The track was beautifully prepared for the qualifying races of the British round FIM World Sidecarcross Championship and in good shape as free practice gave the teams their first look. It was clear that weeks of work had gone into preparations here at Cusses Gorse to make this GP a memorable event.
Report by Barry Nutley – Images courtesy of WSC
Group “A” teams enjoyed the first session with the Prunier brothers looking impressive as they jumped the table-top at the finish line.
Group “B” and the Lielbardis boys were immediately into it. Would this be the day of the young guns? Only time would tell. The on-site camping was already sold out and a good crowd in place for what was shaping up as an epic weekend.
Timed Practice –
Team Prunier was very quickly in the groove in Group “A”, jumping high and long over the table-top finish jump. As the session unfolded, Koen Hermans/Ben Van Den Bogaart stamped their authority with a 2.19.513 with Sanders/Rostingt and Vanluchene/Musset close behind. Heinzer/Betschart were also fast on their left-handed KTM. The returning Jake Brown with Josh Chamberlain alongside banged in a 2.21.652 to go fourth after twenty minutes.
Group “B” saw the Lielbardis twins on top form with a 2.20.128 ahead of Bax, Foden and Wilkinson. This was the picture at half-distance and four laps completed. Gert Van Werven, back with his freshly mended collarbone, were close behind Tim Prummer in sixth pace.
Then the Bax/Cermak machine kicked into action and set the fastest time of the weekend so far, claiming first choice of the gate in their race.
British teams were third and fourth as Dan Foden/Ryan Humphrey headed Brett Wilkinson/Joe Millard. In the dying seconds, Bax found almost one extra second to get into the 2.18’s and really put the lid on it.
Qualifying race “A”
Clouds had gathered just before this one, but that did not affect the start. Koen Hermans/Ben Van Den Bogaart took the hole shot from Marvin Vanluchene/Nicolas Musset and Justin Keuben/Dion Rietman.
Adrian Peter ran wide, taking out the green fence, before rejoining in last place. Marco Heinzer/Reudi Betschart were next up with Davy Sanders/Luc Rostingt and the flying Prunier boys on their tails. The front two were split by just one second as Vanluchene set about taking the lead from Hermans.
The lap times were much quicker than pre-qualifying, with Vanluchene doing a fastest of 2.17.732 on lap three. Lap five, and Heinzer was up to third ahead of Keuben, from Sanders and a rapid Prunier. The French Champions were high over the tabletop and almost landed in Sander’s sidecar with two laps to go. Hermans now had a four second edge over the red plate holders and looked home and dry going into the final lap. Still Sanders kept Prunier at bay and looked every bit in control of his fifth place behind Keuben and Heinzer. Jake Brown/Josh Chamberlain secured seventh ahead of Michael Hodges/Jack Wilkinson.
Result
Qualifying race “B”
It would be interesting to see what Bax could do this time, as the track had cut up a little in race one.
Tim Prummer again got the hole shot from Dan Foden/Ryan Humphrey with Bax/Cermak in third from Lielbardis and Wilkinson/Millard.
Lap two and Bax was ahead of Prummer, with Brett Wilkinson going into third as Prummer/Lebreton slipped back. The British crew were magnificent over the big jump at the back of the circuit, and that paid dividends.
Stuart Brown/Nathan Cooper were also having a strong ride, making their way up to fifth place on lap four, edging past Prummer, demoting the German/French duo to sixth. Gert Gordejev was out on lap two, so he would be at the back of the gate in the Grand Prix races.
Lap five and Lielbardis was in second, passing Wilkinson down the bottom of the track, but Brett was having none of it. He repaid the compliment one lap later, although he was some ten seconds adrift of the defending champions.
Brown was now in fourth as Foden slipped back not the clutches of Prummer/Lebreton riding consistently.
Closing laps and Lielbardis now had the beating of the top British crew, but Wilkinson was safe in third, from fellow British crew Brown/Cooper.
Prummer had nailed Dan Foden into fifth place, so his hole shot was far from wasted. Bax’s lap times were a couple of seconds shy of Herman’s in the earlier race, but track conditions had worsened as the race ran its course.
Final lap and Stephan Wijers/Loet Van Der Putten had also passed Dan Foden, and as Bax lifted victory, they celebrated sixth place.
Result
No Last Chance was required, as all entrants fill the start gate from both qualifying races.
