The 2019 season was one of huge highs as well as sobering lows for Ben and Tom Birchall. Despite showing race-winning pace at every single round of the FIM Sidecar World Championship, the Mansfield-based duo were unable to turn their speed into valuable championship-winning points. A run of bad luck that followed them throughout their international campaign caused a number of DNFs, making it incredibly tough for the boys to claw back enough points to claim a third consecutive title. Ultimately finishing third in the final series rankings, Ben and Tom were nevertheless pleased with their performance and proud to have finished on the overall championship podium.

The 2019 Isle of Man TT however, went perfectly. In contrast to the 2018 event, the small island was not blessed with two weeks of sunshine, but instead mixed weather and showers made for tricky qualifying conditions for all. With a lack of good track and testing time, all Sidecar TT competitors went into the rescheduled Monday three-lapper faced with a damp and blustery course. Making the most of their skill and experience, Birchall Racing led from start to finish, even managing a 119.129mph lap on their second circuit. Ben steered the Haith, Live Your Adventure – Isle of Man & Mitchells of Mansfield sponsored outfit into the winners’ enclosure at the end of the third lap to claim the team’s ninth TT victory, breaking the race record in doing so.

Race two on the island was just as thrilling. With the organisers doing an excellent job to find a slot for all of the races that week, Sidecar Race 2 was brought forward to Thursday and reduced to two laps. In arguably the best conditions of the fortnight, the Birchalls set off down Bray Hill and never looked back. Bringing their LCR Honda outfit home 20 seconds ahead of the second-placed outfit, Ben and Tom earned their 10th TT win to secure themselves as overall Sidecar TT Champions once again. To top off an amazing event, Ben and Tom also won the Motul Award for Technical Excellence – their LCR outfits filled the three podium positions in both races and close to half the sidecar field was made up of LCR machines.

Birchall Racing have already started on their preparations for the 2020 season. After much deliberation, the boys have decided to take a break from the world championships and concentrate on the TT and the ever-popular BSB championship. The team will also be contending selected European road races throughout the year. The decision comes from both Ben and Tom wishing to spend more time closer to home with their young families. Never ones to rest on their laurels however, the boys plan on making some changes to their outfits to push the limits that little bit further in the forthcoming season.

Ben Birchall: “I have had a fantastic year again and firstly I have to thank everyone who has made it possible. The team has enjoyed an incredible season, with another dominant performance at the TT and some excellent results in both the British and world championships. We were on the pace all year but just weren’t able to convert it into the finishes and points we needed to claim the world title. It’s disappointing, but that’s the way racing goes sometimes. We’ll turn our attention now to getting everything ready for next season, we’ve already got some great plans in place and are looking forward to another strong year.”

Tom Birchall: “Overall I’m really happy with our 2019 racing campaign. The year was split into two really with the World Championship and the TT commitments. We took on a new challenge this year with a new design and engine configuration for the world championships and it worked well, showing a good competitive pace at all rounds. We came away with several wins, pole positions and fastest laps, which we are very proud of. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t quite clinch our third consecutive championship but we gave the season 100% and came away with third, which is a huge achievement in itself.

“The TT was amazing. Although the place has always been in our blood ever since we were kids, the event has become such a big part of our lives now. Partly because we’re building bikes for the TT and other competitors but also because of how things have grown over there. It really is a highlight of our year to be able to bring good racing and entertainment to all the fans who support us.”

Birchall Racing would like to say thank you to all their fans for their support over the 2019 season. Also, to their team and supporters without whom, none of this would be possible. Here’s looking forward to another successful year of racing and hopefully more top results.

Photo credit: Lucas Croydon, Mark Walters, Jon Cole

The post BIRCHALL RACING LOOK BACK AT SUCCESSFUL 2019 RACING SEASON AND MAKE PLANS FOR 2020 appeared first on Birchall Racing.

