FIM Sidecar World Championship.
Oschersleben, Germany.
Race two report.
It was cloudy, cooler than race one yesterday, but dry, so that was good for the second 21 lap race in Oschersleben.
The lights went out, and again like yesterday it was Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement with their LCR, Yamaha who took the lead, they did not get the start like they had in the previous race. Tim Reeves and Kevin Rousseau on their Adolf RS, Yamaha were right on the tail of Ellis/Clement.
Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries on their LCR, Yamaha slotted into third. Like yesterday Bennie Streuer and Jeroen Remme with their Adolf RS, Yamaha were in fourth place. Stephen Kershaw and Ryan Charlwood on their LCR, Yamaha were in fifth, with Ted and Vincent Peugeot on their LCR, Yamaha in sixth, another great start from the French team. Pekka Paivarinta and Ilse de Haas with their LCR, Yamaha slotted in behind Peugeot, but Paivarinta and De Haas were wanting to get passed fast and give chase to the leading group.
There was a bit of a gap then it was Robb Biggs and Jeroen Schmitz on their LCR, Yamaha with Lukas Wyssen and Thomas Hofer right with them with their LCR, Yamaha. Next up was Peter Kimeswenger and Kevin Kolsh on their LCR, Yamaha. Scott Lawrie and Shelley Smithies were right on the tail of Kimeswenger/Kolsch with their LCR Yamaha. Bringing up the back of the field was Kevin Cable and Kyle Masters, LCR, Yamaha, Janez Remse and Manfred Wechselberger, Adolf RS, Yamaha, Kees Endeveld and Hendrik Crome, LCR, Yamaha, Claude Vinet and Melanie Farnier, LCR, Yamaha, then it was Philippe Gallerne and Bidault, RCN, Kawasaki.
The four teams at the back of the field had a good close battle up till lap 8 when Endeveld/Crome pulled out for a DNF and on lap 9 Remse/Wechselberger pulled in for a DNF.
At the front Reeves/Rousseau passed Ellis/Clement for the lead and started to make a small gap but Schlosser/Fries were ready to give chase once they too passed Ellis/Clement. Reeves/Rousseau held off Schlosser/Fries for a good few laps but when Schlosser/Fries decided to pass Reeves/Rousseau did not have the legs to stay with championship leaders.
Streuer/Remme were in a good safe fourth place as the race progressed, but Paivarinta/De Haas had passed Kershaw/Charlwood, and Peugeot and started to try and bring the gap down.
Biggs and Shmitz were going well but a mistake at the back chicane saw the team take to the gravel, they were to rejoin but well down the field, this left Wyssen/Hofer on their own once again for a lonely race.
Kimeswenger/ Kolsch were fighting hard to fend off Lawrie/Smithies but Lawrie/ Smithies were to get the better of the Austrian driver. Lawrie/ Smithies got their heads down and gave chase to Wyssen/Hofer.
Biggs /Schmitz were fighting hard to catch Kimeswenger/ Kolsch but the gap was big.
Gallerne/Bidault were to complete the race in fourteenth place but 2 laps down on the leaders.
Vinet/Farnier had no problems like yesterday, they took thirteenth place one lap down.
Cable/Masters were also one lap down on the leaders, but a twelfth place was good for the team.
Biggs/Schmitz tried their best to catch Kimeswenger/Kolsch but the gap was too much in the end they took eleventh place with Kimeswenger/Kolsch tenth.
Lawrie/Smithies were like Biggs/Schmitz, they tried their hardest to reel in Wyssen and Hofer but the gap was too great. They took ninth place with Wyssen/Hofer eighth. Both teams were happy with their results. Smithies, passenger to Lawrie was really happy this was the first time she had competed at this level of sidecar racing. Two good results for her, and the team.
Kershaw/Charlwood took seventh place; it turned out to be a lonely race for the team. The team felt they should have done better in the race, but still a good weekend for the team.
Sixth place went to father and son Ted and Vincent Peugeot, the team were over the moon with how the weekend has gone for them. They are hungry for more!
Another team to have a lonely race but a good fifth place none the less for Paivarinta/De Haas, another trouble free weekend for the team, they soon forgot about their spin in practice yesterday.
A good fourth place for Streuer/Remme, the team had no problems with their machine and added good points to their championship tally.
Third place went to Ellis/Clement, the team were happy with the result, they just could not stick with the leading pair, two more podiums for the team over the weekend, great for the “Rookie team” in the championship.
Reeves/Rousseau took a good second place; once Schlosser/Fries got passed the team just could not stay with the Swiss pairing, but a good result for the Anglo French team.
On overjoyed Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries had a perfect weekend, pole position, two race wins and like yesterday they were credited with the fastest lap of the race, a time of 1:32.247. They will head to the next round at Brands Hatch,
England in two weeks’ time with a healthy 260 points leading the championship.
Mark Walters.