Team Mansfield Racing Archives - Birchall Racing http://birchallracing.com The home of Birchall Racing Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:17:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.3 Donington Delight for Team Mansfield http://birchallracing.com/donington-delight-for-team-mansfield/ http://birchallracing.com/donington-delight-for-team-mansfield/#respond Tue, 20 Sep 2016 12:16:40 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3498 Ben and Tom Birchall from Mansfield rode their four races to perfection at their local circuit of Donington Park at the weekend when they were competing in the final round of the World F2 sidecar Trophy and the three British 600 Cup races taking the wins in both championships. Having already clinched the world title…

The post Donington Delight for Team Mansfield appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
Ben and Tom Birchall from Mansfield rode their four races to perfection at their local circuit of Donington Park at the weekend when they were competing in the final round of the World F2 sidecar Trophy and the three British 600 Cup races taking the wins in both championships. Having already clinched the world title the Mitchells of Mansfield supported brothers also secured the British title this weekend with four races left to race

First race up was the World championship round where they were racing as champions elect having secured the F2 Trophy in the last round. Ben and Tom qualified for a third row start in the mixed grid of riders, the FIM F1 World championship and the FIM World F2 Trophy. The Mansfield pair were the fastest of the F2 runners and as the lights went out they moved into sixth place overall and first in class. On lap three they overtook Brian Gray on a F1 machine and held station to the chequered flag at the end of a very fast and furious 15 lap affair, taking the win in the World F2 Trophy class.

In the first of three British Sidecar 600 cup races the laps were cut to eight instead of 10 to make up for time lost when a fellow competitor broke down on the warm up lap. At the start they settled into sixth place overall and were elevated to fifth when one outfit was black flagged. They were right on the tail of Archer/Thomas and as they approached the finish line were just about level, crossing the line just two tenths of a second behind in eighth place to secure another victory in the 600 Cup

In the second affair they started from the third row and completed the 10 lap race in seventh place – and a win in the 600 cup. Ben and Tom then started from the fourth row in their final race and after dicing with Walker/Hawes for a few laps they finally passed them to finish the 10 laps in sixth position overall and take their fourth win of the weekend in their own class.

At the end of the day they were presented with their Gold Medals for their outstanding results in the World Trophy where they headed the qualifying charts, won every race and broke the lap record at every circuit in the F2 Trophy class – an amazing achievement for the Mansfield brothers.

Ben said: “Tom and I plus all the team are thrilled to be presented with our world championship Gold Medals on home soil; also to secure the British 600 Sidecar Cup this weekend. It’s a great end to our season. We have to thank our sponsors and supporters for their continued support. We have so much confidence in the bike, it’s been perfect all season and the data we have gained from this season will help us when we challenge for the new format World championship and British title in 2017.

“We have had a fantastic season as we also won at the Isle of Man TT again this year. We are delighted to be able to help Steve Smith at Avon tyres who is auctioning a TT memorabilia poster containing signed photos of some of this year’s riders including us. It is being auctioned by Damon Hill OBE to raise money for Downs Syndrome Association online on Thursday, September 22 a link to place a bid please check out www.DHgolfclassic-auction.com 

bir2

The post Donington Delight for Team Mansfield appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/donington-delight-for-team-mansfield/feed/ 0
Birchall Racing Clinch World Title at Oschersleben http://birchallracing.com/birchall-racing-clinch-world-title-oschersleben/ http://birchallracing.com/birchall-racing-clinch-world-title-oschersleben/#respond Thu, 01 Sep 2016 16:04:02 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3460 After recording the win in both races at Oschersleben, Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall have secured the World F2 Trophy title with one race remaining and will celebrate their world title at Donington Park in front of their sponsors, family and friends in the final round on September 17. The Mitchells of Mansfield supported…

The post Birchall Racing Clinch World Title at Oschersleben appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
After recording the win in both races at Oschersleben, Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall have secured the World F2 Trophy title with one race remaining and will celebrate their world title at Donington Park in front of their sponsors, family and friends in the final round on September 17.

