BIRCHALL BROTHERS - RACE TWO – TT

The Birchall Brothers from Mansfield were denied a finish in the second of the two F11 sidecar races at the Isle of Man festival due to an unfortunate accident involving Nick Crowe and Mark Cox. The race was immediately red-flagged and subsequently abandoned with the officials then making a statement that the race will not be rescheduled which leaves Ben and Tom without a finish this year.

After their engine let go on the final lap of race one earlier in the week when they were lying in a comfortable sixth place, the team worked hard to fit a new race engine ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s practice session.

The practice time gave the pair a chance to make sure everything was A-ok for Wednesday’s race but things took a dramatic turn for the worse when they hit a pheasant on the first lap as they went through Sulby.

“I thought we just gave it a glancing blow,” said Ben. “We didn’t think there was any damage so carried on to the end of the lap. Everything appeared to be ok so we went straight through to start lap two.

“But as we approached Barragarrow on our second run, the engine let go and the petrol tank burst. We were able to stop ok and on examination we discovered the bird had hit us harder than we thought and flattened the exhaust.

“So the pheasant caused us a lot of expense, time and effort. We had to replace the fuel tank, exhaust and the damaged bodywork plus find an engine for the race. We got one from a road bike but it was a standard engine and we knew our chances of a decent result in Wednesday’s race were slim.”

The team worked hard through the night to make the repairs to the outfit and they took their place on the start line for the second three-lap race around the 37.73-mile TT course.

The race had been delayed from a 1.15pm start because of earlier rain and eventually the boys set off at 6.15pm.

Because of the lack of engine speed the Birchall Brothers were down in 13th place at the Glen Helen check point and could only manage a time of 132.6mph through the Sulby speed trap – over 10mph less than those ahead.

But they began to make up ground and were running in 11th position when the race was red flagged at Ramsey. The riders were held at Ramsey for a while and then proceeded around the course back to the paddock to find the race had been abandoned.

“We saw the accident just after it had happened,” said Ben. “It looked like a plane crash with the outfit on fire. Our thoughts are with Nick and Mark who are laid up in hospital with various injuries including broken bones and the whole team wish them both a speedy recovery.

“It is a shame they cant find the time on Friday to re-run the race as it means we have been here for two weeks and not even made it to the finish line but we would like to give a big thank you to our team who have worked so hard to keep us on the track over the last two weeks and also our sponsors who have given us the opportunity to compete at the TT this year.”

The Mitchells of Mansfield/Dave Holden Racing sponsored brothers will shortly head home and begin to make preparations for their second outing in the FIM Superside F1 sidecar World Championship that is set to take place at Albacete in Spain over the weekend of July 8 – 10.

The duo are currently joint leaders in the series and a couple of good results could consolidate that.

The boys have just this minute returned to the paddock and told me the problem was an engine failure. They will be working flat out this evening to change the engine ahead of practice on Tuesday.

Practice for the sidecar crews takes place at 2.45pm on Tuesday afternoon.

Ben said: “We are disappointed with the non finish as we were looking good for sixth place. That would have been a really good result for us. But it wasn’t to be and we have it all to do again on Wednesday.”

The second of the three-lap sidecar races is set to start at 1.15pm on Wednesday.

BIRCHALL BROTHERS DENIED SIXTH PLACE IN TT OPENER

Ben and Tom Birchall from Mansfield were denied a sixth place finish to their first TT sidecar race when the outfit suffered a mechanical failure on the very last lap while they were holding a solid sixth place.

The practice week had gone well for the Mitchells of Mansfield/Dave Holden Racing duo and saw them post their quickest lap in the final session on Friday.

The race was scheduled for Saturday but heavy rain forced officials to cancel all racing on the day and re-arranged the Superbike TT and the Sidecar A event for Monday, the sidecars scheduled for a 2pm start...

The Birchall brothers were optimistic of a strong result but were understandably a little apprehensive as they lined up for the start – which was delayed a further 15 minutes to 2.15pm. Commenting just prior to the start Ben said: “I normally watch the racing on a video at home so it is a bit nerve wracking to be actually here and starting the race. But we are here in the flash and really looking forward to getting underway. We have had a good week so far and looking forward to a good ride today and whatever result we get is fine for our first time.”

Tom added: “I am a bit nervous now, but am looking forward to it and just want to get going.”

As they were sent down Bray Hill on their first lap the brothers took their time to get settled into a race pace and let the tyres warm up before stepping on the gas.

They had been moved up the order to eighth from 16th because of their excellent practice results but by the time they got to the first check point at Glen Helen they had dropped back to 14th. As they began to gain in confidence they began to edge their way back up and ended the first lap in 11th place posting a respectable lap time of 20m 49.80s 108.68mph from a standing start.

Lap two saw a number of front runners fall by the wayside and the Birchall Brothers gained a couple of places from their fellow competitors’ downfall. But they also gained in speed and passed Roy Hanks/Dave Wells on time at Ballaugh before moving further ahead and into sixth position at Ramsey.

