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Hopefully enjoying much more prosperous fortunes, the Sidecar fraternity post their ultra-challenging beginning to this year’s TT, were next up on today’s race schedule.
With action delayed for a fair length of time, following an incident during the Monster Energy Supersport race, the start-time for the re-started two-lap 3Wheeling.Media Sidecar race was 2:15 PM.
Then a further 15 minutes delay was announced, due to tetra radio communication problems. This put the start-time further back to 2:30 PM.
Lap 1:
The Ramsden’s Steve & Matty were unfortunate early race retirements before the bulk of competitors made it to Glen Helen.
Going with the form book, the blistering Birchall brothers Ben & Tom surged into the lead, heading the Crowe’s Ryan & Callum by 2.39 seconds.
Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley held third, Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson slotted into fourth with fifth place held by Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde.
3.838 seconds was the Birchall’s lead at Ballaugh Bridge, as the Haven Homes supported Crowe’s kept pace with their illustrious counterparts.
Onto the next timing point at Ramsey and Ben Birchall was cranking the pace-up, moving six seconds clear.
Setting the fastest Sidecar lap speed thus far of TT 2022 (117.90 mph), the Birchall’s ended lap one, enjoying an advantage of almost eight seconds over the impressive Crowe’s.
FHO Racing’s Founds/Walmsley held third and were only 1.4 down on the Crowe’s.
Rich Energy supported Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau retired at the pits whilst another notable retirement was DAO 1886 backed Harry Payne/Mark Wilkes.
Lap 2:
Close to lap record pace at Glen Helen, the ten times TT winning Birchall’s found an extra injection of speed to pull 11.7 seconds away ahead of the Crowe’s.
Still on record breaking pace at Ballaugh Bridge, was the Birchall’s on course for another priceless moment of TT history?
The answer was no as they just failed to surpass their existing lap record, lapping at 119.22 mph.
None the less 11 race wins, equalling the legendary Steve Hislop and Phillip McCallen is quite the achievement.
In a breathless finish for second, the Crowe’s emulating their father Nick Crowe in becoming TT podium finishers, finished only 0.112 in front of Founds/Walmsley.
Both the Crowe’s and Founds/Walmsley set huge new personal best lap speeds on lap two, lapping respectively at 118.57, 118.72 mph.
KTM powered Molyneux/Gibson took a strong fourth as Bryan/Hyde, Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle wrapped up the top six finishers.
Places P7, P8, P9, P10 were occupied by the East Yorkshire pairing of Gary Gibson/Tom Christie, Roger Stockton/Bradley Stockton, Gordon Shand/Frank Claeys, the Moore’s Bruce & Ashley.
Photo credit: Nick Wheeler, Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
Onto the next timing point at Ramsey and Ben Birchall was cranking the pace-up, moving six seconds clear.
Setting the fastest Sidecar lap speed thus far of TT 2022 (117.90 mph), the Birchall’s ended lap one, enjoying an advantage of almost eight seconds over the impressive Crowe’s.
FHO Racing’s Founds/Walmsley held third and were only 1.4 down on the Crowe’s.
Rich Energy supported Tim Reeves/Kevin Rousseau retired at the pits whilst another notable retirement was DAO 1886 backed Harry Payne/Mark Wilkes.
Lap 2:
Close to lap record pace at Glen Helen, the ten times TT winning Birchall’s found an extra injection of speed to pull 11.7 seconds away ahead of the Crowe’s.
Still on record breaking pace at Ballaugh Bridge, was the Birchall’s on course for another priceless moment of TT history?
The answer was no as they just failed to surpass their existing lap record, lapping at 119.22 mph.
None the less 11 race wins, equalling the legendary Steve Hislop and Phillip McCallen is quite the achievement.
In a breathless finish for second, the Crowe’s emulating their father Nick Crowe in becoming TT podium finishers, finished only 0.112 in front of Founds/Walmsley.
Both the Crowe’s and Founds/Walmsley set huge new personal best lap speeds on lap two, lapping respectively at 118.57, 118.72 mph.
KTM powered Molyneux/Gibson took a strong fourth as Bryan/Hyde, Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle wrapped up the top six finishers.
Places P7, P8, P9, P10 were occupied by the East Yorkshire pairing of Gary Gibson/Tom Christie, Roger Stockton/Bradley Stockton, Gordon Shand/Frank Claeys, the Moore’s Bruce & Ashley.
Photo credit: Nick Wheeler, Mark Corlett
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou 