BIRCHALL RACING CLINCH WORLD TITLE AT OSCHERSLEBEN

The Mitchells of Mansfield supported brothers had a perfect run setting a time of 1m 33.769s during qualifying to secure a third row start in the mixed grid of riders for the start of the 12 lap Sprint race. Ben said: “It has all gone perfectly for us today and once again we are the top F2 Trophy team on the grid.”

BIRCHALL RACING CLINCH WORLD TITLE AT OSCHERSLEBENIn blazing hot sunshine Ben and Tom set off in the Sprint race and soon overtook F1 team Dechamp/Peugeot but as they closed down on Gray/Christie the red flag brought the race to a halt. At the restart, now run over nine laps, Ben and Tom got a fantastic start and were soon locked in a fierce, race long battle with the two F1 outfits of Streuer/Daalguison and Holden Wilkes with the Mansfield pair eventually bringing the LCR Honda 600 home in seventh place overall but a decisive victory in the F2 class.

BIRCHALL RACING CLINCH WORLD TITLE AT OSCHERSLEBEN

Another good start in the 20 lap Gold race saw Ben and Tom fight their way through to sixth place overall and to finally cross the finish line in fifth at the end of the 20 lap affair to claim another maximum points result in the F2 class. Having won all the races to date and with 200 points now on the board no one can catch them and they were pronounced champions.

BIRCHALL RACING CLINCH WORLD TITLE AT OSCHERSLEBEN

Ben said:

“It has been a fantastic weekend for us and we are really pleased with the way it’s gone.

The team has worked hard throughout the weekend and we have made more progress with the bike. We are all thrilled to bits to have won both races and sealed the world championship.

We are both looking forward to our home round at Donington Park when we are to be presented with the world championship trophy, what a nice way to end our world championship season.”

The final round is at Donington Park with the British Superbike championship on September 17 and the Mansfield pair will celebrate their world title on home Tarmac.

BIRCHALL RACING CLINCH WORLD TITLE AT OSCHERSLEBEN

pic credit Wally Walters

The post Birchall Racing Clinch World Title at Oschersleben appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/birchall-racing-clinch-world-title-oschersleben/feed/ 0
Team Mansfield travel to Germany http://birchallracing.com/345team-mansfield-travel-to-germany/ http://birchallracing.com/345team-mansfield-travel-to-germany/#respond Wed, 24 Aug 2016 19:34:18 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3450 The Birchall boys face a long road trip into Europe this bank holiday, it”s the FIM World Championship and Team Mansfield travel to Germany. Ready to go Fresh from their two week racing break, Ben and Tom are on their European travels once again as they return to the FIM fold. The Oschersleben circuit which…

The post Team Mansfield travel to Germany appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
The Birchall boys face a long road trip into Europe this bank holiday, it”s the FIM World Championship and Team Mansfield travel to Germany.

Team Mansfield travel to Germany

Ready to go

Fresh from their two week racing break, Ben and Tom are on their European travels once again as they return to the FIM fold.

oscherslebenThe Oschersleben circuit which hosts this round, is the third best known German Circuit after the Nürburgring and Hockenheim but it has only been open since 1997. This relatively new circuit has previously seen success for the Birchalls, they took a double win here and broke the lap record 3 times in the same weekend in 2013

Having said that, Oschersleben, in the former East Germany is an unfamiliar hunting ground for team Mansfield as they’ve only raced there a handful of times in the past but Ben and Tom won’t let that stop their march toward another class win. Should the boys continue the form they’ve shown in previous outings it’s difficult to see them making anything other than a huge stride towards Championship glory.

With a full 56 points between the flying Mansfield duo and their nearest rivals, it’s surely just a matter of time now before another Championship is in the bag.  With the 4th place team of Rosinger/Werner racing on home soil, it’s going to be a tough ask for Backmeier and Wechselberger to pull back any points on Ben and Tom.

 

Team Mansfield travel to Germany

The Oschersleben Circuit

Motorsport Arena Oschersleben can be found on the eastern outskirts of the town of Oschersleben, around 20 miles southwest of Magdeburg in central Germany. The nearest international airports are at Leipzig/Halle (77 miles/124 kms to the south) or Hanover (88 miles/140 kms to the west).