As they crossed the line to start their final lap they had just about equalled their Friday qualifying time with a lap time of 20m 27.94s – 110.615mph and were running in a safe sixth place, well ahead on time of the outfit in seventh position.

But it was game over as the Birchalls joined the list of retirements, stopping at Hawthorne on the run to Glen Helen on the final lap with a mechanical failure.

• At the time of going to press the brothers had not returned to the paddock so the team cannot be certain of the fault but as soon as they are able to get back when the roads open after some solo practice laps I will let you know.

The disappointed brothers have 24 hours to get the LCR Honda 600cc outfit up and running in time for a one lap practice on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s second and final assault of the TT course.

BIRCHALL BROTHERS FRIDAY TT PRACTICE

Ben and Tom Birchall posted their fastest laps of the week when the final practice session got underway on Friday evening in preparation for the Isle of Man TT races.

Thursday’s session was abandoned because of oil on the road and race officials gave the sidecar teams an extra half an hour of practice on Friday to make up for this.

It turned out to be an excellent evening for the Mansfield brothers who took their LCR Honda 600 outfit through three laps of the 37.73-mile mountain road course posting a quicker lap time each time they passed the grandstand.

They began from a standing start and put in a time of 20m 55.99s – 108.144mph which bettered their times set earlier in the week.

The next flying lap saw them go even faster as they gained in confidence recoding a lap time of 20m 35.70s – 109.92mph and on the third lap they broke through the 100mph barrier to record a time of 20m 27.13mph – 110.688mph - the best ever qualifying lap by a newcomer, bettering the time of 110.362mph set by Reeves and Farrance last year.

“I have been trying to do three laps all week but it’s just not happened for one reason or another – until tonight. It is all credit to the team, Steve Abbott, Jamie Biggs; they have worked so hard all the time trying everything. Also a big thank you to Dave Holden for supplying the bike and Mitchells of Mansfield and all my sponsors and everyone who has helped me get here this week.

Yesterday we just threw everything we could think of into it and today we are just thrilled to bits to get this flying lap. Maybe we will just make a few slight suspension changes before the first race but its all coming together nicely now,” said a delighted Ben Birchall.

Asked if the strong wind bothered him over the mountain he replied: “At first I didn’t realise what it was, just maybe the bike slowing down and then I realised there was a bit of wind but it didn’t really bother me!”

Tom was asked how he felt about jumping from 106mph through to 110mph and he said: “I don’t really know, my eyes are still rolling! But it was fantastic, safe and just a really good fast ride. It’s all credit to Ben really as he was driving. We are getting the hang of the course now and really enjoying it, more so every time we go out and also learning more on each lap.

With the fast lap from Friday evening the Birchall brothers are elevated up to eighth in the overall practice results, a remarkable achievement on their first attempt at the TT course. But they will have to wait a couple more days to put their new found talents into action as the deteriorating weather conditions have caused the race officials to postpone all racing until Monday.

The three lap sidecar race is expected to start around 2pm on Monday.

BEN AND TOM BIRCHALL - TT - THURSDAY PRACTICE

More problems awaited the Mansfield sidecar duo of Ben and Tom Birchall in Thursday evening practice for the Isle of Man TT races but this time it was nothing to do with the Mitchell’s of Mansfield/Dave Holden Racing sponsored brothers but circumstances beyond their control as the session was red flagged on the first lap when the pair had only reached the first check point at Glen Helen.

Another competitor had a mechanical failure resulting in a large oil slick being deposited on the tarmac between Bray Hill and Quarter Bridge causing one outfit to spin and crash, luckily the pair suffered minor injuries but the race control had little option but to abandon the evening practice to allow for the road to be thoroughly cleaned ahead of the final session on Friday.

Ben and Tom were not involved as by this time they were registered as passing through Glen Helen – around 12 miles into the course. They managed to put in a quick time through the Sulby speed trap of 137.8mph being the fifth fastest competitors at the time.

But the session had already been red flagged and the riders already out on the course were held at Ramsey to proceed back to the pits behind the travelling marshal – their practice over before even registering one lap.

“It was disappointing not to be able to get even one lap in but we did at least get far enough at race speed to be able to check the ignition was working ok from the previous evening. The bike was running well and we are looking forward to the final night where we really want to get at least two laps under our belts in readiness for the race on Saturday.

“We are both really enjoying our time here and can’t wait for the race to get underway on Saturday.”

The final session of the week is tonight – Friday when it is hoped everything goes to plan for the Mansfield brothers who line up for their first three-lap race on Saturday at 3pm.

The weather forecast for tonight is fine and dry again but Saturday is not looking too good with heavy rain predicted. Let’s hope the weatherman has got it wrong. It’s not so much the rain as the cloud cover and mist on the mountain that will delay the race start.

