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After last season’s exciting SMCA British Clubman Sidecar Championship sights are being set on a repeat performance for 2012.
Last year saw 37 riders register for the series yet not once was there a full line-up made exclusively of Clubmen. Despite this the championship was successful because of the exciting, close racing it threw up. The 2011 Clubman Champions, Neil and Michael Franks, did not clinch the title until the second race of the last round at Wrangway! Nothing worse for a series to be tied up halfway through the year! This year 43 riders have registered of which ten teams are unknown quantities, although unknown only by virtue of them only having ridden in local events before. There are however at least two completely new teams to sidecarcross. With 43 teams it is envisaged that this should provide a full line up at all the rounds which will mean smiling club organisers. Equally this may mean some disappointed teams who didn’t get their entries in early enough but with the Clubmans being the feeder for the British Championship the future is looking rosy. With more sidecar teams than places on the line this may well mean one day being able to have two sidecar events on the same day or even at the same track, both full!
The rules mean that last years winners can’t compete for points this year neither can anyone who finished in the top 10 of the ACU British Sidecar Championship. With the 2011 top two not eligible and third place having retired this years top 3 is wide open with such a mix of experience and unknown quantities. At a glance you could name ten crews who have more than a good chance but when you throw the improved riders, new teams and dark horses into the mix who knows. This makes for an exciting prospect for an action packed championship from start to finish.
Nick Bowers and Pete Batt, who finished fourth last year, must be hopeful of moving up to the top on their VMC KTM 525. The two riders below them, Seemond Stephens and his new passenger Mike Curnow and Marks Banks, on his Bastech Zabel 700, with Pete Girling in the chair, will have something to say about that. In addition Tony Grahame and James Morrell after deciding to come across to ACU racing for 2012 will want to show why they were 2011 AMCA Sidecar Champions. Ross Bowers is back after a few problems last year. He returned to racing towards the end of last season with Guy Eastman on the side and the pairing are back for 2012 and could also be in contention. The brother pairing of Steve and Chris Pannell are also back together and they too have the top spot in their sights. Paul Pelling is also eligible to ride as a clubman this year after a few problems at the end of last season left him out of the top ten in the British Championship. He is still the only rider in the two championships on a Jawa engined sidecar and his new passenger for 2012 is Neal Bann, who was last seen riding with Scott Balsillie last summer. Other team changes are Jonnie Waters, now on with Dave Keane and Rob Eastman who has joined up with Jon Pannell. Jon, who won the Best Newcomer Award at last November’s SMCA Awards night, had difficulties in 2011 with no regular passenger and is hoping 2012 will see him get a top 10 finish in the series. Best Newcomer Passenger of 2011, Jo Reynolds has teamed up with Carl Kirwin but isn’t the only female passenger on the race track. Faye Barnes who races with her dad, Rob, had bike problems throughout 2011 and so went back to competing in the Twinshock Class. They have their fingers crossed that those obstacles are all behind them now.
This all looks like a good line up but you have to add Adam Field and Paul Hutchman who have European experience to bring with them after competing in France during 2011, Stephen Parr who although is without a confirmed passenger as yet can’t be written off. Luke Peters, who showed last season that he is equally at home on the handlebar side of the outfit after 14 years as a top flight passenger, is still teamed with Sam Harris. Names that cannot said to be new are also in the mix with Shaun Mallows with Colin Dunkley, Roger Blackman and Eric Maguire and the possibility of Peter Logan making a passenger comeback. Peter, definitely a name from the past, was seen in action recently with Matt Avis at Binsted and could be seen again.
The championship has some good tracks to add to the exciting list of competitors. There are the usual venues, Owslebury, Frome and Rusper, who draw the competitors and the crowds. This year however the Clubman Championship is making first appearances at Landrake Moto Parc, a coup for sidecars who haven’t raced there before and Torrington which is more usually associated with the British Championship. Another club who customarily host British rounds is Diss MCC who have agreed to hold a round at Wattisfield Hall. Sidecars are returning to Winterpick Farm, which was last used for chairs in May 2010, for not only possibly a Clubmans round but also a British Championship round in July. The Clubmans is also returning to Wrangway after a successful debut last September. All in all an interesting line up of venues which should produce some excellent racing.
All this gets underway over the Easter weekend, which sees two rounds. Round 1 is being hosted by Winchester MCC at Owslebury on Good Friday and the second round on Easter Monday by Frome & DMCC at Asham Woods.
The 2012 SMCA British Clubmans Sidecar Championship Calendar:
Round 1 - 6th April - Owslebury nr Winchester, Hampshire
Round 2 - 9th April – Frome, Somerset
Round 3 - 10th June – Wrangway, Devon
Round 4 - 15th July - Rusper nr Horsham, West Sussex
Round 5 - 29th July – Torrington, Devon
Round 6 - 5th August – Landrake, Cornwall
Round 7 - 23rd Sept - Wattisfield Hall Nr Diss, Norfolk
Round 8 - 30th Sept - Winterpick Farm, West Sussex or Ringmer, East Sussex. TBC
So if you want to see some exciting sidecar action these are some of the places to be in 2012.
Ann Reynolds |