The circuit can be reached via the A2 Hanover-Berlin autobahn, exit Eilsleben or Wanzleben and follow the signs for the circuit, which is located around 25 kms from the motorway.  Parking is available at the circuit for a small charge.

You can also arrive by train.  The nearest station is at Oschersleben, with connections to Magdeburge and the Berlin-Hannover ICE express train.  The circuit is a short taxi ride from the circuit.

What to expect from the weekends weather

It’s going to be a tricky weekend for the Birchalls and the rest of the teams in Germany. With temperatures forecast in the early to mid thirties Celsius, it’s not only going to be hard on the bikes but it’s going to be stiflingly hot for the competitors in race leathers and helmets.

There’s very little chance of rain for this weekend and only a moderate breeze to cool the spectators so if you’re travelling to Germany to watch the boys, don’t forget your sun protection.

Team Mansfield travel to Germany

Live timing

At this point we are rather light on information regarding live timing and that sort of thing, so please bare with us.

We will constantly update facebook as soon as we know anything, so be sure to head over there and give the boys a like. Click the pic below of Ben and Tom celebrating a win in Germany to be taken to the facebook page

Team Mansfield travel to Germany

Ben and Tom celebrate victory in 2012

gold standard

The post Team Mansfield travel to Germany appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/345team-mansfield-travel-to-germany/feed/ 0
Assen Provides Another Class Win For Team Mansfield http://birchallracing.com/assen-provides-another-class-win-for-team-mansfield/ http://birchallracing.com/assen-provides-another-class-win-for-team-mansfield/#respond Tue, 09 Aug 2016 16:26:27 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3431 Ben and Tom Birchall travelled to Assen in the Netherlands for a round of the World Sidecar championship over the weekend where they recorded yet another strong finish to take the win in the F2 World Trophy. The F2 World Trophy race is run within the gird of the F1 World championship and after taking…

The post Assen Provides Another Class Win For Team Mansfield appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
Ben and Tom Birchall travelled to Assen in the Netherlands for a round of the World Sidecar championship over the weekend where they recorded yet another strong finish to take the win in the F2 World Trophy.

The F2 World Trophy race is run within the gird of the F1 World championship and after taking pole in their class the Mitchells of Mansfield supported brothers began their campaign from the third row in sixth position overall.

birch-side-assen

As the lights went out at the start of the 17 lap affair Ben and Tom settled into seventh place behind Holden/Ramsey. When John Holden was forced out after a spin on lap 10 the Mansfield pair were elevated to sixth overall and first in class by a large margin.

Ben and Tom maintained their sixth position and crossed the finish line to take their sixth win in the F2 World Trophy class well ahead of their nearest rivals Guignard/Poux who completed the race in 19th place overall.

Ben and Tom qual 2 assen

 

Ben commented:

We had another great weekend here at Assen. The event was really well organised and there was a huge crowd to watch the sidecar race.

The bike ran well and we were really happy with its performance; we now look forward to Oschersleben and to hopefully continue our winning ways.

Ben and Tom Birchall have extended their series lead in the F2 World Trophy and having won all six races to date look almost certain to take the World Trophy at the end of the season.

The next round is at Oschersleben in Germany on August 27/28 where the team will have two races to contest. The final round of the championship that will decide the title is on home tarmac at Donington Park when Ben and Tom will be riding in front of their home crowd and sponsors at the British Superbike meeting on September 17.

cham points

 

The post Assen Provides Another Class Win For Team Mansfield appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/assen-provides-another-class-win-for-team-mansfield/feed/ 0
Assen Awaits for Birchall Racing http://birchallracing.com/assen-awaits-for-birchall-racing/ http://birchallracing.com/assen-awaits-for-birchall-racing/#respond Thu, 04 Aug 2016 11:46:39 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3420 As the FIM World Sidecar Championship rolls into Holland for the first time this season, the world famous Assen Circuit awaits for Ben and Tom Birchall. Familiar surroundings Fresh from their heroics at Mallory Park, Ben and Tom are on their European travels once again as they return to the FIM fold. The Assen TT…

The post Assen Awaits for Birchall Racing appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
As the FIM World Sidecar Championship rolls into Holland for the first time this season, the world famous Assen Circuit awaits for Ben and Tom Birchall.

