Sidecar Racing

**Fast Eddie** · 24th March 2013, 17:02

Total Points for the 2013 Sidecar Championship

1 4 Spike Taylor/ Astrid Hartnell
2 45 Grant Waters/ Matt Gibbs
3 93 Aaron Lovell/ Dennis Simonson 122.5
4 28 Tracey Bryan/ Jo Mickleson 115
5 111 Peter Goodwin/ Darren Prentis
6 19 Alex Macdonald/ Glen Macdonald 93
7 84 Corey Winter/ Tim Shepherd 85
8 18 Barry Smith/ Robbie Shorter 83.5
9 79 Graeme Harris/ Colin Grace 79
10 76 Bruce Roberts/ Jim Bilby 74
11 41 Chris Lawrance/ Richard Lawrance 61.5
12 16 Michael (Burt) Wolland/ Maxine Skilton/ Neville Mickleson 59
13 50 Des James/ Warren Miller 42
14 2 Adam Unsworth/ Stu Dawe 38
15 98 Bob Pay/ Jason Anderson 19
16 69 Gordie McKeown/ Tina Stirton 17
17 35 Kai Matthesius/ Phil Monro 15
18 47 Barry Fane/ Aida Gulbransen 10.5

a field of 18 sidecars too, fantastic champs guys - great to hear that sidecars will be doing all rounds of Tri-Series again this year (potentially) I am very much looking forward to getting out there again for our winter season at motorcycling canterbury, our bike should be in a bit better shape and we should be faster. Bring on Barry Sheene, Wangas and NZ Nats 2014!

Congrats to all bikes that entered and competed - It would be fantastic if we could get all 18 bikes entered in this NZ Nats on the track at the same time

**swarfie** · 25th March 2013, 10:56

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie

HOLY!! - what a race, pink bike vs burt wolland and nev.. that was intense, what a finish! great dicing too, that was fantastic!

I was suprised how much drive pinky was getting out of the corners and how fast it was in a straight line.. Burt did not seem to pull away with more power/1000cc motor, maybe old burtie was taking it easy on Nev

fantastic to watch though, that was great to watch online. Glad the livetiming followed that battle.

Also fantastic run by the Lawrances, a solid 2nd place and their best laptime was only .279 of a second slower than Lovell/Simonson.. A great run by the Lawrances, well done.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

