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2019 Isle of Man TT Sidecar TT Race Two

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Sidecar TT Race Two

Ben and Tom Birchall matched the ten wins of TT legend Rob Fisher when they took their second victory of the week in the Locate.im Sidecar TT Race at the 2019 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy.

In a weather affected fortnight the race was moved forward from Friday’s scheduled start and reduced to 2 laps to complete a packed programme of races.

The Nottinghamshire brothers overcame the early challenge of John Holden/Lee Cain to win by more than twenty seconds with Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley sealing the final podium position in third.

The Birchalls led Holden/Cain by a second at Glen Helen on the first of the two laps with Alan Founds/Jake Lowther, Founds/Walmsley and Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney slotting into third to fifth. Dave Molyneux/Harry Payne and Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes both got further than what they had done in the opening race but were back in sixth and seventh respectively.

IOMTT Sidecar Race Holden Cain
Holden/Cain

Founds/Lowther only made it up the hill and were reported to have stopped at Sarah’s Cottage where they were making adjustments while Monday’s sensational newcomers Ryan and Callum Crowe failed to make the start with machine issues but at the head of the field, it was extremely tight as Holden/Cain reduced the deficit by a tenth of a second as they took the jump at Ballaugh Bridge.

Through Ramsey Hairpin first time around, the Birchalls injected a sense of urgency and their lead had increased to 2.757s but with Alan Founds reported as stopped, brother Pete moved up to third albeit over 14 seconds adrift of Holden/Cain. Blackstock/Rosney were now fourth with Molyneux/Payne in fifth and Reeves/Wilkes up to sixth.

An opening lap of 118.38mph saw the Birchalls extend their lead over Holden/Cain to 10.602s while Founds/Lowther remained in third albeit now thirty seconds behind the leaders. Blackstock/Rosney, Molyneux/Payne and Reeves/Wilkes continued to occupy fourth to sixth.

The lead had stretched to 13 seconds at Glen Helen second time around and Holden/Cain were also extending their advantage over Founds/Walmsley, the gap now up to 24.636s. Blackstock/Rosney continued to hold on to fourth but they pulled into the car park by the commentary point to make adjustments before rejoining the race.

IOMTT Sidecar Race Founds Walmsley
Founds/Walmsley

Former race winners Molyneux and Reeves were now split by only 0.2s as they circulated in fifth and sixth but by Ramsey for the second and final time, the Birchalls were almost 17s clear of Holden/Cain and with a lap speed of 118.609mph, they took their second win of the week, and tenth in total, by a commanding 20.511s.

Holden/Cain had to settle for second once more, the Blackburn driver’s 12th podium in a row, with Founds/Walmsley finishing in third and taking their first podium since 2016. Reeves/Wilkes came through to take fourth ahead of Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde with Estelle Leblond/Franck Claeys finishing in a fine sixth place after another 110mph+ lap for the French female driver.

The top ten was completed Blackstock/Rosney, Allan Schofield/Steve Thomas, John Lowther/Scott Hardie and a slowing Molyneux/Payne.

Passenger Julie Grosset-Bourbange was reported to have come out of the sidecar at Rhencullen and sustained an arm injury.

IOMTT Sidecar Race Birchalls
Ben and Tom Birchall

Sidecar TT Race Two Results

  1. Ben Birchall / Tom Birchall
  2. John Holden / Lee Cain +20.511
  3. Peter Founds / Jevan Walmsley +54.894
  4. Tim Reeves / Mark Wilkes +123.702
  5. Gary Bryan / Philip Hyde +126.242
  6. Estelle Leblond / Frank Claeys +182.466
  7. Lewis Blackstock / Patrick Rosney +203.852
  8. Allan Schofield / Steve Thomas +205.168
  9. John Lowther / Scott Hardie +209.773
  10. Dave Molyneux / Harry Payne +210.573
  11. Dan Knight / Matthew Rostron +211.907
  12. Darren Hope / Paul Bumfrey +229.356
  13. Wayne Lockey / Mark Sayers +243.244
  14. John Saunders / James Saunders +272.206
  15. Andy King / Alun Thomas +298.600
  16. Mick Alton / Stephen Bonney +301.046
  17. Maria Costello / Julie Canipa +353.337
  18. Francois Leblond / Marlene Couillard +364.876
  19. Gary Knight / Daniel Evanson +395.067
  20. Dave Quirk / Karl Schofield +437.286

Source: MCNews.com.au

Motorcycle News, Motorcycle Racing, News

Birchall bothers capture sixth consecutive Sidecar TT win

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Sidecar TT Race

Ben and Tom Birchall took a dominant victory in Monday’s Locate.im Sidecar TT Race at the 2019 Isle of Man TT races, fuelled by Monster Energy, as they swept to victory by 48.116s from John Holden/Lee Cain with Alan Founds/Jake Lowther completing the podium in third.

