Sidecar Racing

**nodrog:Me** · 2nd August 2012, 18:46

Originally Posted by sidecar bob

.....enjoy your sidecar ...., & if anyone tries to tell you where & when you can & cant race it, tell them to get fucked.

This wasnt really helpful advice, I tried to tell them lastnight as I was just going down cameron road to test the carbs, your mate Tim wasnt happy, again.

**Fast Eddie** · 2nd August 2012, 18:55

haha.. road testing sidecars doesn't seem to go well often..

..they also end up backwards in trees

**Kickaha** · 2nd August 2012, 18:56

Originally Posted by nodrog

This wasnt really helpful advice, I tried to tell them lastnight as I was just going down cameron road to test the carbs, your mate Tim wasnt happy, again.

We used to do "road tests" until a neighbour rang another neighbour to find out who those "noisy bastards" racing up and down the road were so she could report it to the police

**sidecar bob** · 2nd August 2012, 19:06

The first piece of advice I got from Charly Dolph, (80's sidecar builder & top passenger) while we were building our first outfit in '87 was, "never ride this on the street, I have had more mates killed testing sidecars on the road, than racing" I never forgot that.

**Kickaha** · 2nd August 2012, 19:15

Originally Posted by sidecar bob

The first piece of advice I got from Charly Dolph, (80's sidecar builder & top passenger) while we were building our first outfit in '87 was, "never ride this on the street, I have had more mates killed testing sidecars on the road, than racing" I never forgot that.

Yeah two speedway guys found that out the hard way
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/620...-in-bike-crash

**nodrog:Me** · 3rd August 2012, 16:34

Originally Posted by Kickaha

Yeah two speedway guys found that out the hard way
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/620...-in-bike-crash

Bloody Dirt Squirters!

**Fast Eddie** · 5th August 2012, 11:43

Heads up! King of Levels round 2 is this upcoming weekend (Aug 11th)

If anyone wants to have a couple laps on a sidecar come over and see us during the day (before lunch break) Just walk up and say g'day we are all friendly and keen to get people into it. - I am the number 35 outfit

I'll take you for a few laps at lunch and the other guys will prob be keen too. Its fun if you haven't tried it you should at least give it one go.

Also, I'm going to be in Timaru the friday before (10th Aug) just for some testing laps, so if you live in timaru or are there, pop into the track around 12pm-3pm and happy to give you a few laps as well, probably better on the friday as more time to stuff around. again number 35 sidecar if your not sure where to head.

You will need leathers/helmet/gloves.

Cheers!

PM me for any more details or info eh. happy to help out

**Fast Eddie** · 6th August 2012, 14:54

Change of plan, we probably won't be at the track this friday - I didn't realise timaru costs 50 dollars per hour to test on..

compared to chch which is 50 for half a day. bout 12-4.30 5 is usually my half day spent there.

Anyway, come along to the races on saturday. might be some cookies and cake floating around too

no promises though

**Kickaha** · 11th August 2012, 08:08

World champs on this weekend and the first all female crew competing at it

Photo and article by Big Wally http://www.wallysracephotos.com/

Originally Posted by Big Wally

Overcast, but dry and warm greeted 22 sidecar teams for the qualifying sessions. After free practice a few of the top teams were having to make adjustments to front and back suspension.

As qualifying one got under way, it was clear that Jorg Steinhausen and Gregory Cluze, Steinhausen Racing, LCR, BMW wanted to get a clear track and get a fast time, and they did, they set the fastest time of 1:31.004, however as the session came to an end they found that they had lost water from the engine, so it was back to their garage to investigate, and with little time before the second qualifying session they were going to work hard, as too were Kurt Hock and Enrico Becker, Hock Racing, LCR, Suzuki, as they had some major mechanical problems, and I think they have to change an engine, but they managed to set the eighth fastest time of 1:33.808. Just in front of them are the Hegarty/Lawson Team of Sean Hegarty and Calum Lawson on their LCR Suzuki, they set a time of 1:33.764 and hope to improve in the second qualifying session, Sean said “it is good to be back racing at this level and we don’t have any problems with the bike, we are looking forward to the next session”

Second to Steinhausen and Cluze is the Birchall Brothers Ben and Tom on their Mitchells of Mansfield, LCR, Yamaha with a time of 1:31.104 they had no problems and hope to improve on their time, third fastest is Pekka Paivarinta and Adolf Hanni, Team Suzuki Finland, LCR, Suzuki with a time of 1:31.390. Marcus Schlosser and Thomas Hofer set a time of 1:31.598 on their Team Schlosser, LCR, Suzuki, with Tim Reeves and Ashley Hawes fifth with a time of 1:31.675 on their “The Relocator” LCR, Suzuki.