Rounds four and five of the 2019 FIM Sidecar World Championship, held at Assen in the Netherlands and Grobnik, Croatia have been immensely challenging for the Mansfield-based Birchall brothers. Despite showing impressive speed at both events, bad luck and misfortune hampered the boys’ performance, resulting in less-than-ideal results from both venues. Never a team to give up, the Birchalls still gave 100 percent and will go into the final round of the championship with a fighting chance of victory.

Assen started well for the One Call Insurance backed team – fastest in practice, the boys went on to place their LCR Yamaha outfit on pole position for the race. After a strong start, heavy contact by a fellow competitor into the first corner pushed the boys down to third. With a damaged gear lever making shifting difficult for Ben, the pair nevertheless pushed on and moved into second. Further contact later in the race only made things worse and now with Ben’s shift lever almost unusable and one of Tom’s handles damaged, the brothers decided to settle for second. Having shown dominant pace throughout the weekend, Birchall Racing were unquestionably denied the win, but ever-determined, looked forward to Croatia in the hunt for more points.

With the championship moving on to the Grobnik circuit just one week later, the Birchalls once again impressed by topping both practice and qualifying. Heading the grid into Saturday’s sprint race, the Birchall’s got off to a great start and led into the first series of corners. Unchallenged on track, Ben and Tom increased their lead at the front – Ben driving superbly, the brothers looked to be on for a win. On lap four, the rest of the outfits appeared from the back of the circuit but no Birchalls. The team had been forced to pull off the track when a broken fuel pipe caused their machine to come to a halt. A devastating blow to both their race and their championship.

Sunday dawned hot at the Grobnik track for the Gold Race main event. With the championship at stake, Birchall Racing had no choice but to go for the win. Another great start took the boys into the lead, leaving their competitors to fight for the remaining podium places. Putting in a masterclass of driving on the Croatian track, Ben led the field from start-to-finish to claim valuable championship points and keep them in the hunt for the title.

Going into the two-race final round at Estoril, Spain on October 19, Ben and Tom trail their main championship contenders by just seven points. With 50 points up for grabs and the Birchall’s ‘never give up’ attitude, the title is far from decided.

Ben Birchall: “It’s definitely been a frustrating couple of weeks. We made some changes to the bike before Assen and they have definitely worked – we were easily the fastest outfit at both of the last two rounds, it’s just a shame the results don’t show that. Despite the bad luck, we’re still in with a chance at the title. It’s going to be tough, no question, but we’ll do what we always do – get our heads down and give it our all. I just want to thank the whole team and our supporters for everything they do. We’ve got a good break now before the final round so we’ll go away and get everything prepped before heading over to Spain and giving 100 percent.”

Tom Birchall: “Racing is full of ups and downs and we’ve certainly had our fair share. The last two weeks were tough but on the positive side we have shown that we definitely have the pace to win and the whole team have come together for us to achieve that. Thanks to everyone for sticking by us, hopefully we can get a good run in Spain in October and come away with the win.”

Birchall Racing’s next outing in the FIM Sidecar World Championship will be the sixth and final round held at the Estoril circuit in Spain from October 19 – 20.

Photo credit: Mark Walters

The post MIXED FORTUNES FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT WORLD SIDECAR ROUNDS FOUR AND FIVE. appeared first on Birchall Racing.

It was a hot one at Oschersleben in Germany last weekend, with temperatures reaching well into the 30s. As one of the Birchall’s favourite circuits, the team arrived at the historic track with the goal of winning both races to reclaim the championship lead.

Practice and qualifying went well with the Mitchells of Mansfield supported team setting the pace to ultimately claim pole position with a time 0.3 seconds faster than their rivals. Feeling comfortable on track, Ben and Tom even had chance to make a couple of cooling and bedding in laps during the session such was their pace.

Late Saturday afternoon saw the 11-lap Sprint Race take place on the still hot German tarmac. With the top three teams separated by less than one second after qualifying, all knew it would be a closely-fought battle to take the chequered flag. Ben and Tom grabbed the holeshot from the front of the grid and immediately set about trying to gap the outfits behind. Ben, driving superbly, put in fast lap after fast lap, maintaining his lead over the second and third-placed teams. Unfortunately, with just one lap to go, a late pass by Reeves and Wilkes put them in front and with no time to retaliate, Ben and Tom had to settle for second. A frustrating end to such a dominant performance.