Mitchells logo

Familiar surroundings

Fresh from their heroics at Mallory Park, Ben and Tom are on their European travels once again as they return to the FIM fold.

The Assen TT circuit is a familiar hunting ground for team Mansfield and it’s a circuit where they have seen plenty of success! Several good points hauls have been secured by the brothers at Assen in recent years and it’s a circuit that is remembered fondly but also with sadness.

080613-sander-pohl-f

Remembering Sandor

Long time followers of the Birchalls will remember this as the first circuit the brothers raced on following Ben’s hand injury in the 2014 TT (a race in which the Brothers came second)

Another point to remember is that Assen is also the circuit where we tragically lost German sidecar passenger Sandor Pohl almost 3 years ago to the day.

As we look forward to this weekends racing however,  team Mansfield are in a great place at the head of the points classification in the Sidecar F2 World Trophy. You wouldn’t bet against Ben and Tom securing another brace of class wins at this most famous and entertaining Circuit.

Birch FIM standings

The Cathedral Circuit

The current track was built in 1955 and is known as the TT Circuit Assen, it’s the home of the world famous Dutch TT race and popularly referred to as “The Cathedral” by fans of motorcycle racing.

The Circuit boasts a 100,000 capacity that includes 60,000 seats! World Superbikes has been a regular event on the Assen calendar since it’s first appearance there in 1992.

It’s a technical circuit with tight bends and fast straights, making it popular with riders and spectators alike. There have been a lot of changes in the past few years at Assen, the track has been shortened to 2.83 miles and a reported 83 million euro investment has improved facilities at Assen for all visitors.

What to expect from the weekends weather

All the talk leading up to the race weekend is of the wet conditions that possibly lie ahead in Holland. Saturday morning has the highest chance of seeing rain but with temperatures in the low twenties Celsius hopefully any rain that does fall won’t affect the racing too badly.

assen weather

 

Birchall Brothers at Assen

Birchall Brothers celebrate at Assen in 2014

 

gold standard

The post Assen Awaits for Birchall Racing appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/assen-awaits-for-birchall-racing/feed/ 0
Birchalls Bonnanza at Mallory Park http://birchallracing.com/birchalls-bonnanza-at-mallory-park/ http://birchallracing.com/birchalls-bonnanza-at-mallory-park/#respond Mon, 01 Aug 2016 21:32:16 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3407 Once again Ben and Tom Birchall scored maximum points in the British 600 Cup when they travelled to their local track of Mallory Park for an extra round of the championship on Sunday. Although they were using their LCR 600cc Honda and were therefore at a disadvantage against the 1000cc machines in the F1 class…

The post Birchalls Bonnanza at Mallory Park appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>

The post Birchalls Bonnanza at Mallory Park appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/birchalls-bonnanza-at-mallory-park/feed/ 0
Team Mansfield travel to Mallory park http://birchallracing.com/team-mansfield-travel-to-mallory-park/ http://birchallracing.com/team-mansfield-travel-to-mallory-park/#respond Fri, 29 Jul 2016 13:15:49 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3389 On this special weekend for the Mallory Park circuit, Ben and Tom Birchall hope to help celebrate Mallory Parks 60th Birthday in style. Marvellous Mallory park The Mallory Park Bike Bonanza is a late but welcome addition to the  RKB F1 sidecar calendar. The date was added to help celebrate 60 years of racing at…

The post Team Mansfield travel to Mallory park appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
On this special weekend for the Mallory Park circuit, Ben and Tom Birchall hope to help celebrate Mallory Parks 60th Birthday in style.

Birchalls try for a triple at Thruxton

Marvellous Mallory park

The Mallory Park Bike Bonanza is a late but welcome addition to the  RKB F1 sidecar calendar. The date was added to help celebrate 60 years of racing at Mallory park and we can’t think of any better way to spend this coming weekend.

Ben and Tom will once again be challenging for top honours in the 600 Cup and will no doubt be having a go at some of the larger 1000cc machines while they’re at it. It promises to be a fantastic weekends racing and a really great weekends entertainment as the sidecars will be joined by all manner of vintage motorcycles and sidecars for what promises to be one of the nicest weekends on the Motorcycle racing calendar.