BEN AND TOM BIRCHALL – TT PRACTICE – WEDNESDAY

Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall suffered more niggling problems during their Wednesday evening practice for the Isle of Man TT when they were forced to retire at Barragarrow during their second lap with an ignition problem.

Despite the hitch which showed up during the first lap of the 37.73-mile course, the Mitchells of Mansfield/Dave Holden Racing sponsored pair put in a strong lap of 21m 24. 42s – 105.751mph; not far away from their best time that was set in Tuesday’s session.

But although they nursed the bike around the course as far as Barragarrow they decided to err on the side of caution and pull in to prevent further damage.

“We got the fuel pump fixed from Tuesday but we had hardly got started tonight before the ignition started to splutter. It wasn’t too bad on the first lap but got worse as the evening wore on,” said Ben.

“The problems are coming to light because of the transition from short circuit racing to riding around flat out on public roads. The road surface is not so smooth and the bumps just upset things a bit. Hopefully we have now beaten the gremlins and can get on with memorising our way around the course.

“We were all up until 3am working on the outfit and the Padgett’s Racing team have been really helpful as they supplied us with some new ignition coils. It’s thanks to my band of helpers that we have the bike up and running again so quickly. Ex-world champion sidecar racers Steve Abbott and Jamie Biggs have worked really hard to get us back on track in time for Thursday’s practice and fingers crossed it should all go well tonight.

“We have blamed our photographer Wally for the problems,” joked Ben–“ he was on hand each time we broke down, to take the photo. We have banned him tonight; he can sit this one out in the paddock!”

BIRCHALL BROTHERS TAKE TO THE TT COURSE

Ben and Tom Birchall appear to have taken to the gruelling 37.73-mile Isle of Man TT course like ducks to water. The Mansfield brothers have completed three practice sessions and are now feeling very much at home on the public road circuit that runs from Douglas, across to Ramsey and returns via the Mountain mile back to Douglas.

Saturday evening saw the Mitchells of Mansfield/Dave Holden Racing sponsored duo take part in a steady, controlled lap of the course behind the vastly experienced Roy Hanks and Dave Wells.

After that they were sent out with the rest of the outfits for a non-timed lap to see how they fared.

Ben explained: “The controlled lap was fine as we just followed everyone else but once we had to do it without someone to show us the way it was very different. It was a real shock and we felt very alone out there. The flies were a real pain as they impaired our vision and stuck to the outfit making a right mess. We don’t normally use tear offs on our visors and it took most of the lap before I realised that if I tore one off I could see!

“The sun was very low in the sky as the sidecars are the last class to practice and that bothered us on Saturday as well. All in all we really didn’t enjoy the evening and were left wondering if we had made a big mistake in coming to the island.

“But Monday evening everything changed and we really enjoyed ourselves. All thoughts of despair flew out the window and we couldn’t wait to get out there.

“The course is so fast it is just unbelievable, you know what’s coming around the next bend but because of the high speed you don’t realise how quickly you arrive at the next bend.

“We are still learning our way around and every time we go a bit faster you are on to the next part of the course that much quicker.

“We got two laps in on Monday evening and increased our lap speed to 103.919mph – 21m 47.05s on the second run and were 13th fastest around the course.

“Tuesday we raised our game even further and the first lap was 106.23mph – 21m 21.12 moving us up to 12th overall on the night. But the second lap was a little different, we were really flying and it was almost certainly going to be a faster time but we were forced to stop at Ballaugh when the fuel pump packed in.

“We spent today replacing the fuel pump and checking the outfit over in readiness for the evening practice tonight – Wednesday. We still have to wear our novice jackets but it won’t be long before we can dispense with them and approach the first race as fully fledged newcomers and not novices. We can’t wait to get going under race conditions, this place is awesome and we love it!”

There will be a further update on Ben and Tom’s progress on Thursday.


Pic credit – Mark Walters

BIRCHALL BROTHERS WIN IN GERMANY

Ben and Tom Birchall set the standard for the FIM F1 Sidecar World championship when they won the sprint race and finished a very close second in the Gold race in the first of the five round world sidecar championship races at Schleiz in Germany over the weekend.

The Birchall Brothers from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire dominated practice and qualifying, claiming pole position for the two races with a time of 1.28.434s, just under half a second ahead of current world champion Pekka Paivarinta who this year is partnered by Adolf Hanni.

As the short sprint race got underway on Saturday, the Mitchells of Mansfield sponsored brothers slotted into second place taking their time to settle into the pace before hitting the front after three laps. They held station throughout the remainder of the 11-lap affair to take the victory ahead of Paivarinta and Hanni by a margin of three and a half seconds. The two teams dominated the race, completing the 11 laps over half a minute ahead of the rest of the field with The Birchall Brothers again setting the fastest lap of the race in a time of 1m 28.289s.

