It was yet another beautiful morning in Lommel ahead of round 8 of the FIM World Sidecarcross Championship and what was going to be a gruelling day on this unforgiving track.
Race Report by Barry Nutley – Images courtesy of WSC
Organiser Davy Maris now in his second year of running the event, was in good form last evening when we interviewed him. He commented – “I have had sidecar motocross in my life for as long as I can remember. It’s my work, my hobby, and my passion. To be running the Grand Prix here in Lommel again is just fantastic”.
Morning warm-up took place on his well-prepared track, already used by the supporting national sidecar riders. Etienne Bax sensed a good weekend ahead and appeared to make the most of the session, picking lines and testing his speed.
The rider’s presentation and autograph session rounded off the preliminaries, and suddenly it was race time.
Race One – It was now seriously warm ahead of this opening race. The teams were sheltering before the race but when the gate dropped all that was forgotten. Tim Prummer/Jarno Steegmans shot into the lead again, with Etienne Bax last away into turn one after getting caught up in the gate.
Koen Hermans/Ben Van Den Bogaart were second, but on lap two they passed Prummer to lead. Marvin Vanluchene/Nicolas Musset sat third from Marco Heinzer/Ruedi Betschart and Brett Wilkinson/Joe Millard.
Next time around Vanluchene was second and Wilkinson had succumbed to Justin Keuben who also had Prummer in his sights. Brett had now got past Heinzer so was now fifth behind Keuben.
Bax meanwhile was up to ninth place and making huge ground. Keuben was now threatening the red plate of Vanluchene, and Wilkinson/Millard were homing in on fourth place behind Prummer/Steegmans. Incredibly, Bax/Cermak were now up to sixth having gone past Heinzer/Betschart.
This was an amazing performance for the reigning champions. They were closing fast as Keuben/Rietman moved second past Vanluchene. The gap to race leader Hermans was around fifteen seconds, but Keuben was flying, as indeed was Bax.
With ten minutes left, Brett Wilkinson passed Vanluchene to go third and put the red plate between himself and the charging Bax/Cermak.
Prummer was slowing, much to his dismay, but Bax was now fifth and ever present on Vanluchene. Then he was past and up to fourth looking at Wilkinson/Millard.
Such was the battle at the front, that those lower down, albeit racing frantically, hardly featured in the excitement. Then huge drama came as Bax passed Wilkinson, only for Koen Hermans and Ben Van Den Bogaart to retire in a cloud of steam allowing Keuben into the lead.
Bax/Cermak had fashioned sheer magic from nothing, to come from the back after being stuck at the gate to pass Keuben on the final lap and take victory.
This must go down as the race of the season in terms of heroics from Bax/Cermak and heartbreak for Hermans/Van Den Bogaart.
Result
Race Two – This would have to be a good one to match what went before, but it had all the promise. Could Tim Prummer repeat his hole shot?
The answer to that was a resounding yes as the blue and orange shot to the front. Giving chase was Bax, and he went ahead on the opening lap.
Vanluchene/Musset came next from Heinzer and Wilkinson.
Hermans was pressing Wilkinson, but it was early days. The British driver was holding his nerve. Keuben was now ahead of Sanders and Prunier and sitting seventh behind Heinzer, as Wilkinson began to close down Prummer who had been passed by Vanluchene. Twenty minutes in and Prummer had gone, Hermans/Van Den Bogaart had moved third, and Wilkinson sat fourth. He needed to pass Vanluchene and keep Keuben behind him for an overall podium, but those teams were all motoring well.
Bax was charging at the front, the Husky thundering along ahead of Vanluchene’s Zabel. The two Mega engines in the race sat with Sanders and Lielbardis in ninth and eleventh places.
Wilkinson flew past Hermans on the run down to the start area into third, with Vanluchene not far ahead. This was another fantastic race by all the top guns.
Next time round, Wilkinson had shot past Vanluchene on his way to an overall podium. Hermans was with him, so it was going to be a close call.
Into the last few laps and Wilkinson looked as cool as Bax did out front. This was another great display by the defending champions.
Bax/Cermak had a twenty-four second lead going into the final two laps with Wilkinson/Millard a good distance clear of Hermans/Ven den Bogaart. It was damage limitation for Hermans, but he’d take that.
That’s how it ended with Bax on a maximum and Wilkinson second overall.
Result
Overall Result