With plans to make up for the Sprint Race result, Birchall Racing made some subtle tweaks to their LCR Yamaha outfit before Sunday’s 21-lap Gold Race. Overnight thunder storms had cleared the air, leaving the track and conditions more favourable for the main event. Ben and Tom once again got the perfect start and led the pack into the first corner. Similarly to the first race, with all the action going on behind them, Ben was able to manage his pace and stretch his lead ahead of the sidecars jostling for position behind. Crossing the line unchallenged by their rivals, Birchall Racing bagged 25 valuable points, keeping their championship hopes very much alive with three rounds of the series remaining.

Ben Birchall: “It was great racing in Germany, the circuit is one of our favourites and there’s always a good atmosphere there. I have to say I’m a little disappointed in finishing as runner-up in the first race. We definitely had the pace to win, I just made a small mistake near the end and Tim got past. I was determined to make up for it on Sunday though and that race went perfectly. Once again, the team have been amazing, conditions were tough in the heat but everything went smoothly as usual. We have a short break from the world championship now then its back on it for the Netherlands and Croatia.”

Tom Birchall: “I’m really happy to have another solid weekend. We got pole again so it’s great to have that sort of pace against the clock, it shows our set up is bang on. We just got pipped in the first race which never feels great, but we got our heads down and found a little extra during the next morning warm-up. In the second race, everything went perfectly – we pushed hard and got a gap early on and from there we just managed it, leaving a little in reserve in case we needed it. Just want to say thanks to David Batty from the Hayley Group and his friends for being there over the weekend – it’s always good to have some home support and I’m glad we were able to reward them with a win.”

Round four of the 2019 FIM Sidecar World Championship will be held at Assen, the Netherlands on August 18.

Results: 2019 FIM Sidecar World Championship – Round three, Oschersleben, Germany

Sprint Race
1. Reeves/Wilkes, Adolf RS Yamaha, 17:08.523
2. Birchall/Birchall, LCR Yamaha, 17:09.137 +0.614
3. Paivarinta/Veravainen, LCR Yamaha, 17:14.593 +6.070

Gold Race
1. Birchall/Birchall, LCR Yamaha, 32:44.254
2. Reeves/Wilkes, Adolf RS Yamaha, 32:47.036 +2.782
3. Paivarinta/Veravainen, LCR Yamaha, 32:48.440 +4.186

Photo credit: Mark Walters

The post GOLD RACE WIN FOR BIRCHALL RACING IN GERMANY appeared first on Birchall Racing.

Just weeks following their record-breaking run of success at the Isle of Man TT Races, Birchall Racing were back to their winning ways at round two of the FIM world championship. An outing at Brands Hatch earlier in the month had unfortunately ended in incident with Ben and Tom thankfully ok, but their LCR Yamaha outfit sustained damage in the crash and needed some maintenance before its next race.

As always, the team came through, and with hours of hard work leading up to the Hungary event the Mitchells of Mansfield backed One Call Insurance machine was ready to take to the track for Friday’s opening session.

Practice went perfectly and as the teams completed the first qualifying session it was Birchall Racing who came out on top with a superb time of 1:59.885. For Q2, the sweltering temperatures at the circuit had risen even higher and it was unlikely that lap times from the morning could be beaten. With their outfit performing impeccably however, Ben and Tom went on to knock a further few tenths off their existing time and earn themselves pole position for the afternoon’s sprint race.

The nine-lap sprint race saw a closely-fought battle with series front-runners Reeves/Wilkes and Paivarinta/Veravainen. As the race progressed the Birchall brothers and Reeves/Wilkes gapped the third-placed outfit and took the fight right to the line. Ultimately, with a strong final overtake, it was Ben and Tom that took the chequered flag by just three tenths of a second.

