Another scorching morning, spectators arriving, track in perfect condition after the storm and all was set for a great day here in Loket for the qualifying races of round 12 of the 2023 World Sidecarcross Championship.
Report by Barry Nutley – Images courtesy of WSC
Free practice by group tested the track, with a universal “thumbs up” from the teams. With nine nations taking part, a larger than usual contingent from Germany and a full entry from the Netherlands, the grid would be full without the need for last chance qualifying. Two lady passengers in the form of Celine Jahn from Germany and Clementine Thamri from France made for a varied and colourful line-up.
Timed Practice – Much was hanging on this Loket round for several teams, so the search for one quick lap took on even more meaning than usual. Marvin Vanluchene/Nicolas Musset had come prepared with two identical machines, taking no chances. Their slim eighteen-point edge was fragile, and they knew it. Just three laps into the Group “A” session and they had gone top with a 2.03.295. Half-distance and Koen Hermans/Ben Van Den Bogaart jumped into second fastest just one-tenth shy of Vanluchene.
Heinzer, Lielbardis and Sanders were all quick, less than two seconds behind the pole position time.
Group “B” and Etienne Bax had work to do, armed with the information from the previous group. He and Ondrej Cermak did their customary steady early laps, whilst Dan Foden/Ryan Humphrey were on it from the word go with a 2.05.914, only to see Keuben/Rietman eclipse that into the low 2.04’s.
Bax responded, and suddenly it was game on. Next time around he was into the 2.03’s almost matching Vanluchene. Then finally, a flying lap took him into new territory with a 2.02.845 and prime choice of gate. The championship rivals were destined to carry this fight through the entire weekend it would seem.
Qualifying Race Group “A”
It was seriously hot for the two races, and as Vanluchene/Musset shot into the lead of race one, Adrian Peter/Joel Hoffmann tangled mid pack along the straight and rolled over spectacularly. Into the first left with Vanluchene leading from Lielbardis and Hermans.
Marco Heinzer/Ruedi Betschart rode up the bank on the exit of the bend only to come crashing down. They were destined to fight from dead last which they did in style.
The Lielbardis twins still lay second, but stopped momentarily, bunching up a four-way scrap for second place. Hermans misery continued as they once again retired from the fray on lap two.
Stephan Wijers/Loet van der Putten were holding off Thom van de Lagemaat and Han van Hal in third and fourth. Sanders/Rostingt were fighting through from a lowly first lap position and were looking strong. They were to push on to make it to third at the flag. Meanwhile, at half distance, Heinzer was up to eighth and charging, with Vanluchene now twenty seconds clear at the front. Two thirds in and Heinzer was in seventh behind the Weinmann brothers, with a chance of improving.
That chance was fulfilled one lap later into sixth place as Vanluchene kept the Lielbardis boys twenty seconds behind. That was how it finished, with Vanluchene/Musset in the pound seats for tomorrow’s GP races.
Result
Qualifying Race Group “B”
It was yet another fantastic hole shot from Tim Prummer/Rodolphe Lebreton ahead of Willemsen/Gabor and Bax/Cermak. Brett Wilkinson/Joe Millard were next up ahead of rivals Keuben/Rietman. Dan Foden got caught up as did the Leferink brothers with a big job on to recover.
One lap later, Etienne Baz passed Prummer over the top of the hill jumping into the lead as Willemsen faltered. On lap three, Wilkinson muscled past the German Prummer and set after Bax. Keuben tried the same move, but Prummer held strong with a two-second edge over Keuben.
At half-distance, the Prunier brothers were on the back wheel of Daniel Willemsen and moments later went past into fifth.
Foden/Humprey had recovered brilliantly and were now in sixth place going like a train.
Gert Van Werven/Aivar van de Wiel sat seventh with Willemsen/Gabor fading a little. The heat must have been a nightmare, but the teams all fought valiantly in very tough conditions.
Foden was now on the back wheel of the Prunier boys with time enough to capitalise. Try as he might, it was to no avail.
Prummer was eventually to drop to fifth place after a sterling ride.
Result