I was feeling pretty apprehensive about swinging on a modern chair but had already committed to doing the task with Burt after Maxine’s off at Hampton downs. The last time I had swung on a sidecar was at least fifteen years ago and that was on my Matchless, and had never swung on a modern so you can understand my nervousness. I took along my old leathers as they are a little more worn in if you know what I mean. The real reason being that if I came unstuck I wouldn’t rark up my new ones.
We headed out for the practice session with Burt taking it nice and easy for the first couple of laps but when the pace picked up I found a few places where I was leaving it too late to move and when we came in I already had a couple of bruises. Kee-rist these things are impressive compared to the Classic rigs I’m so used to. The brakes, grip, G-forces and power is bloody awesome…by Christ they take some hanging on to! We came in and put some tape around the main vertical handle as it was quite slippery and headed out for the qualifying session. Much better with me taking note of track markers to improve my cross-over’s although I did get over too soon for a fast right hander letting the side wheel come up and giving Burt an “Oh Shit” (not again!!) moment…sorry mate. Midsession I got my left foot stuck in under the left hand foot bar and it took the whole length of the main straight to get it out…needless to say I was SHITTING myself!!! We came in and made an aluminium plate to stop it happening again and we were all good to go.
First Race and Burt took off like scalded chook and late late late braking into turn one with me and most of our wheels on the inside grass, barging his way up the side of Grant and Mat (paint swapping) and coming out in third place…Holy Shit…What the feck have I let myself in for??!! He kept the thing nailed into the next few corners and Christ I was thinking I definitely can’t keep this up for another ten laps! Chris and Ritchie and Spike and Astrid came past and then we kept Grant at bay for a couple of laps before finally backing off for another 3 or 4 until Tracey and Jo caught up with us. Then it was back into it to provide the crowd with the best spectacle of the day with us swapping places several times a lap…bloody awesome!! We crossed the line 0.014 second in front of Pinky with only the transponder position in the fairing giving us 6th place. We came in absolutely fizzing and Burt said there was no way he was going to let my daughter beat me…but fark he didn’t have to make it that close!!!
That evening we all headed down to the Taupo Moto-X club rooms for a memorial gathering for Frank Lawrance. A really fitting send off for a top bloke, spreading his ashes at the track edge and culminating in a fish and chip feed (Frank’s favorite) and a tipple of his favorite sherry. RIP mate, you were a legend.
Early next morning we were awakened to Robby Shorter arriving at the track screaming out “Wake up motherfuckers!” to a back-drop of AC-DC blaring out of his van at 200 decibels…bastard (-:
At riders briefing we caught Chris Lawrance out with a chant of Happy Birthday and his wife Jan had a dozen muffins with candles lined up on his sidecar…Christ mate you’ve had ruff twelve years!
We headed out for the scrub in session with me feeling bloody sore from the day before but as soon as we got on the track adrenalin kicked in and we had an awesome mini race with Alex and Glen…in AJ’s words “the best three lap race he’d had since arriving in the North Island”. Race two saw not so hectic a first corner but the pace was just as hot for a lap or two and slowing slightly had AJ and Glen on our case and Pinky coming up as well. Swapping places a few times and really enjoying it again until we started running out of fuel around left handers…we…well Burts son Daniel actually…(but then Kai txt me to say it’s always the swingers fault) hadn’t topped up the tank after the scrub ‘race’ and the fuel was swilling away from the tank pick-up. It would chime back in to action as soon as we got out of the corner but left us in a lonely 8th place…Bugger!
We lined up for race three and Burt wanted me to stay off the back wheel so he could lay a strip on the start line. We started of laying a huge black strip and into turn one mid field pecking off those that had got past us on the line and into it for a couple of laps and then slowing slightly until AJ and Glen and Pinky were on our case and then it was all on again. Tracey and Jo were absolutely nailing it and we were swapping places several times a lap until on the last lap (and un-be-known to me, we’d had a broken clutch cable since lap two) Burt got his foot tangled up in the gear lever and accidentally down-changed while on full chat down the start straight. The over-rev had me cringing and then a few corners latter Burt let Pinky go by and we were looking to pass them on the outside around turn nine when there was a hell of a clatter as number 1 conrod punched its way out the front of the crankcase. Luckily we were able to pull straight off into the catch area between the two tracks so there was no oil left on the track. Oil was on fire in the catch tray and Burt managed to get out and lift the front of the fairing allowing a track marshal to extinguish the flames…Thanks Mate!
A real shame our weekend had to end with us getting a trailer ride and if I can help in any way with an engine re-build you have my number Burt. Thanks mate for an unforgettable experience… Will I be lining up for another dose of that?…you can count on it. The weekend ended with Tracey and Jo gaining 4NZ and if it hadn’t been for a DNF (due to a piece of wire flicking up off the track at Timaru and shorting a coil out) they would have been 3NZ. Doesn’t matter, my daughter and Tracey have made me so proud, thanks girls, awesome!!!!

**Fast Eddie** · 25th March 2013, 12:10

Good write up Nev, glad you enjoyed the moderns

this IOM TT chair looks bad ass..

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**kiwi cowboy** · 25th March 2013, 18:57

Video's video's video's of the races.
Been waiting for the vids to come up from the nats but seems no side chairs hed videos on for the nort island rounds????????????????????.

**Fast Eddie** · 25th March 2013, 19:04

Originally Posted by kiwi cowboy

Video's video's video's of the races.
Been waiting for the vids to come up from the nats but seems no side chairs hed videos on for the nort island rounds????????????????????.

there were on board cams.. everyone is just too lazy to put em online and link it up!

we always got ours up like same day or next day

for the fans haha

**kiwi cowboy** · 25th March 2013, 19:08

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie

there were on board cams.. everyone is just too lazy to put em online and link it up!

we always got ours up like same day or next day

for the fans haha

From what i hear thats only cos you were that slow your swinger had time to up load them from the chair as you were actualy raceing

just kiddin

**Weaver** · 25th March 2013, 19:40

I'll load up our fastest hillclimb run tomorrow evening.

**Kickaha** · 25th March 2013, 20:14

Originally Posted by kiwi cowboy

Video's video's video's of the races.
Been waiting for the vids to come up from the nats but seems no side chairs hed videos on for the nort island rounds????????????????????.

There will be a couple coming up, one from Pinky and one from MacDonalds

**kiwi cowboy** · 25th March 2013, 21:14

Originally Posted by Kickaha

There will be a couple coming up, one from Pinky and one from MacDonalds

Cool thanks i havent been racing for a while and enjoy watching the vids.

**Kickaha** · 25th March 2013, 21:17

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**jellywrestler** · 25th March 2013, 21:27

Originally Posted by kiwi cowboy

Video's video's video's of the races.
Been waiting for the vids to come up from the nats but seems no side chairs hed videos on for the nort island rounds????????????????????.

ctas has em