Over the weekend, spectators will get the chance to rub shoulders with some of their heroes from the world of Motorcycle racing.  Michael Dunlop (Sunday), Bradley Smith (Saturday), Ian Hutchinson (Sunday), Mick Grant, Alex George, Sammy Miller, Chas Mortimer, Colin Seeley, Ron Chandler, Trevor Nation, Ray McCulloch, Adrian Craig, Stan Woods and Austin Hockley are all lined up to appear this weekend at the Mallory Bike Bonanza.

Advert-v1

Don’t be fooled into thinking that the friendliness of the people extends to the racing on the Mallory Park track! Mallory is a fast circuit, so fast in fact that a couple of chicanes have had to be added in recent years to slow the bikes down but true to the vintage nature of the weekends events, those chicanes are scheduled not to be in use this weekend.

The 1.3 mile Mallory Park Circuit also features a vicious hairpin that demands respect and the seemingly endless Gerrards bend. It’s an intense circuit that’s a real test of skill and always produces close fought and exciting racing.

This weekend is the ideal opportunity for Ben and Tom to stretch their lead in the 600 Cup competition before they travel over to Assen in Holland to take part in the FIM Sidecar F2 World Trophy.

We spoke to Ben and Tom earlier in the week to get their thoughts on this weekends racing and the Mallroy Bike Bonanza

Ben Birchall:

We love coming down to Mallory Park, it’s such a great place to come and race and we always get a really warm welcome Here.

It’s a real privilege to be celebrating 60 years of racing at the Mallory Park Bike Bonanza, were hoping for a big turn out because  it’s going to be a great weekend

Tom Birchall

We’re really looking forward to returning to Mallory Park, not only for the racing but also to see all the old bikes and sidecars that will be there.

It’s going to be a tough challenge At Mallory but we’re looking to grab some more points before we set off for Assen in a couple of weeks

 

Birchalls try for a triple at Thruxton

First time at Mallory Park?

If you’ve not been down to Mallory Park in Leicester before you’re in for a real treat.

Nestled in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside, Mallory Park offers spectators a fantastic opportunity to view the racing from all parts of the track. while not as big as some of the UK’s more well known Circuits, what Mallory lacks in size, it certainly makes up for in stature. The infield has pretty lakes and lush, grass covered hills that form a natural amphitheatre, the perfect place to watch the competitors doing battle out on the track.

Mallory is known as the friendly circuit and for good reason, the staff are a joy and the facilities are very pleasant. Pop into the cafe down at Mallory Park and you’re in for another treat! This place has almost legendary status in the world of track side catering and it’s not difficult to see why once you pay them a visit.

Getting to Mallory Park

By Car:

From the M1 junction 21 and M69 junction 3, follow the B4114 towards Narborough. At the first island turn right onto the B582 signposted Enderby and follow this road to the junction with the A47. Turn left at the traffic lights and follow the brown tourist information signs to reach the circuit

By Rail:

The closest train station to Mallory Park is Hinckley, located just 5 miles away from the circuit. Timetable information can be found here.

Mallory Park Circuit,
Church Road, Kirkby Mallory,
Leicestershire, LE9 7QE
Tel: 01455 502214

What’s the weather doing?

This weekend at Mallory looks to be warm and dry with barely a chance of a shower over the 2 days of competition.

With temperatures hovering around the low 20’s Celsius it’s going to be great weather to watch the racing and to help Mallory Park celebrate 60 years of fabulous racing action. Low average wind speeds are also forecast so, it’s looking like a great weekends racing for competitors and spectators alike.

mallory weather

 Live Timing

If you can’t get down to Mallory Park yourself, you can watch live timing for all the days racing by going to the TSL website or clicking this link

