IMBA Sidecar at Long Lane

Written by MIKE WOOD Tuesday, 12 July 2011 00:00

Last Sunday certainly proved to be a very difficult day at the office for the Team GB riders contesting their home round of the 2011 IMBA European Sidecar Championship,as crews from across the Channel filled the top twelve places in the final overall standings.

On the Shropshire,sand-based Long Lane track,the lads from Belgium and Holland in particular revelled in the conditions with defending Champions Jarno van de Boomen/Henry van de Wiel taking the win,joined on the podium by Jan Goethals/Dimitri Vandeursen and Gerton Kops/Roger van Lagemaat.Top Brits on the day were David Petty/Thomas Andrews in 13^th with Alan Peever/Tony Phillips 16^th, Aled and Iwan Evans 18^th,Tom Mann/Neil Burke 21st,Andy and David Nourish 22^nd,Elliot Hugill/Mike Curnow 23^rd,Nigel and Jason Green 24^th and Neil Warrington/Chris Whatmore 28^th.Main support for the three wheeled action was provided by round five of the AMCA 2-Stroke Championship with Yorkshireman Danny Blakeley extending his series lead after taking the win ahead of Jack Bas and Rian Warren.

In the opening IMBA Sidecar clash of the day,it was Belgians Goethals and current Championship leaders Andreas Closhe/Christian Verhagen who were the fastest away chased by a hungry,trio of Dutch crews.Top Brit in the early stages was Hugill in a fine 10^th whilst Warrington,Mann and the Nourish boys had all struck trouble on the first deep uphill climb.Meanwhile there was also to be drama at the front as Closhe was forced to pull-up after his passenger Verhagen had injured his ankle.However desperate to keep their title hopes firmly alive,the determined Belgian was though to refuse medical attention so that they could still finish the race,albeit in last place!!.Upfront his fellow countryman the super Goethals had controlled all the way to the chequered flag ahead of Kops,van de Boomen who had charged through in style from an early 9^th,Ton van Keulen/Marcel van Wanrooji,Patrick Greup/ Ronnie Meulenbroek and Swiss boys Josua Luscher/Ronny Gloor.First Brits home was Petty in 12^th,closely followed by teamates Peever(13^th) and the Evans(15^th).After his earlier strong start,Hugill was to disappear from proceedings on lap seven.

Following a very heavy rain shower,track conditions were radically different for IMBA moto two,but it did not prevent that man Goethals from making another stunning start to thus lead Dutch lads Kops,van de Boomen and van Keulen.With van Keulen then dropping out of contention and back to 16^th spot following a very heavy crash,it signalled the start of a classic three way tussle for the win which was to rage all the way to the chequered flag.With just two laps remaining,van de Boomen then displayed his class by blasting past Goethals to snatch the victory.First Brit past the finishing post was yet again Petty in 14^th despite losing places at one point when being baulked by his own teamate!!.Determined as ever,Peever got home in 16^th,Hugill 18^th,Evans 20^th,Nourish 21^st,Mann 23^rd and Green 25^th.For Warrington though moto two was to prove disasterous,seizing his engine on the opening lap,an incident which signalled the end of his participation for the remainder of the event.

Despite yet more rain falling,the final IMBA moto was to be another Sidecar thriller as the fast starting Goethals made it a holeshot hat-trick before locking horns with van de Boomen and Closhe.In a top quality battle,Boomen stormed into control on lap three,followed through two circuits later by Closhe.Breaking away from the pack that’s the way it remained right the way to another tight finish.Holding 10^th in the early stages,Petty was to eventually get home in 14^th following an impressive ride with North West rider Hugill the next best in 16^th,Evans 18^th,Peever 19^th, Mann 22^nd and Nourish 23^rd whilst Green retired on lap three.Despite the European dominance at Long Lane,the Brits all battled hard,as always giving their supporters 110% effort.

Over in the AMCA 2 Stroke Championship,moto one opened proceedings by producing a great three way battle for the win as Danny Blakeley had to resist constant pressure and see off Adam Harris and Jack Bas.Such was the terrific pace of the leading trio that 4^th placed Rian Warren finished a further 48 seconds in arrears with Thurlow Bone in 5^th and George Hough 6^th.

The super Blakeley again had to fight off Bas and Harris in the early stages of moto two.However with Harris then dropping out,Danny turned on the style to eventually get home 19 seconds ahead of Bas with Warren in an impressive 3^rd chased by Ashley Wilson,Nigel Woodman and Hough.Following his disappointment in the second clash,Harris was though to gain some compensation in the final 2-Stroke moto when he passed Blakeley on lap seven to thus take the win.However knowing that he had the overall verdict in the bag,Danny was happy to maintain a safe 2^nd spot ahead of usual suspects Bas,Warren,Wilson,Woodman and Hough.

Completing the busy Long Lane programme,Bradley Tranter,Michael Hicken,Jack Tompkins and Harry Pritchard were to take the respective overall victories in the Experts,Seniors,Juniors and Inter Juniors Group Supporting action.

Mike Wood (www.moto-action.co.uk)

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