It would be a tall order for Ben and Tom to take the victory in the second race as they were given a 10kg victors weight penalty but the Mansfield pair were up for the challenge and took their place at the front of the grid for the feature race of the weekend, the Gold race that was to take place over 22 laps of the German circuit.

Again there was a close battle for supremacy between the Birchall brothers and Paivarinta/Hanni and they battled throughout the entirety of the 22 laps. Ben and Tom hit the front at the midway stage of the race and began to pull clear of their rivals in search of the second victory of the weekend.

But as they began to mix with the backmarkers they didn’t get a clear run through the pack and were held up for a few vital seconds. Paivarinta made good progress and was able to make up ground to eventually regain the lead.

Ben and Tom posted the fastest lap of the race (1m 28.909s) in an effort to get back on terms with the flying Finns but ran out of time and had to be content with second place. As they crossed the finish line there was just a second separating the two outfits and with both teams taking a win and second place apiece in the two races they share the series lead.

“We lapped all the field except the three outfits behind us,” said Ben. “We are delighted to be sharing the championship lead and to have got a second world championship race win under our belts. The outfit ran like a dream, we didn’t encounter any problems whatsoever. We didn’t have the best of times passing the backmarkers which really lost the race for us. But that’s how it goes; they were running their own race, which is fair enough.

“We had to contend with the winners ballast of 10kg for the second race. But now we have passed that over to Pekka who, as race winner in the gold race, will carry it into the next round. If we had won that race we would have found it doubled to 20kg which could have caused a few problems with stability.”

The next round is at Albacete in Spain on July 4 when the team will contest just one race but prior to that Ben and Tom will make their debut at the Isle of Man TT races in early June with the F11 outfit. Practice begins on May 30 with the two three-lap sidecar races taking place on June 6 and June 10.

GOOD START FOR BIRCHALL BROTHERS

Ben and Tom Birchall from Mansfield got their FIM Sidecar world championship assault off to the best of starts when they set the fastest lap of the session in the first of two qualifying periods at Schleiz in Germany on Friday.

They powered the LCR Suzuki through to provisional pole with a scorching lap of 1m 29.106s, well ahead of their nearest rival and current world champion Pekka Paivarinta who has new passenger Adolf Hanni in the chair this year.

They posted a time of 1.30.341s – over 1.2 seconds slower that the Mitchells of Mansfield supported brothers Ben and Tom Birchall.

Final qualifying takes place on Saturday from 8.30am – 9am followed by the first race to be run over 11 laps at 2pm.

The second race is scheduled for Sunday at is over 22 laps starting at 12.45pm.

BEN AND TOM BIRCHALL – CADWELL

Mansfield based brothers Ben and Tom Birchall rode to pole position, completed their opening race in second place and broke the lap record at Cadwell Park on Sunday where the Derby Phoenix club played host to the third round of the FSRA F11 British Sidecar championship over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The Mitchells of Mansfield backed pair dominated qualifying, posting a fastest lap of 1m 37.4s to claim pole over a second ahead of John Holden and Andy Winkle on Sunday ahead of the two 12 lap races.

The brothers set off well in the first race on Saturday and soon established a commanding lead breaking the existing lap record for the class with a scorching lap of 1m 38.36s on lap five.

They looked to be coasting to a certain victory but began to slow when the LCR Honda engine developed a misfire that hampered their progress in the latter half of the race. But despite losing the race lead Ben and Tom secured a strong second place that was sufficient to move them into the series lead overnight.

The second race was held on Monday and although the misfire was still there it was not so virile and this allowed Ben and Tom to post the fastest lap of the race (1m38.9s) on lap two. The brothers were in great form and were the only team to dip into the 1m 38s.

But as they rounded Barn Corner at a fast rate of knots they had to take avoiding action to avoid an out of control outfit in their path and ended up off the track their race over.

“Although we were unable to continue we are both ok which is the main thing,” said Ben. “We were happy with our lap times out there, we set our fastest lap in the early stages of the race and no one was able to better it. We have taken the lap record at each circuit we have raced at in the F11 class this season and that is very encouraging for us.”

Ben and Tom relinquished their series lead to double race winners Holden and Winkle after their non-finish on Monday but hold a strong second place just five points behind them.

The Birchall Brothers travelled directly from Cadwell to Dover to catch the ferry to Germany where they headed to Schleiz for the opening round of the FIM World Sidecar championship that takes place this coming weekend, May 8/9/10.

Using their F1 LCR Suzuki powered world championship outfit Ben and Tom will be targeting a couple of podium finishes to get their world championship challenge underway.

Free practice and qualifying take place over Friday and Saturday followed by an 11-lap sprint race on Saturday afternoon. The 22-lap Gold race takes place on Sunday afternoon.
Picture credit Wally Walters
Action picture shows Ben and Tom heading the field at Cadwell.
Podium shows l - r Neary/Bond(3rd) Holden/Winkle (1st) Ben and Tom Birchall (2nd)

BIRCHALL BROTHERS FIND MORE SUCCESS AT BRANDS HATCH

Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall rode to a splendid second and fourth place finish in the second round of the 2009 Yokohama/ACU British F11 Sidecar Championship at Brands Hatch over the Easter weekend but despite breaking the lap record have relinquished their series lead and go into the next round just one point behind new leaders Nick Crowe and Mark Cox.