You can also see updates as they occur on the Birchall Racing Facebook page HERE

Or you can go to the dedicated Mallory Park page of this website to see all of the race info in one place CLICK HERE

gold standard

The post Team Mansfield travel to Mallory park appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/team-mansfield-travel-to-mallory-park/feed/ 0
Ben and Tom Claim Three Wins at Thruxton http://birchallracing.com/ben-tom-claim-three-wins-thruxton/ http://birchallracing.com/ben-tom-claim-three-wins-thruxton/#respond Mon, 25 Jul 2016 16:34:24 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3366 Ben and Tom Claim Three Wins at Thruxton Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall won all three of their races in the fourth round of the British Sidecar 600 cup at Thruxton over the weekend and now lead the championship by a massive 41 points. The 600 cup is run within the grid of the…

The post Ben and Tom Claim Three Wins at Thruxton appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
Ben and Tom Claim Three Wins at Thruxton

Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall won all three of their races in the fourth round of the British Sidecar 600 cup at Thruxton over the weekend and now lead the championship by a massive 41 points.

Ben and Tom Claim Three Wins at Thruxton

The 600 cup is run within the grid of the British F1 sidecar championship with each set of riders scoring points in their own class. Ben and Tom qualified sixth overall to start the first of three eight lap races from the third row of the mixed grid.

Race One

The Mitchells of Mansfield supported brothers didn’t get away to the best of starts and found themselves down in 10th position on the first lap although they were well ahead of their rivals in their own class. They made steady progress through the field of F1 outfits to complete the race in sixth position, first in class.

Ben and Tom Claim Three Wins at Thruxton

Race Two

Once again starting from the third row Ben and Tom got away to a better start, being seventh on the opening lap. They powered the LCR Honda through the pack to finish fifth and again won their own class.

Birch race 2 thrux

Race Three

In the final race of the weekend the Mansfield pair again began their campaign from a third row grid position and were soon mixing it with the F1 class machines. By lap three they were up to fourth place and reeling in the riders ahead, shaving three seconds from the third placed machine on the final lap. But it was just not quite enough for them to make the pass and they crossed the finish line in fourth place taking their third victory in the 600 Cup class.

Birch race 3 thrux

 

Ben commented:

“We had a great weekend of racing at Thruxton and a flawless performance from our point of view.

It was the first time we had been to the Hampshire circuit so we had to learn the circuit before making progress.

We got quicker as our circuit knowledge grew and our lap times were on a par with the F1 class machines plus we were closer to the podium in the F1 class than ever before.

“We would like to thank our sponsors and supporters for their continued input. We are pleased to be leading the championship and looking forward to the next round at Mallory Park this weekend.”

Ben and Tom Claim Three Wins at Thruxton

Image Credit: Dave Yeomans

The next round is not with the British Superbike championship but is an extra round at Mallory as part of the Mallory Bike Bonanza over the coming weekend, July 30-31.

Pic credit Dave Yeomans

Words by Helen Pask

The post Ben and Tom Claim Three Wins at Thruxton appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/ben-tom-claim-three-wins-thruxton/feed/ 0
Birchalls try for a treble at Thruxton http://birchallracing.com/birchalls-try-for-a-treble-at-thruxton/ http://birchallracing.com/birchalls-try-for-a-treble-at-thruxton/#respond Thu, 21 Jul 2016 16:38:48 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3330 The RKB – F1 Championship rolls into Thruxton for what’s promising to be a fantastic weekends racing. Birchalls searching for Thruxton Success Fresh from their heroic effort at the Southern 100, Ben and Tom Birchall return to Thruxton to see if they can rack up more points in the 600 Cup. After a double win…

The post Birchalls try for a treble at Thruxton appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
The RKB – F1 Championship rolls into Thruxton for what’s promising to be a fantastic weekends racing.

Birchalls try for a triple at Thruxton

Birchalls searching for Thruxton Success

Birchalls try for a triple at ThruxtonFresh from their heroic effort at the Southern 100, Ben and Tom Birchall return to Thruxton to see if they can rack up more points in the 600 Cup.

After a double win at the last round at Snetterton the brothers are eager to put some more distance between themselves and the chasing pack at the top of the leader board.

This weekend is the ideal opportunity to do just that as the boys are facing three 8 lap races this coming weekend with 2 races on the Saturday and a final race, late on sunday morning

Once again the brothers are looking to assert their dominance on the 600cc outfit and we spoke to Ben earlier in the week to get his thoughts on this weekends racing.

