchall brothers win main race in Spa
Tom and Ben Birchall won the main race of the FIM Sidecar World Championship in Spa, Belgium. After eleven laps on the 6.985-kilometer track, they finished first, ahead of defending champions Todd Ellis and Emanuelle Clement, and third-place finishers Stephen Kershaw and Ryan Charlwood.
The Birchalls made it clear right from the first lap that they weren’t going to give up today. After a flawless start by pole-sitter Ellis, they overtook their British rival immediately in the second corner and took the lead. A group of four then formed, consisting of the Birchalls, Ellis/Clement, Sam Christie/Tom Christie, and Stephen Kershaw/Ryan Charlwood.
After the quartet, there was a gap. It was clear that the top four teams would decide the podium places in this race, in which Ellis/Clement soon regained the lead. The whole race turned into a game of cat and mouse. Each pair waited for the other to make a mistake and seize the opportunity to capitalize on it. With three laps remaining, Birchall/Birchall suddenly dared to attack and took the lead. Kershaw/Charlwood slipped right past Ellis/Clement in the process and were suddenly in second place. Was that the decisive move? No, on the tenth lap, Ellis/Clement turned the tables. But they didn’t hold the position for long. Birchall was ultimately two-tenths of a second ahead of them when they crossed the finish line. Kershaw/Charlwood were also just 1.488 seconds behind. Christie/Christie followed 1.876 seconds behind.
Behind them, the action was just as chaotic. Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau spun out on the first lap after Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes had sprinted past them. Pekka Päivärinta and Ilse de Haas were unable to avoid them, and a collision occurred. Payne was able to continue the race. For Päivärinta, it was over.
Reeves, who had struggled with electrical problems during practice and had finished third in the sprint race, led the chasing pack this time, which saw several retirements. Bennie Streuer pitted due to technical issues. Ted Peugeout, Claude Vinet, and John Holden also failed to finish the race. And Pekka Päivärinta, as already mentioned, was forced to stop after Payne spun out.
In the overall standings, the results led to numerous changes in position. The Birchall brothers now lead the standings with 95 points, ahead of Ellis/Clement, who moved up one spot. In just one week, the sidecar teams will be back in action when the next round takes place in Most, Czech Republic.
Main Race
1. Ben Birchall (GBR) / Tom Birchall (GBR)
2. Todd Ellis (GBR) / Emanuelle Clement (FRA)
3. Stephen Kershaw (GBR) / Ryan Charlwood (GBR)
4. Sam Christie (GBR) / Tom Christie (GBR)
5. Tim Reeves (GBR) / Mark Wilkes (GBR)
6. Harrison Payne (GBR) / Kevin Rousseau (FRA)
7. Josef Sattler (GER) / Luca Schmidt (GER)
8. Robert Biggs (GBR) / Ferry Segers (NED)
9. Rupert Archer (GBR) / Adam Christie (GBR)
10. Kevin Cable (GBR) / Charlie Richardson (GBR)
Points after 4 of 14 races:
1. Birchall 95 points; 2. Ellis 74; 3. Payne 49; 4. Kershaw 47; 5. Christie 43; 6. Reeves 36; 7. Sattler 34; 8. Päivärinta 29; 9. Streuer 25; 10. Archer 20