The 15-lap ‘Gold Race’ saw another strong start by Birchall Racing and once again the three top teams jostled for position throughout the early laps. With the high temperatures and abrasive track conditions, tyre conservation was a concern for all teams. Ben, driving as smooth as he could, aimed to maintain the condition of his Avon rubber and keep some pace in reserve for the final few laps. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be – rather than risk a mistake, the Mansfield-based brothers settled for second place and with it, some well-earned championship points.

Ben Birchall: “The team and bike have worked perfectly all weekend and we ended up with a really good set up at the end of the event. I’m thrilled to take our first win of the season in race one. We did all we could in race two, but after a great battle we couldn’t quite make the top step again. We’ve moved up to second place in the championship now which is good, and things are looking really positive for the next round at Oschersleben – it’s another double-race weekend so hopefully we can come away with more solid championship points. Thanks to all the team as usual for all their hard work, looking forward to the next one now.”

Tom Birchall: “Overall I’m really pleased with how the weekend has gone. Pannonia is really hard on tyres, so it’s always tricky to find the perfect set up. It was great to have a good fight with Reeves and Wilkes in both races – we did enough in the first race to take the win, but perhaps just got held up a little too long in the second to hunt them down and challenge for the win. Congratulations to them for their result but with the TT done now we can really focus on the world championship 100% and hope to take more wins at the next round.”

Round three of the 2019 FIM Sidecar World Championship will be held at Oschersleben, Germany from 20-21 July.

Results: 2019 FIM Sidecar World Championship – Round two, Pannonia Ring, Hungary

Sprint Race
1. Birchall/Birchall, LCR Yamaha, 18:14.116
2. Reeves/Wilkes, Adolf RS Yamaha, 18:14.452 +0.336
3. Paivarinta/Veravainen, LCR Yamaha, 18:17.475 +3.309

Gold Race
1. Reeves/Wilkes, Adolf RS Yamaha, 30:41.947
2. Birchall/Birchall, LCR Yamaha, 30:45.657 +3.710
3. Paivarinta/Veravainen, LCR Yamaha, 30:48.811 +6.864

Photo credit: Mark Walters

The post DOUBLE PODIUM SUCCESS FOR BIRCHALL RACING IN HUNGARY appeared first on Birchall Racing.

Originally due to take place on Friday June 7 – Senior Race Day – the second of the two sidecar races was brought forward to the action-packed Thursday slot due to the inclement weather forecast to arrive on the Friday afternoon. As part of Thursday’s hectic schedule, the three-lap race was cut to two and presented an exciting challenge to all competitors.

In arguably the best conditions of the fortnight, the Birchall brothers set off down Bray Hill with rivals Holden and Cain hot on their heels. At the first timing check at Glen Helen, only one second separated the two front-runners – the Birchalls with the advantage.

With all teams taking time to adjust to the track conditions and lighter initial fuel load, times were close on the way into Ramsey. Rounding the hairpin with a 2.757-second lead, Ben got his head down once again for the climb up the mountain. Getting the perfect drive out of Ramsey and hitting every apex over the short circuit style mountain section, Birchall Racing completed their first lap at an average of 118.38 mph, extending their advantage over the second-placed outfit to over 10 seconds.

Maintaining a consistent pace on the second and final lap, the Birchalls brought their Haith / Live Your Adventure supported LCR Honda safely home over 20 seconds ahead of Holden and Cain. Earning their second win of the week – their 10th in total – gave the brothers the perfect result at the end of a tricky fortnight. The Mansfield-based pair won both races, led every lap and posted the fastest lap time in each of the two outings – an incredible achievement that is only made possible by the hard work and preparation of the entire team.

To top off an amazing event, Ben and Tom also won the Motul Award for Technical Excellence. Their LCR outfits filled the three podium positions in both races and close to half the sidecar field is made up by LCR machines.

Birchall Racing head into Signpost corner on the way to their 10th TT win – Photo: Mark Walters

Ben Birchall: “It’s feels great to get another TT double, it’s a real honour to have equalled the win record of a legend such as Rob Fisher. It takes a lot of work, but it’s not just me and Tom, Jim and Ed have had as many wins as we have and we couldn’t do it without them. Most of our sponsors have done the same too, it’s fantastic that we can keep doing what we do and rely on the constant support of so many. It’s been an amazing TT for us, but I’m thankful for some time to relax. We have a world championship to defend now, but I’m already looking forward to coming back next year.”

