Birchall brothers to spearhead sidecar revolution with Team Mansfield
- Former champions return to the world stage for 2016
- Team Mansfield to lead the transition to an all 600cc grid
- Squad gearing up for full season including BSB and TT challenges
Former FIM World Sidecar Champions Ben and Tom Birchall will return to the series under a new banner – Team Mansfield – as they spearhead a period of revolution for the series. The 2016 season will see a combination of 600cc and 1000cc machines, with the Birchall brothers leading the way in the 600cc category which will become the sole format for 2017.
Following discussions with the sport’s governing body –the FIM – Team Mansfield will launch a full campaign in 2016 incorporating all of the World Championship events as well as taking on the British championship and Isle of Man TT.
Team Mansfield will be the main agent preparing the 600cc machines manufactured by LCR. The squad will draw on its extensive experience of the Honda engine to ensure a world-class standard of supply, and with the blessing of the FIM will be at the forefront of the transitional period in international sidecar racing.
Winners of the Final round of the FIM World Championship at Le Mans Photo by Wally Walters
“It’s really exciting!” said Ben. “The FIM approached us to take the lead role in this new 600cc class and it’s really got us fired up for 2016. It’s a new challenge and it’s looking to the future of sidecar racing – it will bring the level of the World Championship which is struggling up to that of the British series which is in a great place.
“We’ve had lots of success in the past and this is going to be a real challenge. With the 1000cc bikes alongside us it provides us with a great opportunity to have a development year in 2016 ready for a full-on assault in 2017. We’ve got some really exciting plans in the pipeline and we can’t wait to get started – from a commercial point of view we really want to make the most of our local ties, and we’re well on our way to putting Team Mansfield on the map.”
Former FIM World Sidecar Champions Ben and Tom Birchall will return to the series under a new banner – Team Mansfield – as they spearhead a period of revolution for the series. The 2016 season will see a combination of 600cc and 1000cc machines, with the Birchall brothers leading the way in the 600cc category which will become the sole format for 2017.
Following discussions with the sport’s governing body –the FIM – Team Mansfield will launch a full campaign in 2016 incorporating all of the World Championship events as well as taking on the British championship and Isle of Man TT.
Team Mansfield will be the main agent preparing the 600cc machines manufactured by LCR. The squad will draw on its extensive experience of the Honda engine to ensure a world-class standard of supply, and with the blessing of the FIM will be at the forefront of the transitional period in international sidecar racing.
“It’s really exciting!” said Ben. “The FIM approached us to take the lead role in this new 600cc class and it’s really got us fired up for 2016. It’s a new challenge and it’s looking to the future of sidecar racing – it will bring the level of the World Championship which is struggling up to that of the British series which is in a great place.
“We’ve had lots of success in the past and this is going to be a real challenge. With the 1000cc bikes alongside us it provides us with a great opportunity to have a development year in 2016 ready for a full-on assault in 2017. We’ve got some really exciting plans in the pipeline and we can’t wait to get started – from a commercial point of view we really want to make the most of our local ties, and we’re well on our way to putting Team Mansfield on the map.”
