The second race of the FIM Superside/IDM Sidecar series was racing at its best. After a thrilling final stretch, Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement secured the victory.
Right after the start, Tom and Ben Birchall (Wyckham Blackwell by Birchall/LCR Honda) settled in behind Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement (Team Ellis/Clement/LCR Yamaha) and set out to chase down the leaders. Throughout the race, the two Brits stayed hot on the heels of the two leaders and put them under increasing pressure. “17 laps become even more grueling when you constantly feel them right on your tail,” Todd Ellis commented with a smile after the podium ceremony. The Birchalls attacked the team time and time again, but the reigning world champions defended themselves skillfully and countered the attacks. Yet Tom Birchall left no doubt that he had no intention of leaving Most today without a one-two finish.
The final two laps saw a thrilling duel between the world champions. It turned into a real game of cat and mouse with breathtaking passing moves. The showdown finally came in the last turn, when Ellis gave it his all once more, used the slipstream, and passed the Birchalls to cross the finish line first. “That was by far the best race in a long time,” Ellis summed up, adding, “I had a feeling that the final lap—and that last turn in particular—would be the ultimate showdown.” The experienced driver was proven right.
Although Tom Birchall showed a hint of disappointment at the race’s outcome, the Honda rider still drew a positive conclusion. “It was a fantastic race,” he said. “Even though we didn’t manage a one-two finish, we’re more than satisfied that we were able to score the most points this weekend.” With a total of 45 points, the Birchall brothers are heading back to England, successfully extending their lead in the Superside World Championship standings over Ellis and Clement.
Sam and Tom Christie (Hannafing Racing/LCR Yamaha) also had a strong race and consistently held off Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau (Steinhausen Racing/ARS Yamaha). As in the first race on Saturday, the two rounded out the podium with a third-place finish.
In the battle for the IDM title, Josef Sattler and Luca Schmidt (Team Bonovo Action Team/LCR Yamaha) celebrated a one-two finish at Most. The German duo got off to a strong start but fell back slightly as the race progressed due to technical difficulties. However, they found a solution and gritted their teeth. They crossed the finish line in sixth place in the FIM Superside Championship and, at the same time, claimed victory in the IDM Championship.
Bennie Streuer and Kevin Kölsch (Team Bonovo Action Team/LCR Yamaha) were forced to retire on the very first lap due to technical problems. Pekka (Team Bonovo Action Team/LCR Yamaha) and Ilse de Haas suffered the same fate midway through the race.
——————– English Version —————-
The second race of the FIM Superside was a thrilling contest. After a gripping final stretch, Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement secured the victory.
Right from the start, Tom and Ben Birchall (Wyckham Blackwell by Birchall/LCR Honda) settled in behind Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement (Team Ellis/Clement/LCR Yamaha) and set off in pursuit. Throughout the race, the two Brits stayed doggedly on the heels of the two leaders, putting them under increasing pressure. “17 laps become even more exhausting when you constantly feel those two right on your tail,” Todd Ellis commented with a smile after the podium ceremony. The Birchalls attacked the team time and time again, but the reigning world champions defended themselves skillfully and countered the attacks. But Tom Birchall left no doubt that he did not want to leave Most today without a one-two finish.
In the final two laps, a thrilling battle unfolded between the world champions. It turned into a real cat-and-mouse game with breathtaking passing maneuvers. In the final corner, it finally came down to a showdown when Ellis gave it his all once again, used the slipstream, and passed the Birchalls to cross the finish line first. “That was by far the best race I’ve had in a long time,” Ellis summed up, adding, “I had a gut feeling that it was going to be an absolute showdown on the last lap and in that corner.” The experienced driver was proven right.
Although there was a hint of disappointment on Tom Birchall’s face regarding the race’s outcome, the Honda rider still took a positive view. “It was a fantastic race,” he commented. “Even though we didn’t manage to secure a one-two finish, we’re more than satisfied that we were able to earn the most points this weekend.” With a total of 45 points, the Birchall brothers are heading back to England, having successfully extended their lead in the overall Superside World Championship standings ahead of Ellis/Clement.
Sam and Tom Christie (Hannafing Racing/LCR Yamaha) also had a strong race and crossed the finish line ahead of Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau (Steinhausen Racing/ARS Yamaha). As in the first race on Saturday, the pair rounded out the podium with a third-place finish.
FIM Superside, Race 2:
- Todd ELLIS/Emmanuelle CLEMENT (GBR/FRA)
- Ben BIRCHALL/Tom BIRCHALL (GBR)
- Sam CHRISTIE/Tom CHRISTIE (GBR)
- Harry PAYNE/Kevin ROUSSEAU (GBR/FRA)
- Stephen KERSHAW/Ryan CHARLWOOD (GBR)
- Josef SATTLER/Luca SCHMIDT (GER)
- Ted PEUGEOT/Vincent PEUGEOT (FRA)
- Lennard GÖTTLICH/Lukas KRIEG (GER)
- Kevin CABLE/Charlie RICHARDSON (GBR)
- Peter KIMESWENGER/ Ondřej SEDLÁČEK (AUT/CZE)
IDM Race 2:
- Josef SATTLER/Luca SCHMIDT (GER)
- Ted PEUGEOT/Vincent PEUGEOT (FRA)
- Lennard GÖTTLICH/Lukas KRIEG (GER)