Tom Birchall: “It’s all been a bit of a dream really, it’s difficult to find the words, to win 10 now is unbelievable. We all put everything into it, families, supporters everyone – they are with us through the bad times so it’s good to be able to reward them with the good times like this. The TT consumes you for so long on the run up to the event, it’s all you ever think about. To be successful here takes an incredible amount of work and you never get it 100% right – you are always learning. When it comes together there’s no feeling like it, the conditions out there were beautiful and it’s great to see so many crowds cheering you on.”

Full results here.

Photo credit: Mark Walters

The post BIRCHALL BROTHERS SECURE 2019 TT DOUBLE appeared first on Birchall Racing.

Following an extremely challenging practice week, where inclement weather resulted in many cancelled or curtailed qualifying sessions, all teams were short on both track and set up time. Despite the scheduled Saturday race slot postponed to Monday, the crews still faced tough conditions on the 37.73-mile course with damp patches and a very strong wind.

Setting the pace right from the flag-drop, the Haith/Live Your Adventure backed team set fastest sector after fastest sector. Enjoying a lead of over four seconds at the first run through Glen Helen, Ben stayed focused and maintained a consistent pace, stretching the gap as the race went on.

With a stunning first lap of 117.709mph, the Mansfield-based brothers went into lap two with a 15-second lead over the second-placed outfit of Holden and Cain. Steering their LCR Honda perfectly through the lower part of the course, Ben and Tom increased their lead to over 21 seconds at Glen Helen.

At Ramsey Hairpin, just over 24 miles into the lap, the boys were on lap record breaking pace – seven seconds inside their 2018 time. A strong, gusting wind up the mountain climb slowed their progress however and the pair completed the lap at a still-impressive 119.129mph average.

Although still extending their lead, Ben eased off a little on the third and final lap to preserve the machine, ultimately clocking a third lap of 118.12mph. Crossing the line with a 48.116-second lead, Birchall Racing secured their ninth Isle of Man TT win.

The total race time of 57-minutes-24.005 seconds broke the boys’ existing record set on race two in 2018. The win also crowns Tom as the most successful sidecar passenger in the history of the iconic event.

Now with just days to prepare for the second race of the festival, due to be held on Friday, Senior race day, Ben and Tom will be hoping for further success at this year’s Isle of Man TT Races.

Ben Birchall: “It is an incredible feeling to win a TT, there really is nothing like it. We, like all the competitors this year, have had such a tough practice week. We have made some changes to the outfit this year, but without much track time to test everything we weren’t 100% sure how it would perform. Thankfully, everything went well on the day and we were able to bag our ninth win. Tom was amazing as usual and the Honda motor was superb – thanks to Padgett’s for their continued help with that. I’d just like to say a big thank you to all the spectators and fans for their support over these two weeks. The weather has been awful for everyone but to see everyone lining the track, cheering us on is a real boost, so thanks to everyone for their support. Hopefully we can do the same again this Friday.”

Tom Birchall: “It feels great to be back here taking another win, this has been one of the toughest that’s for sure. With the changes to the bike and the conditions through practice, it really shows what you can do with a good team behind you. I’d like to thank all of the team and friends and family for their support, it really does take a lot to come together to ensure success on the island. It’s a real honour to become the most successful passenger, again it wouldn’t be possible without good support and of course, Ben to drag me round!”

The 2019 Isle of Man TT Sidecar Race Two will take place on Friday June 7.

Photo credit: Mark Walters

The post BIRCHALL RACING WIN ISLE OF MAN TT SIDECAR RACE ONE appeared first on Birchall Racing.