Ben Birchall:

“We had a fabulous time at the Southern 100 and we can’t thank everyone enough for all the support they’ve given us but now we’re looking forward to getting amongst it at Thruxton.”

“It’s a very fast track, so we’re at a bit of a disadvantage when were up against the more powerful bikes but we’re feeling good and we’ve had a few days to get everything set up so we’re confident we can put on another good show.”

Birchalls try for a triple at Thruxton

About Thruxton

Like many race circuits Thruxton was originally a wartime airfield. Commissioned in 1941 the airfield was host to both the RAF and USAF and played a major part in the D-Day landings as a base for troop carrying aircraft and gliders. Declared surplus to requirements in 1946, motorsport started in 1950 with motor bikes on a track comprising both the runways and perimeter roads.

Birchalls try for a triple at ThruxtonThruxton’s fame grew from the Easter Monday Formula 2 meetings where Formula 1 drivers of the day battled with up and coming talent. Household names like Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart and Jochen Rindt all thrilled the crowds in the early races. Since then Thruxton has seen all our recent Formula 1 drivers race regularly at the track at some time in their career.

In 1993 Damon Hill, Formula 1 World Champion, drove a demonstration run in the Williams FW15C, recording an incredible 57.6 second lap of the 2.4 mile circuit, an average speed of 147.25mph.

It is now the high speed rounds of the British Touring car championship and British Superbikes that regularly bring in capacity crowds.

Birchalls try for a triple at Thruxton

Image Credit: JCM Motorsport Photography

Getting to Thruxton

(Sat nav users – use postcode SP11 8PN)

Thruxton is readily accessible from both the M3 and M4 – 1.5 hours from London – 2.5 hours from Birmingham

Once on the A303 follow the signs for Thruxton Circuit ONLY; ignore signs for Thruxton village. Upon leaving the A303 follow signs for Thruxton Circuit.

The karting and 4×4 centre have their own entrance (sign posted) 100 meters before the main cicruit entrance. If you are participating in a driving experience proceed through the main entrance and through the tunnel. On exiting the tunnel turn immediately left and follow the signs towards the car park.

TRAINS AND PLANES TO THRUXTON CIRCUIT

There is a main line train station in Andover (10 minutes away), which runs from Waterloo. Plan your route usingNational Rail Enquiries

Southampton Airport is the closest mainstream airport (45 minutes away).

 

A dry weekend?

This weekend at Thruxton looks to be warm and dry with only a little chance of a shower on the Friday, having said that, with high temperatures forecast throughout the weekend there’s little chance of it having any impact on the racing.

Weekend temperatures are hovering around the low to mid Twenties Celsius with low average wind speeds so, it’s looking like a great weekends racing for competitors and spectators alike.

Birchalls try for a triple at Thruxton

Don’t miss any action

Friday

Tean Mansfield first take to the Thruxton track early on Friday afternoon at 12:25 in free practice and follow that up later in the day at 16:30 with the first qualifying session.

Saturday

On Saturday afternoon the Birchalls are out again at 12:55 for the first of the weekends races, it’s an 8 lap affair that promises to be super competitive. The boys are out again at 17:00 for the second time as they line up for the second 8 lap race of the day

Sunday

All eyes will once again be on Ben and Tom as they go into the final day of this pivotal weekend. Unusually, it’s going to be an early finish for the sidecar teams with the third and final 8 lap race of the weekend getting underway at 11:30am.

Birchalls try for a triple at Thruxton

Live Timing

If you can’t get down to Thruxton, you can watch live timing for all the days racing by clicking this link

TV Schedule

It looks as though the only channel you’ll find the weekends racing on is Eurosport. We’ve check the listing for Quest and nothing is showing for British Superbikes.