The Mitchells of Mansfield sponsored duo were on the pace throughout the weekend posting fast lap times throughout the qualifying periods but were denied a front row start because instead of the usual three outfits to a row, Brands Hatch is reduced to two and as the pair finished in third place they were placed on row two.

The first of the two 15-lap races saw Ben and Tom not get away to the best of starts and they settled into fifth position for the duration of lap one.

But as they found their pace the brothers moved ahead of Coombes/Knapton to chase after Dongworth/Partridge who were holding third place. After a close battle Ben and Tom forged ahead at Graham Hill Bend and concentrated on reeling in the two leading outfits a few yards ahead.

By lap seven the Mansfield pair broke the lap record, posting a time of 51.036s and one lap later shaved a further second from their lap times to establish a new lap record of 50.86s.

This spurt of speed paid off as by lap nine of 15 they were right on the tail of multi-TT winners Crowe/Cox, moving ahead into second place at Graham Hill bend one lap later.

With four laps remaining the Birchall Brothers began to catch the leading outfit of Reeves and Farrance but misjudged their line at Clearways and ran wide losing ground. They quickly recovered and took the chequered flag in fourth place.

Race two saw Ben and Tom move straight into second place on the opening lap, following in the tyre tracks of Crowe/Cox for the duration of the race which was red-flagged and a result declared at positions on lap 10.

Crowe/Cox were declared the winners and the 25 points gained meant they now hold the series lead by just one point from Ben and Tom Birchall who come away from Brands Hatch with the new lap record registered to them.

“It’s been another superb weekend for us,” said Ben. “Yesterday was unfortunate, it was my own fault as I made a mistake while fighting for the lead but we brought it home in fourth place – but it ultimately cost us the series lead. The second race was also a good result although I think we were beginning to make inroads on the leading outfit when the race was stopped early.

“I would like to say a massive thank you to Mitchells of Mansfield and also John Lawson who provided a couple of tyres for this weekend, without them we would have been struggling. We are thrilled to bits that we have established a new lap record and we are now looking forward to Cadwell Park on May 4th and another good set of results which will enable us to regain the championship lead.”

Picture credit - action Wally Walters
Portrait - Helen Pask

BIRCHALL BROTHERS TEST AT MALLORY

Ben and Tom Birchall set the track alight at Mallory Park on Wednesday when they tested the new LCR 600cc Honda F2 sidecar outfit at the Leicestershire circuit for the first time.

The Mitchells of Mansfield – backed team scorched their way around the short and technical circuit over four test sessions and were by far the fastest team on track on the day.

Ben Birchall was delighted in the way the outfit handled and said: “This is the first time the F2 machine has been on track and also our first venture into F2 racing. I am amazed at how the machine handled compared to the bigger and more powerful F1 and the speed I was able to generate around Mallory.

“The fairing design is not complete as yet, it looks a bit bare in the pictures, we still have to add our sponsors names etc but everything will be completed prior to our first race and of course we will have our new race leathers. This was just a low-key shake down test but the picture shows how good the machine looks on track.

“We had a few teething problems but they were soon ironed out and I was able to concentrate on seeing what I could get out of the engine. I have to say I was very impressed with everything and we can’t wait to get out on track under race conditions.”

The brothers won’t have too long to wait as they are scheduled to race the F2 outfit in the opening two rounds of the Yokohama/ACU British F2 championship at Donington Park over the weekend of March 28/29.

The team will also represent England in the two sidecar races that form part of the MotoSix Challenge at Donington Park the same weekend.

• Pic shows Ben and Tom in action negotiating Edwina’s Chicane at Mallory.
• Credit – Helen Pask

