With on two weeks to the 31st running of the ACU/FSRA British F2 Sidecar Championship. Interest has been high since the end of last season and that has led to 32 teams registering for this year’s six rounds. That support allied to the retention of our three series sponsors augurs well for the F2 scene. A huge thank you to Yorkshire Engine Supplies (Mal Curnin), A.V.Craine & Sons (Davey and Beryl) and Lockside Engineering Castleford (Jim Norbury). So, who’s going to win? As usual, I’ll sit on the fence but am prepared to give a ‘short’ list of 8 or 9 who will probably be ‘there or thereabouts’!!
Gary Bryan and Jamie Winn won last year in the final seconds of the last race, just two points clear of Alan Founds and Tom Peters who also won the F2 Cup. Conrad Harrison and Lee Patterson led the championship until late season, while Ian and Carl Bell won more races than any other team but only finished 6
th. If that’s not enough, three times winners, John Holden and Andy Winkle, return for another year while the reigning Superside world champion Tim Reeves, reunited with Patrick Farrance, will also be lining up. At the end of last season Lee Crawford, then with Stuart Ramsey in the chair, took in a couple of wildcard rides and more than impressed. Lee, now with Luke Capewell alongside, has been in fine form this season and will be keen to at least be on the podium. John and Jake Lowther, along with Dean Lindley and Rob Bell will also be aiming for top six placings at least.
As mentioned, Founds and Peters won the F2 Cup last year and they, along with Lindley and Bell who were second, have been ‘promoted’ to Super F2 status. The F2 Cup is the competition within a competition and is open to the lesser-experienced teams. Lee Crawford is eligible to score points in it as are Sean Reeves and Mark Wilkes so a battle royal is on the cards there. Besides, the teams who finished 3
rd and 4
th last year will be back, namely Thomas and Tom Quaye, Steve and Mattie Ramsden (both father-and-son pairings).
You might expect this influx of youth and enthusiasm resulting in some of the very experienced teams sliding down the table. Just don’t mention it to Tony and Fiona Baker, Gordon Shand and Phil Hyde, Dave Wallis and Steve Wareham, Roy Hanks and Kevin Perry as well as Dave Atkinson and TT winning passenger Mike Aylott. All these teams are used to battling for points and this year will not be any different.
Also a welcome to Lewis Blackstock, Kevin Morgan, Dan Knight, Wayne Lockey, Pete Founds and their passengers to the championship, we hope you enjoy your racing season. And a special welcome to Australian Dwight Beere, along with Austrian Michael Grabmuller and his Swiss partner Sophie Kirchhofer. Thanks to the race officials and all at Wirral 100 for the opportunity to begin the championship at Oulton Park, popular with both competitors and spectators.
John Newton, FSRA Press Officer.