By Sidecar TT giant, fourteen times Mountain Course race winner Ben Birchall, heads into TT 2025 with fresh impetus, having secured a new co-crew member in the form of five times top six TT finishing passenger, Patrick Rosney.
Last year marked lap-record holder driver Birchall’s first TT campaign (TT debut – 2009), not aside sibling, most successful Sidecar passenger in TT Races history, Tom Birchall, as 2024 World Champion (alongside Harry Payne) Kevin Rousseau took on the mantle.
Runners-up within the second 3wheeling.media Sidecars race, Birchall (Ben) elevated his TT rostrums tally to seventeen.
With Rousseau’s World Championship commitments, dubbing down the amount of potential track-time together, Birchall has moved quickly to create a new partnership with passenger for six TT’s aside Lewis Blackstock, the above-featured Rosney.
“It’s taken a bit longer than anticipated but I’m delighted with the shape of the new team and having Paddy on board for the whole season, not just the TT, is a huge plus.
Kevin was great last year, and he did a brilliant job, especially when you consider he’d never done a flying lap before last year, but he has World Championship commitments with another driver which means he could only race with me for a couple of meetings in the year.
I totally understand and respect that, but I need, and want, to be competing regularly so when Paddy became available, he ticked all the boxes.
I’ve known him since he started racing and Tom’s mentored him in previous years and we’ve travelled to meetings together, so he already knows everyone in the team and has fitted in great.”
Hager, Wyckham Blackwell supported Birchall, whose TT 2025 machine is a Honda powered Louis Christen Racing outfit, added:
“We’re both feeling confident and it’s not just about this year, there’s a long-term plan in place.
He doesn’t realise how good a passenger he is and he’s already helping me, so all the boxes are ticked this year and that’s important in sidecar racing especially for feeling both confident and comfortable.
In the 20+ years with Tom, I never really had to think about anything and whilst I wouldn’t go as far as to say I became complacent, I’ve had to do a lot of learning very quickly since he retired.”
“Knowing what’s required and what’s not required for the entire package, both on and away from the track, has become more evident these last 18 months as I have a lot more to think about now Tom’s not alongside me, so I’m thrilled to be in the situation I am now with Paddy.
The desire to succeed at the TT is as strong as ever – the fire’s still burning and we’re in a good place.”
Quotes courtesy of TT Races press team.
Photo courtesy of TT Races press team.
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