BIRCHALL BROTHERS TAKE BRONZE MEDAL IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Ben and Tom Birchall wrapped up their 2008 FIM Superside World Championship campaign with a fine fourth place in the final race of the season at Le Mans in France at the weekend, which clinched third place in the world rankings and the bronze award for the Mansfield brothers.
   In Saturday's first practice, aboard their Mitchell’s of Mansfield sponsored LCR Suzuki, the brothers finished up less than a second behind the leaders Päivärinta and Karttiala and ahead of the current world champions. They didn't fare quite as well during qualifying, possibly because of carrying 10 kilos of success ballast, having won their previous race at Rijeka.
   Qualifying was a close affair and afterwards Ben said, “We finished up in third place, with less than a second separating the top four teams. We'll be starting from the front row of the grid and we’re looking forward to Sunday’s 18-lap race.”
   Unfortunately Ben and Tom didn’t get off the start-line very quickly and it took a while to get used to the change in handling due to the extra weight-penalty being carried. The brothers had to fight their way through traffic, whilst ensuring they brought their outfit home safely and had almost caught Dellanoy and Cluze when they had run out of laps.    They posted their quickest time in their last lap and eventually crossed the finish-line in fourth place, collecting 13 World Championship points.
   Birchall Racing completed their 2008 season in a very creditable third place and with an 18-point lead over the French team of Dellanoy and Cluze. Although Reeves and Farrance won the race, they lost the championship by two points to the Finnish team of Pekka Päivärinta and Timo Karttiala.
   After the podium presentation, Ben said, “Tom and I are very pleased to win the bronze medal in only our third year of competing in the World Championship and we would like to thank all our sponsors, friends and family for their continued support throughout the season.”
   Ben and Tom will take part in the annual Festival of Sidecars at Mallory Park on October 5. Their final outing will be to Bishopscourt, Co Down, on October 18-19 when they will compete for the Sunflower Trophy. A press release with news of their 2009 race season will be issued shortly.

Photographs courtesy of Mark ‘Wally’ Walters



   The brothers recently took time out to visit the Isle of Man because they would like a crack at the TT in 2009!  Ben and Tom, along with several solo riders, were shown the island circuit by the TT organiser Paul Philips and many times Manx racer Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle. 
   After spending time with the possible new recruits, Paul Philips had this to say, “All the riders have been very positive, and whilst it is unlikely we will net all of them for TT 2009, I think we can look forward to a significant number of them making their debuts in May.

MAIDEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY FOR BEN AND TOM BIRCHALL AT RIJEKA, CROATIA

Mansfield’s FIM World Sidecar Championship contenders, Ben and Tom Birchall, rode to a magnificent victory, at Rijeka in Croatia at the weekend, aboard their Mitchells of Mansfield sponsored LCR Suzuki. The brothers collected maximum points in the main race of the day, which was the 20-lap Gold Race and added to their 16 points accrued the previous day in the sprint race, gives them a total of 112 points, moving them up into third place in the World Championship, with just one race remaining.
   After Friday’s free practice and first qualifying, Ben and Tom were in provisional third place, with only 0.8 of a second separating the top three teams. Their lap times improved during the second qualifying session and being only 0.14 of a second off pole, moved them up to second place for a front row start.
   After finishing third in the Match Race final and picking up a valuable 16 points, Ben said, “We didn’t get off to a very good start but managed to work our way through to finish third. With only four points between us and Dellanoy, we have to beat him tomorrow if we are to move up to third in the Championship and Tom and I are now feeling quite confident for Sunday’s race.”
   Ben and Tom made a good start in Sunday’s 20-lap Gold Race but it was Dellanoy and Cluze who held on to the lead for the first few laps, with positions rapidly changing behind them during the fast and furious race. The Mansfield brothers managed to pass Dellanoy and held the lead for eight laps until current world champions Reeves and Farrance made a brief visit to the front of the pack, but it was short-lived, as Reeves dropped back, leaving the Birchalls and Päivärinta fighting for the lead, with the Birchalls getting ahead!
   Lap 13 saw the exit of Dellanoy and Cluze after their engine blew, leaving the Birchalls, Reeves and Päivärinta having a tremendous battle, driving through the corners three abreast! Päivärinta then passed Reeves but couldn’t catch the Birchalls, who were first to the chequered flag, gaining their well-deserved first World Championship victory, a maximum 25 points and a move up to third place in the Championship table.
   After the trophy presentation, an elated Ben said, “This is our first Grand Prix victory and we will never forget this day. We thank all of our sponsors and friends who have supported us ever since we started racing.
   “Tom and I now look forward to the final Superside round on September 19-21 at Le Mans, France, where last year we set a new lap record.”

Picture is courtesy of Mika Hahn.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PODIUM FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT A RAIN-SOAKED SACHSENRING

Ben and Tom Birchall, Mansfield's sidecar racing brothers, raced their Mitchell’s of Mansfield sponsored LCR Suzuki through the pouring rain to earn a well-deserved podium place in Sunday’s FIM Superside World Championship race. 
   For the second time this season, the brothers made the long journey to the 2.281 miles circuit at Sachsenring, Germany, for round four of the World sidecar championship, which was run alongside the German MotoGP.
   Friday’s practice was held in warm conditions on a patchy damp track and Ben said “We held pole for most of the time and were quickest in two of the four sectors, but we were pipped to second place in the final part of the session.  We have another practice tomorrow, followed by qualifying in the afternoon.”
   The qualifying session on Saturday went well for the brothers and they finished up on the front row of the grid, for a third place start, alongside the current world champions.
   Commenting afterwards, Ben had this to say “Tom and I are happy with qualifying; there were some pretty close times and we were only a fraction of a second behind the leaders. Everything seems to be working well and we’re both looking forward to the race tomorrow.”
   Sunday’s 20-lap race took place after the MotoGP events, in very wet conditions and Ben remarked afterwards, "Despite the soaking wet slippery track, we got a reasonable start and we remained in third place from the lights to the chequered flag. As the track surface was drying, our tyres started to burn up, so I drove a safe race in order to conserve the tyres and finish the race safely!
   "Tom and I collected another 16 valuable points for the team, so we retain our fourth place in the World championship and are just seven points behind the French pairing of Delannoy and Cluze."   
   Ben and Tom's next World championship challenge is on August 17 at Rijeka, Croatia, when hopefully they will pick up some more points and further consolidate their position in the championship!