With a new race record of 57:24.005 (118.317mph), it was the sixth win in a row for the Birchall brothers and ninth in total as Tom became the most successful passenger in TT history bettering the previous best of eight wins he had jointly held with Rick Long and Dan Sayle.

The Birchalls set the pace through Glen Helen on the opening lap with their advantage over Holden/Cain some 4.1s as Pete Founds/Jevan Walmlsey slotted into third a further 5.8s in arrears. They were only 0.362s ahead of Founds/Lowther though as Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde and Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney rounded out the top six.

However, the race saw two big name retirements early on as Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes only got as far as the Bottom of Bray Hill with Dave Molyneux/Harry Payne not faring much better as they retired at Braddan Bridge.

IOMTT Sidecar R Alan Founds Jake Lowther
Alan Founds/Jake Lowther

By Ramsey, the Birchalls had increased their lead and the gap to Holden/Cain was now 8.7s but the battle for third was a lot closer and it was Founds/Lowther who were now in third just 0.588s ahead of Founds/Walmsley, the duo now almost 12 seconds adrift of Holden/Cain. Blackstock/Rosney had moved up to fifth with newcomers Ryan and Callum Crowe running in a brilliant sixth place.

At the head of the field, an opening lap of 117.709mph gave the Birchalls a lead over Holden/Cain of 14.904s who were in turn more than 15 seconds clear of the battle for third that continued to rage. It was Founds/Lowther who continued to hold onto the final podium position though with the gap to Founds/Walmsley having increased slightly to 1.687s.

The big news came in fifth place though as the Crowe brothers lapped at 112.56mph to become the fastest sidecar newcomers ever, bettering the mark of 112.031mph set by Tim Reeves in 2008. Blackstock/Rosney slotted into sixth.

IOMTT Sidecar R Ryan Crowe Callum
Crowe brothers

By Glen Helen on lap two, the Birchalls extended their lead further with their advantage over Holden/Cain now at a more than healthy 21.3s whilst Founds/Lowther remained in third albeit almost 18s in arrears. Pete Founds, Crowe and Blackstock continued to occupy fourth to sixth.

Throughout lap two, the Birchalls were on lap record pace and at Ramsey Hairpin they were over seven seconds inside their record from twelve months ago. However, the wind over the Mountain appeared to have slowed their progress although a lap of 119.129mph was only a second outside their outright lap record.

Holden/Cain lapped at 117.01mph to remain in third but Founds/Lowther and Founds/Walmsley both set personal best laps of the Mountain Course as they lapped at 116.22mph and 115.77mph respectively. The gap between the two was now 6.2s and although they remained in fifth, the Crowe brothers went quicker still second time around with a lap of 113.53mph.

On the third and final lap, the Birchalls continued to extend their lead through the timing points and they duly crossed the line at 118.12mph to win from Holden/Cain by 48.116s.

Founds/Lowther took their second TT podium, and first since 2016, as they edged out Founds/Walmsley by just 5.5s, the duo both lapping quicker than the previous lap at 116.37mph and 116.44mph respectively.

Ryan and Callum Crowe took a brilliant fifth place ahead of Blackstock/Rosney as Bryan/Hyde, Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle, Allan Schofield/Steve Thomas and the father and son pairing of Gary and Daryl Gibson completed the top ten.

Australian pairing Mick Alton and Steve Bonney finished a highly creditable 16th in what was a quality field of 40 competitors.  Compatriots Darryl Rayner and Wendy Campbell ran well before failing to finish the three-lap contest.

Locate.im Sidecar TT Race Results

  1. Ben Birchall
  2. John Holden
  3. Alan Founds
  4. Peter Founds
  5. Ryan Crowe*
  6. Lewis Blackstock
  7. Gary Bryan
  8. Conrad Harrison
  9. Allan Schofield
  10. Gary Gibson
  11. Darren Hope
  12. Wayne Lockey
  13. John Lowther
  14. Craig Melvin
  15. Dan Knight
  16. Mick Alton
  17. John Saunders
  18. Nicholas Dukes
  19. Bruce Moore*
  20. Francois Leblond

Source: MCNews.com.au