Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries have been crowned FIM Sidecar World champions on Saturday at the end of the Final in Estoril (Portugal)
The lights went out and Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement with their LCR, Yamaha got a great start down into the first corner with Ben and Tom Birchall with their LCR, Honda on the inside. Right on the outside was Tim Reeves and Kevin Rousseau with their Adolf RS, Yamaha. Lukas Wyssen and Thomas Hofer with their LCR, Yamaha were next up fending off Harry Payne and Mark Wilkes with their Adolf RS, Yamaha. Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries had a great start with their LCR, Yamaha they slotted into sixth, with Bennie Streuer and Jeroen Remme on the inside of them with their LCR, Yamaha, seventh. Craig Currie and Justin Sharp with their LCR, Yamaha were in eighth. Robb Biggs and Jeroen Schmitz with their LCR, Yamaha were next up in the ploom of spray. Pekka Paivarinta and Ilse de Haas with their LCR,Yamaha were just in front of Stephen Kershaw and Ryan Charlwood on their LCR, Yamaha.
Exiting the first corner it was Reeves and Rousseau who had the drive and took the lead from the rest of the field.
After this as the race continued, it was who was the bravest to take the move for a pass.
Reeves and Rousseau were in command and it looked like they were the “bookies winners” but the conditions were getting worse, the rain was getting heavier and the light for vision was getting bad. But all the sidecar teams were fighting for championship points.
Ellis and Clement were going well, but they were to have a spin and this left them fighting for grip, also they had Payne and Wilkes breathing down their necks, it was not long until they were to pass and were giving chase to Reeves and Rousseau.
The Birchall Brothers were fighting off Schlosser and Fries, but it was not long before Schlosser and Fries made the pass, from this moment the Birchall Brothers looked like they were having tyre grip issues.
Paivarinta and De Haas were also on the move they had passed the Birchall’s, and Wyssen and Hofer, they were determined to hunt down Ellis and Clement.
Kershaw and Charlwood were on the move too, they passed Wyssen/Hofer and were gaining fast on the Birchall Brothers; they did not want Paivarinta De Haas to get away in front. It was not long before they caught and passed the Birchall’s, and gave chase to Paivarinta/De Haas.
Kershaw and Charlwood were certainly on the move, they caught and passed Ellis/ Clement and were right on the tail of Paivarinta/De Haas.
Ellis and Clement had another spin in front of Paivarinta and De Haas, which was to put them further back down the field, but they were to fight on, and continue.
Craig Currie and Justin Sharp were to pull in to pit lane, their race was over, but overall it was a great weekend so far for the team. They will have another go tomorrow.
On lap sixteen of the eighteen lap race, Reeves and Rousseau were to pull into pit lane for another DNF. They had a slipping clutch. Even in the worsening conditions the team could not continue.
With Philippe Le Bail and Serge Leveau, and Paul Leglise and Sebastien Lavorel not starting the race. The field was depleted, but with the conditions, the teams who did start and finish, they certainly showed their skill and ability to control their machines in the tricky conditions.
By the end of the race it was a “wild card” team who were to take the applause from all the other team members and spectators as they crossed the line to the chequred flag.
Harry Payne and Mark Wilkes took the win just in front of the second place team of Stephen Kershaw and Ryan Charlwood. Both teams were delighted with the result, and will now prepare their machines for tomorrow’s race.
Third place went to an ecstatic Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries, who, by now had the information track side that they were the new World Champions, they came into park ferme to the cheers and applause of other team members and spectators alike. The team had fought and worked so hard all season for this, but they went to prepare their machine for the final race of the season tomorrow, after the podium ceremony.
Pekka Paivarinta and Ilse de Haas took fourth place, but they will need to have a great race tomorrow, if their third place in the championship will be safe from Kershaw and Charlwood,
Ellis and Clement knew their title fight was over between Schlosser and Fries, but were grateful the race was over, and they took the fifth place.
Lukas Wyssen and Thomas Hofer were delighted with their sixth place. They were overjoyed for their fellow countrymen Schlosser and Fries winning the title.
Bennie Streuer and Jeroen Remme took seventh place and were happy with this and delighted the race was over.
Robb Biggs and Jeroen Schmitz fought hard throughout the race and with their machine struggling for grip they coaxed it home to take eighth place.
Ben and Tom Birchall fared well in the opening stages of the race but like all teams tyre grip was the downfall for them, they took ninth place.
Claude Vinet and Melanie Farnier took tenth place, but one lap down on the rest of the field, but another race finish.
Two laps down were Stephane Gadet and Valentin Pirat, they took eleventh place.
It was a hard race for all teams; the conditions tested the skill and courage of the sidecar teams. But the day was for Schlosser and Fries, the whole sidecar paddock congratulated the Swiss pair. Outgoing champion Tim Reeves congratulated the team on a well done job.
There is no rest for the teams though as they will need to prepare their machines for another race tomorrow, this will start at 12:00 local time.
Mark Walters