 Picture is courtesy of Mika Hahn

ANOTHER TOP FOUR FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT ASSEN

Round three of the 2008 FIM World Sidecar Championship moved on to the Netherlands, where the 2.83 miles Assen circuit was the venue for Mansfield’s sidecar racing brothers, Ben and Tom Birchall, who picked up a further 13 points with another good fourth place finish.
   The first qualifying session saw Ben and Tom lying fourth, after which they made some set-up alterations to their Mitchell's of Mansfield sponsored Suzuki, bringing about a good improvement in their lap times during the afternoon.
   After making some adjustments to the bike, Ben said, “We managed over a second a lap quicker during the second qualifying session; we hung on to fourth place and we were comfortably on the pace of the top three and Tom and I are looking forward to Saturday’s race."
   Watched by around 130,000 spectators, the brothers got off to a good start for the 18-lap race and managed to cross the finishing line in fourth place for another solid result, gaining a further 13 points for the team.
   “Tom and I were comfortably running in third place for a while and pushing hard for second, until we encountered brake problems which gradually became worse as the race progressed," said Ben after the race. "Unfortunately this curtailed any further advancement for us but we held on for a hard-fought fourth place.”
   The lead in the championship continues to be held by the Finnish team of Pekka Päivärinta and Timo Karttiala with Birchall Racing retaining fourth place, 17 points ahead of the pairing of Josef Moser and Ueli Wäfler.
   The brothers now look forward to the next round of the championship, when they make the lengthy return journey to Sachsenring, Germany from July 11-13, when once again they will race alongside the MotoGP.
   Ben and Tom are very grateful to their sponsors, family and friends for their much valued, ongoing support.

Picture is courtesy of Anderl

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PODIUM FOR BIRCHALL RACING

Ben and Tom Birchall, the Mansfield sidecar racing brothers, claimed their first World Championship podium this season aboard their Mitchell’s of Mansfield LCR Suzuki.  They gained third and fourth places in their two races at the 2.281 miles Sachsenring circuit in Germany, during round two of the FIM Superside World Sidecar Championship.
    Two qualifying sessions took place in very hot conditions; the first one saw the Mansfield brothers leading for much of the time, finishing up in third place.  After session two, the Birchalls were in fourth place overall with very close times.  The first four bikes were separated by less than a second with Ben and Tom starting their races on row two of the grid.
    The 11-lap sprint race was run in two parts because of heavy rain and after five laps the riders came in to change from slicks to wet tyres.  Afterwards Ben said “It was close throughout the race but we had to battle to get third place for our first World Championship podium this season and we’re now preparing for tomorrow’s race.”
    Sunday’s 22-lap Gold Race was held in completely contrasting conditions to the sprint race as it was extremely hot, dry and sunny, so tyre conservation became an issue due to the intense heat. 
    Unfortunately, the brothers didn’t get off to a very good start and got boxed in on the first corner, leaving them in seventh place.  They soon moved into fifth position, continuing to make steady progress and by lap 17 had moved up into third place behind Sebastien Dellanoy and Gregory Cluze, until encountering back markers which held them up and put them back to fourth.
    Ben and Tom remained in their finishing position of fourth place,  gaining a valuable 13 points for the team and Ben said afterwards, “We had a constant battle to keep fourth place and only just missed out on another podium and we’re now getting the bike set up and ready for Assen. Tom and I would like to thank all of our sponsors, friends and family for their continuing support of the team.”
    Birchall Racing is lying fourth in the World Championship and Ben and Tom are now looking forward to their next challenge this coming weekend, when the sidecars are being run as a support race in the Moto GP Championship at Assen.

