Reduced from eight-laps to six-laps, the Southern 100, Daryl Blake Construction Sidecar Championship contest was truly ground-breaking, record producing.
Winners of the red-flagged Ace Hire & Sales Sidecar race, the Hager backed crew of Ben Birchall/Kevin Rousseau blasted into an early race-lead, passing the Crowes Ryan & Callum (Kel Properties/LCR – Louis Christen Racing Honda) across the Castletown-Bypass.
At the end of lap one, Birchall/Rousseau were one second plus to the good out-front whilst a shade past 2.7 seconds was all that was between the top-four position holders.
Birchall/Rousseau well and truly got the hammer out on laps two and three, building a stern advantage over an all-star group of chasers.
Not holding back, conserving race-leadership, on lap four the Anglo/French pairing found the keys to Southern 100 lap-record membership, lapping at 102.498 mph, equating timing wise to 2 minutes 29.271 seconds.
Remarkably, lap five would yield a second successive record-breaking achievement, lap speed 102.713 mph, the first sub 2:29 seconds lap-time around Billown for a three-wheeling steed (2.28.959 seconds).
Not surprisingly their pace allowed them to enjoy a non-worrisome sixth, final lap, ultimately emerging P1 by 7.328 seconds.
Behind the battle royale for second was won by the Crowes with reigning Champions Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley (FHO Racing) third.
The podium finishing fight had largely featured new ‘100 Mph Club’ members Lee Crawford/Scott Hardie, until water temperature problems thwarted their race expedition.
Their issues enabled Kieran Clarke/Andrew Johnson to finish a fine fourth with the Ramsdens Steve & Matty, Greg Lambert/Andrew Haynes completing the leader-board top-six.
In terms of finishers seventh-tenth, these placings were picked up respectively by Wayne Lockey/Matty Rostron, Shaun Chandler/Ben Chandler, Alun Thomas/Kenny Cole and Derek Lynch/Diarmuid Macreamoinn.
Photo credit: Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou