The tenth round of the 2023 FIM World Sidecarcross Championship took place at Redbrae Park in Northern Ireland.
Race Report by Barry Nutley – Images courtesy of WSC
After heavy rain at the end of qualifying and overnight, the track was becoming soft and slippery. The decision was taken to abandon warm-up and give extra sighting laps before race one. There was a real air of uncertainty among some teams, whilst others were relishing the prospect of two muddy races. For sure the conditions would test the best and build in an extra level of discipline. The nerves of those at the top of the standings were jangling, because they had more to lose. The lower order teams had everything to gain. The track had worked well in qualifying, and seemed to drain well, so fingers were crossed there would not be too much more rain.
Rider’s presentation included all the organising officials and FIM delegates as well as the European Quad competitors. Formalities over, it was time to go racing.
Race One – The rain had returned during the previous European Quad Championship race, and the track was very sticky indeed.
This would call for a good start and very careful riding throughout the entire race distance. The gate dropped and the muddy charge up the hill saw /Musset in the lead from Foden/Humphrey and the Lielbardis boys. Bax/Cermak were down in seven having not left the line well. Brett Wilkinson/Joe Millard had a shocking start, getting rammed and capsizing at turn one. That gave them a lot of work to do from very last place. Bax was fighting through at an incredible rate and on lap four was already up to third and closing. Then came Hermans, Keuben, Prummer and Prunier.
Brett Wilkinson/Joe Millard were now in the top fifteen dicing with Brown/Cooper, as Bax kept up his relentless push at the front.
He just could not find a way past the Latvian brothers and lap after lap was obliged to chase and watch Vanluchene ease away. Keuben sat fifth, with arch-rival Wilkinson now up to thirteenth and moving forward.
The red plate holders had an eight second advantage over the Lielbardis twins and still Bax could not better them. Suddenly they were all over Vanluchene/Musset with four laps left to go. The race leaders were slowing but holding on. Prummer took Keuben for fifth and was shortly relegated again as the Dutchmen fought back. This was Bax’s race to win and he was going for it.
Wilkinson was having an amazing fight through the field now in eleventh place, but still giving points away to Keuben. Into the final lap and Prummer was once again in fifth, doing Wilkinson a favour in the process. Then sensationally, Bax was ahead of Vanluchene, stealing the twenty-five points and reducing his deficit by a further three as he and Cermak took victory.
Result
Race Two – It would have to be a good one to match the opener, but the track was now giving grip and there was every chance it would be another cracker. Just as the bikes were preparing to line-up, heavy spots of rain were falling, so there was even more interest thrown in.
From the gate it was the Bax/Cermak machine back in business from Vanluchene/Musset, Hermans/Van Den Bogaart and Wilkinson/Millard.
Davy Sanders was ahead of the Lielbardis’s, Keuben/Rietman and Prummer/Lebreton.
The leading two were very close, with Vanluchene desperate to claw back the points he lost in race one. Koen Hermans was just off the lead pace so was slipping back slightly.
Wilkinson/Millard were being hounded by Sanders/Rostingt who looked threatening, diving left and right to find a hole. Then on lap five, Vanluchene shot past Bax to set the record straight and assume the lead.
He opened around eight seconds and Bax seemingly had no reply, with Hermans a decent distance behind him. Wilkinson was now clear in fourth, with Keuben chasing hard.
Sanders/Rostingt hit some problem and dropped a few places to eighth, as the Lielbardis twins set after Keuben for fifth place.
Vanluchene/Musset had found something extra this time and had Bax and Cermak beaten on speed as they extended their advantage to over ten seconds. Keuben/Rietman hit trouble and dropped out of contention with a mechanical fault.
With two laps remaining, the seal was set for Vanluchene/Musset to take race and overall victory despite the brave fight from Etienne Bax/Ondrej Cermak.
The points gap is once again eighteen points advantage to Vanluchene and Musset.
Result
Overall Result