The race started well for the One Call Insurance supported team with Ben taking the holeshot into the first chicane. Heading onwards, under the Dunlop Bridge, the Birchall’s momentum was halted when an impetuous attempt at a pass by the second-placed outfit caused the two teams to collide, forcing the Birchall’s into a near-spin. Using his extensive skill and experience, Ben was able to quickly regain control of his LCR Yamaha but the incident had dropped the team down to fifth place.

Immediately setting off to retake the lead, Birchall Racing broke the lap record on two consecutive laps as they fought their way back to the front. Unfortunately, a clutch issue had arisen, slowing the outfit and restricting the team’s pace on the second half of the race. Despite the handicap, Ben and Tom enjoyed a fierce battle with Paivarinta and Veravainen right until the final lap.

In their final attack for the lead, the two outfits came together, which resulted in Ben and Tom falling behind, their clutch issue becoming worse. The team were able to nurse their outfit across the line to claim fourth, salvaging 13 valuable championship points. Not the win they had been hoping for, but with their machine otherwise performing superbly, the brothers could only take positives from the weekend.

Ben Birchall:“Of course it’s a little frustrating not to have come away with the win, especially as we had a pace advantage all weekend. We had a great battle with Pekka, which was really good fun. Obviously if that first-lap collision hadn’t happened the race would probably have been a bit different but it’s a shame not to finish on the podium as I felt we performed superbly and deserved it. Nevertheless, we came away with some solid points and put on a good show for the fans. The upgrades to the bike we have made over the winter break seem to be working really well and I really enjoyed myself out there. I’m looking forward to Hungary now and hopefully a top result and more championship points.”

Tom Birchall:“All-in-all we’ve had a fantastic start to the year – to go fastest in every session and claim pole position on the new bike is great. The race didn’t quite go to plan, but we had a great battle that went right down to the last lap, it’s just a shame we couldn’t convert it into a podium. Congratulations to the winners, it was a great fight so thank you to the FIM for giving us the opportunity to race at Le Mans once again in front of such a great crowd. We’ll look on to round two now and hopefully take that top step of the podium.”

Birchall Racing’s next event will be the first round of the British Sidecar Championship at Oulton Park on 4-6 May, before heading over to the Isle of Man for the 2019 TT Races towards the end of the month.

Results – 2019 FIM Sidecar World Championship – Round 1, Le Mans, France

1. Päivärinta/Vervainen, LCR Yamaha, 31:46.526
2. Reeves/Wilkes, Adolf RS Yamaha, 31:57.466 +10.940
3. Schlosser/Fries, LCR Yamaha, 31:58.595 +12.069
4.Birchall/Birchall, LCR Yamaha, 31:59.756 +13.230

Photo credit: Mark Walters

The post POSITIVE WEEKEND FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT LE MANS appeared first on Birchall Racing.

With only one point separating the leading two teams coming into the seventh round, the championship fight ultimately came down to one race – a showdown between the Birchall brothers and their closest rivals Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes.

The whole weekend at the German circuit was bathed in sunshine with the track itself in perfect condition for racing. Ben and Tom had both worked incredibly hard to prepare their LCR Yamaha outfit and themselves for the race since the previous round in Croatia. Sidecar settings were tweaked and improved and the boys themselves were in their best condition mentally and physically going into the event – both knew that nothing less than a win would do.

Starting the weekend perfectly, Birchall Racing went on to top every single session on the 2.292-mile circuit, gradually improving their pace to ultimately claim pole position by well over half a second ahead of their nearest rivals.
Saturday’s evening race was held in beautiful conditions. With the top teams wishing each other luck before the start, nerves and adrenaline were high – the whole championship had come down to these final 21 laps. Birchall Racing made a great start from the front of the grid and entered the first series of corners in the lead. Using his skill and experience, Ben steered the Yamaha-powered machine flawlessly all the way to the chequered flag – never headed by the chasing outfits behind.

The win granted the brothers a third world title – their second consecutive championship victory – and confirmed their place in history as the first team to win both back-to-back world and TT titles in the same two years.