Birchalls try for a triple at Thruxton

gold standard

Main image Credit: https://www.facebook.com/LAPConcepts/

Words: pronto.website

The post Birchalls try for a treble at Thruxton appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/birchalls-try-for-a-treble-at-thruxton/feed/ 0
So close to Southern 100 Glory http://birchallracing.com/so-close-southern-100-glory/ http://birchallracing.com/so-close-southern-100-glory/#respond Fri, 15 Jul 2016 10:24:29 +0000 http://176.32.230.53/birchallracing.com/?p=3294 Following their double win at Snetterton in the British championship on Sunday, Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall travelled directly to the Isle of Man where they took part in qualifying on Monday evening for the two sidecar races at the Southern 100 meeting and going on to take a second and third place in…

The post So close to Southern 100 Glory appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
Following their double win at Snetterton in the British championship on Sunday, Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall travelled directly to the Isle of Man where they took part in qualifying on Monday evening for the two sidecar races at the Southern 100 meeting and going on to take a second and third place in two thrilling races.

So close to Southern 100 Glory

The Ace Hire and Sales Race (Wednesday)

Starting the first race on Wednesday evening from the second row, the Mitchells of Mansfield supported brothers were third away but soon overtook John Holden and Andy Winkle to move up into second place.

So close to Southern 100 GloryThe action was very close with just half a second separating Ben and Tom from race leaders Reeves/ Farrance with Holden/Winkle right in their wheel tracks. Pole sitters Dave Molyneux and Dan Sayle recovered from their bad start and joined the top three with all four outfits pulling away from the following pack.

As they approached Cross Fourways on lap four, Moly made a brave move past the Birchalls to move into second place. Ben wasn’t letting him get away and the pair exchanged places throughout the remainder of the lap with Reeves, Moly, Birchall and Holden passing the start line separated by just two seconds.

They all maintained their position into the fifth lap with the gap between first and fourth down to 1.3 seconds, but no sooner had they passed the start line the race was red flagged for an incident further downfield and a result was declared on positions at the end of lap four with Ben and Tom stepping onto the podium in third place.

So close to Southern 100 Glory

Image credit: Mark Corlett

Ben commented:

“The conditions were really tricky out there as the track was dry in some parts and wet in others.”

“We all chose a different tyre combination so one was better in some parts than the other three! It was certainly an exciting and entertaining race and that last lap would have been a hum dinger!”

“We would like to pass on our best wishes to the two riders that were injured during the race and wish them a speedy recovery.”

So close to Southern 100 Glory

Manx Gas Sidecar Championship (Thursday)

The second race on Thursday afternoon was run in perfect weather conditions and with the highly competitive field it was essential to get away to a good start. As the race began it was Reeves who headed the field with Ben and Tom in their wheel tracks. As they went past the start and finish to begin lap two the top four outfits of Reeves, Birchall, Molyneux and Holden were already pulling clear from the field with less than a second covering the four of them.

So close to Southern 100 Glory

Image Credit LAP Concepts

Ben and Tom took the lead as they started lap three with Moly following through, but he was to retire with a technical problem a few seconds later. This left Birchalls in the lead with Reeves and Holden right behind them. In their efforts to retain the race lead Ben and Tom broke the existing lap record only to lose it one lap later when Reeves went a fraction of a second faster and on lap six history was made when all three of the front runners broke the 100mph barrier.

On the penultimate lap they were into the back markers and Reeves snatched the lead on the run to Cross Fourways. Ben was unable to make it back to the front and they finished the race in second place.

So close to Southern 100 Glory

Image credit: Clare Freestone and Peter Bull

Ben commented:

“We set out to try to win and that’s when lap records tumble. It was a great race but of course it is difficult to run at the front and not make a mistake. I knew Tim was there waiting and when we ran slightly wide he took the advantage.”

“On that last lap the back markers unsettled me a little bit and I had a bit of a slide and he was alongside me. He wasn’t going to give in and we both only just got round but it was good fun. Thanks a lot to the Southern 100 club and also our sponsors and friends, we really enjoyed it.”

So close to Southern 100 Glory

On their return from the Isle of Man Ben and Tom will head to Thruxton for the next round of the British championship over the weekend of July 22-24 where there are three races to contest. Currently the Birchalls top the 600 cup standings and they will be seeking more top results to extend their championship lead.

Main Image courtesy of Clare Freestone and Peter Bull

Words By Helen Pask

So close to Southern 100 Glory

The post So close to Southern 100 Glory appeared first on Birchall Racing.

]]>
http://birchallracing.com/so-close-southern-100-glory/feed/ 0