Qualifying 2 got under way with the same conditions as the first, dry and warm, this would determine the grid positions for tomorrow and Sunday’s races.

The top five teams did not improve on their times from the first qualifying session so this left Jorg Steinhausen and Gregory Cluze starting from pole position but they still have a water problem with their machine so they only managed six laps in this session, and they will be working into the night to rectify this problem. Only 00:00.100 separate them and second place on the grid the Birchall Brothers, Ben and Tom who had a steady qualifying session with no problems with their machine and look forward to tomorrow’s race. Sitting third is Pekka Paivarinta and Adolf Hanni they too did not have any problems. Markus Schlosser and Thomas Hofer are pleased with their fourth place on the grid just in front of Tim Reeves and Ashley Hawes, they had a warning light come up on their dash board but could not find any problems with their machine.

Sitting eleventh on the grid is Bennie Streuer and new passenger Freek Dirksen on their Team Streuer, LCR, Suzuki, a problem for them as the passenger fell out of the sidecar, but was back in the paddock with no problems and he will be okay for the races.

This weekend sees the first all female sidecar team competing in the World Championship level, Sophia Kirchofer and Anna Burkard are enjoying the experienceon their Ladies Team Suisse, LCR Suzuki, and after the first qualifying session they made some adjustments to their machine and will start the races with a qualifying time of 1:40.292

**Fast Eddie** · 11th August 2012, 19:56

cool

one on the left looks alright eh.

Good weekend at King of Levels today.

took 3 girls for a couple 'have a go laps' not a single lad..

you're all soft!

Day was mint, we were at the gate nice and early, about quarter to 8. Put the slicks back on the bike and said hello to the other lads.. 4 sidecars today, up 1 from the usual turnout

Bike fired up sweet, warmed it up and checked a couple thing. Pretty much running it exactly how we bought it but playing around a little with tyre pressures to find some grip.
Since our first season as a team, swinger fresh into the sport, 1st race in the dry today for us and only 2nd race in total. We had a goal for the rest of this season to get down to the mid 1.20's around Levels. New bike, new team, and thats about what this bike was doing with its old owner apart from the odd good day.
Practice was new, first time in the dry so it was alot faster than last time, Swinger forgot what he was supposed to do briefly and the bike was a mess. Set a qualifying time of 1.28.00. Were kind of pleased with that since he was barely on the thing.

First race was good, this bike launches pretty well, so we shot to 2nd and almost went for 1st but figured we would just be getting in the way. Sat in 2nd for a good few laps but having big problems with the gear shifting and got neutrals alot which saw us drop to 3rd.. back into 2nd for a brief stint then more missed shifts and cursing to the heavens. finished 3rd. Best time of 1.27.3.. again pretty happy with that as the bike we were dicing with told us we looked bloody sketchy and was waiting for the swinger to drop off or something interesting to happen!

Second race all good, we decided to launch for it and hopped to 1st, first couple corners ok, onto the main straigh, pop into false neutral, 3 attempts to get it into the next gear and finally (bit hard on gear lol) slammed it in. Dropped to last I think by then, Couple good laps, I think we got back to 3rd, starting picking up the pace with the swinger getting into the swing of things and getting used to the sudden jump in pace from our wet outings.

I think the 3rd or 4th lap saw us cock up turn 2 (back in 3rd by then) and head for the tyre wall, came very close but somehow managed to keep bike under control and pop back out in track.. well last by now. Sore foot from the shit gear shifter and tired from hitting so many disappointing neutrals. Engine had been well abused.
Best lap time of 1.26.3 getting close to the 1.25 we wanted.. and since we are so close we reset the goal to closer to 1.20.. lets say low 1.20's if we can. Still a bit untidy and pleeenty of experience and practice to go!

Last race meh, both getting tired, 7 laps of missed shifts wasn't looking that exciting but once the bike fired up I was keen to go.. quick warm up lap and ready for launch. Stall.. had it in 2nd or 3rd.. heaaaps of clutch to get it going and by then we are like a 1/4 lap down and a couple missed shifts and thats half a lap behind.. left it in 5th gear and just cruised, swinger liked this

dunno what lap times were, will look on mylaps later to see..
bonus of pissing around by ourselves in last race was I got to just concentrate on the back straight, so floor it and just don't let go until I passed the 100m marker then brake hard and point it in.. I was having trouble with braking too early and got a bit of a feeel for it in that last race, might knock a couple more millisecond off the lap times just that alone.

Mint day all round, up in chch next week for some prac laps of ruapuna and to start painting the bike in its Agip colors