Ben Birchall: “To be honest, I can’t believe this has happened. We had a great year – the TT was incredible but a run of bad luck had put us a long way behind in the world championship chase. Everyone told me to never give up, and so we fought hard every single mile right to that final flag in Germany. Tim suffered some bad luck in those final two rounds, but that only matched what we had to go through at the beginning of the season. It’s going to take a little while to sink in, but we are already looking forward to next year and have some plans on how to improve the outfit a little more.

“I’m honoured to have three things that have come together to make our success this year possible – the best chassis from LCR, the best team behind me and without question the best passenger in the world. Tom has worked so hard and been outstanding at both the TT and world championship, it’s a pleasure to race with him and means so much to me. Finally, I can’t thank our sponsors, family and friends enough. We have such a loyal and passionate group of people behind us – none of what we do would be possible without them and it feels amazing to be able to reward them with results like this.”

Tom Birchall: “I have to say a big thank you to everyone who has stuck with us this year – it’s been a real up-and-down one for us. With three rounds to go it looked like we weren’t in with a chance for the title. We prepared like crazy on the run up to Germany, every night the lads helped us get things ready. All credit to Louis Christen for his help in setting up the bike, it’s great to be able to give him another world championship. It is such a big achievement to get the world title and the two TT wins in the same year – to be able to do it two years in a row is incredible. We have to dedicate it to all the fans and sponsors that make this happen, we simply couldn’t do it without them. I have to say a big thank you to Ben too, he has been amazing this year and worked so hard to get us where we are. It’s an honour to be part of such a successful team.”

Results – 2018 FIM Sidecar World Championship – Round 7, Oschersleben, Germany

Gold Race – 21 laps
1. Birchall/Birchall, LCR Yamaha
2. Päivärinta/Vervainen, LCR Honda
3. Streuer/Rousseau, LCR Kawasaki

Photo credit: Mark Walters

The post BIRCHALL RACING – 2018 FIM SIDECAR WORLD CHAMPIONS appeared first on Birchall Racing.

Held in glorious conditions at the Grobnik track near Rijeka in Croatia, the sixth round of the Sidecar World Championship could not have gone any better for the Mansfield-based brothers. Despite coming into the event with a sizeable points-deficit on the championship leaders, the Birchall’s determination to never give up paid off with them topping the standings in both practice and qualifying. Enjoying great pace on the track and with their LCR outfit performing perfectly, the brothers main aim was to take both race wins at the 4.168-kilometre track.

Following a red flag, Saturday’s Sprint Race was restarted for the full-distance 10-laps. Claiming the holeshot, Ben and Tom never looked back, taking their Craig Fitzpatrick prepared Yamaha to the chequered flag with a comfortable 10-second advantage over the second-placed team. Championship leaders Reeves and Wilkes unfortunately suffered engine failure during the course of the race and failed to make the finish giving the Birchalls a huge boost in the championship standings.

With renewed motivation, and their gap to the championship leaders reduced by 25 points, Ben and Tom went into Sunday’s Gold race knowing another good result would mean the title fight would move on to be decided at the final round. In 30-degree heat, the flag dropped and the Birchalls placed second into turn one. What followed was a close battle with rival Reeves for the entire first lap. Heading into lap two, Ben took the lead and once again was unchallenged for the remainder of the race, ultimately crossing the line with a commanding advantage of close to 29 seconds, setting a new lap record in the process. With Reeves and Wilkes suffering another DNF, Birchall Racing not only took maximum points for the weekend, but narrowed the gap in the championship to just one.

Ben Birchall: “I’m over the moon about the result here in Croatia, not just for myself and Tom but for the whole team and everyone who supports us. The hard work and long hours have really paid off and now we go to the final round with a great chance at clinching the championship. It was a long drive here, over the mountains of Austria and that journey mirrors the championship – we had a huge mountain to climb but we have made it and now we’re back in the fight. We have got some time now to prepare the outfit and ourselves for Germany. Hopefully we can carry this pace and form that has been with us since Assen into the final round and take the win.”

Tom Birchall: “What an amazing weekend! We came here with one goal and that was to do our best and fight for the wins. We did that and have come away with our championship campaign back on track and everything to fight for going into the last round. Thank you to all the team and sponsors, we would never be able to do this without them and hopefully can reward them with a top result in Germany.”

The seventh and final round of the 2018 FIM Sidecar World Championship will be held at Oschersleben in Germany on October 6.

Results – 2018 FIM Sidecar World Championship – Round 6, Grobnik, Croatia
Sprint Race – 10 laps
1. Birchall/Birchall, LCR Yamaha, 15:17.231
2. Päivärinta/Vervainen, LCR Honda, 15:27.923 +10.692
3. Streuer/Rousseu LCR Kawasaki, 15:40.991 +23.760

Gold Race – 18 laps
1. Birchall/Birchall, LCR Yamaha, 27:35.502
2. Streuer/Rousseu LCR Kawasaki, 28:04.430 +28.928
3. Päivärinta/Vervainen, LCR Honda, 28:06.681 +31.1

Photo credit: Mark Walters

The post THE FIGHT IS ON FOR BIRCHALL RACING FOLLOWING CROATIA DOUBLE WIN appeared first on Birchall Racing.

The sun shone down on Assen for round five of the FIM Sidecar World Championship. Starting early on Saturday morning, Birchall Racing went out on track and after bedding themselves and their machine in immediately began to set the pace. At the end of the first qualifying session they were the only team to break the one minute 45 second barrier.

Qualifying two also went the way of the Mansfield-based family team, enjoying a trouble-free session, the brothers posted a time of 1:44.099 – over a second faster than their nearest rivals.

Finding even more pace on Sunday’s morning warm-up, the Birchalls went into the Gold Race feeling confident of a top result. Firing off the line and grabbing the holeshot, the boys took the early lead and immediately pulled a second over the following pack. With their LCR Yamaha outfit handling perfectly on the famous Assen circuit Ben and Tom looked set to claim another world championship win.

Several laps into the race unfortunately, Ben noticed an issue with the bike. Although seemingly running well, the pair lost point-seven of a second in one lap, enabling the chasing outfit piloted by Tim Reeves to catch and pass them. With the issue momentarily rectifying itself what followed was a titanic battle between the two world champion drivers with over half a lap completed with their machines virtually side-by-side.

Swapping positions with Reeves for the next five laps, the technical issue began to worsen – Ben was unable to maintain the pace needed to fight for the win and was regrettably forced to back-off, ultimately crossing the line in third, salvaging valuable championship points.

Although the team have thankfully diagnosed the issue as a simple faulty throttle position sensor, they are understandably disappointed not to have converted their superior pace over the weekend into a race win.

Ben Birchall: “I am gutted we couldn’t take victory at Assen. Third place is still a great result but after all the hard work the team have put in preparing the machine over the last couple of months its disappointing not to reward them with a win. We did everything right all weekend and had a good advantage over the rest of the field. Unfortunately, despite fixing one issue that has bugged us all season, another small problem arose and meant we weren’t able to perform at 100% when it mattered. On a positive note, the bike was handling superbly and I think we put on a good show for the fans on the packed Assen grandstands. We’ll go back now and start preparing the bike for Croatia and hopefully we’ll be able to carry the speed we had from Assen into the last two rounds of the championship and come away with maximum points.”

Tom Birchall: “Obviously it’s so disappointing not to have come away with a win, especially after showing such dominating pace over the course of the event. Ben was driving really well and the team have done a great job on the sidecar – we were just let down by one small part. I’d like to thank everyone for supporting us and we’ll be back even stronger at the next world round at the beginning of September.”

The next event for Birchall Racing will be round six of the FIM Sidecar World Championship from Grobnik, Rijeka in Croatia on September 8-9.

Results – 2018 FIM Sidecar World Championship – Round 5, Assen, Netherlands

Gold Race – 17 laps
1. Reeves/Wilkes, Adolf RS Yamaha, 29:59.042
2. Päivärinta/Vervainen, LCR Honda, 30:01.676 +2.634 seconds
3. Birchall/Birchall, LCR Yamaha, 30:05.664 +6.622 secs

Photo credit: Mark Walters

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