 TOP FOUR FINISH FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT DONINGTON

Ben and Tom Birchall, Mansfield based sidecar racing brothers, came away from a saturated Donington Park at the weekend with a top four finish, just missing out on a podium place. Unfortunately, whilst lying in third place, they spun off the track on their Mitchells of Mansfield LCR Suzuki, during the opening round of the FIM Superside World Championship.
   Saturday's first qualifying session was dry and went well for the brothers, moving them into second place for a while, but during the second session they experienced an electrical problem which slowed their progress. Ben and Tom completed their qualifying in fifth place, for a second row start in Sunday's race, alongside Richard Gatt and Paul Randall. 
    Ben said afterwards, “Qualifying was going well for us until an electrical fault developed, causing a misfire. We now have some adjustments to make before tomorrow’s race, which Tom and I are looking forward to, when hopefully we’ll be in contention.”
   Sunday’s race got underway in extremely cold, wet and windy conditions with the Mansfield brothers lying in fourth place for the first few laps, gradually closing in on the Hegartys, until passing them and moving into third place.
    Unfortunately, due to the atrocious conditions and a greasy wet surface, the brothers spun off the track whilst lying in third position, losing them a crucial eighteen seconds.  This allowed both the Hegarty brothers and Gatt and Randall to pass them, after which time, the Birchalls dropped back into fifth place for the next four laps.
   Ben and Tom managed to pass Gatt and Randall during the penultimate lap, where they remained until the chequered flag, finishing in fourth place and gaining thirteen hard-earned points for the team. 
   Afterwards, Ben said, “The weather played havoc with everyone during Sunday’s race, the track was very wet and slippery and the electrical problem hindered our progress, but we were pleased to come away with thirteen valuable points. 
   "We would like to thank our sponsors and also our friends and family for coming along to our local circuit to support us in such atrocious conditions! Tom and I now look forward to our next round on June 20-22 at the 3.67-mile Sachsenring circuit in Germany."
Pictures taken during qualifying, are courtesy of Mark 'Wally' Walters.

FOUR RACE WINS AND NEW OUTRIGHT LAP RECORD FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT CADWELL PARK

Mansfield’s Sidecar racing brothers, Ben and Tom Birchall, made an excellent start in preparation for their 2008 race season, by winning all four of their races at Cadwell Park last weekend, aboard their Mitchells of Mansfield LCR Suzuki.

   The brothers led all of their races from start to finish, taking the chequered flag at the end of their last race by a massive margin of almost fifty-two seconds!

   After their final race win, Ben and Tom learned that they had broken the existing sidecar lap record of 1:32.96 set last year during the F1 British Championship meeting, by the current British and World champions Tim Reeves and Patrick Farrance.

   The Birchall brothers’ fastest lap time of 1:32.68 set a new outright lap record at Cadwell Park, for the Derby Phoenix club, after they had beaten Darron Bellworthy’s fastest solo lap time of 1:33.71 also set at the weekend.

   Afterwards Ben said, “It's been a really good weekend and to win all four races and take the outright lap record is obviously a great way to start our race season. Tom and I would like to thank all of our sponsors and the Derby Phoenix Club, who hosted the Cadwell race weekend.”

   Ben and Tom begin their 2008 FIM World Sidecar race season at Donington Park on May 24/25, when they are determined to put in a strong challenge for the Championship title.

Photographs by Mark ‘Wally’ Walters

A WIN AND SECOND PLACE FOR BIRCHALL BROTHERS AT SIDECAR FESTIVAL

 

Ben and Tom Birchall, the World Championship sidecar racing brothers from Mansfield, raced their Theaker Recycling LCR Suzuki at the annual Festival of Sidecars at Mallory Park on Sunday, when they came away with a decisive win in one race and a second place in the Dave Roberts Memorial Trophy race.

   The qualifying session for the 15-lap Dave Roberts race saw the Birchalls secure pole position ahead of the second placed Hegarty brothers, with Pedder and Steadman third on the grid and the current World Champion Tim Reeves in fourth position.

   After getting away to a good start, Ben and Tom soon became involved in a three-way battle with Reeves and Long and the Hegarty brothers. After completing 12 of the 15 laps, the Hegartys developed a wheel-arch problem and had to pull in, so Reeves and Long went on to win by one second over runners-up Ben and Tom Birchall, with Peddar and Steadman finishing almost 18 seconds behind the Birchalls in third place.
   The next race saw Ben and Tom move quickly off the grid, making great headway over the eight laps and going on to a very decisive win by over six seconds from the World Champion Tim Reeves with his temporary partner for the weekend Rick Long. Finishing in third place and a further 19 seconds behind Ben and Tom were Pedder and Steadman. Ben and Tom also climbed aboard a very old outfit and took part in the parade laps.

   Speaking afterwards Ben said, “Tom and I enjoyed taking part in the annual Festival of Speed this weekend and we were pleased to come away with a win and a second place. We are now looking forward to the Sunflower Trophy Races over the weekend of October 20-21 when Tom and I travel to Bishopscourt in Northern Ireland”

Photographs by Mark ‘Wally’ Walters

BIRCHALL BROTHERS WIN 25th ANNIVERSARY JOCK TAYLOR MEMORIAL TROPHY

 

Knockhill in Scotland played host to the annual Jock Taylor memorial race on Sunday with World championship contenders Ben and Tom Birchall recording a resounding victory from runners-up Philip Bell and James Neave and third placed Bill and Graham Davie the newly crowned Scottish Champions.

   This year marks the 25th anniversary of the passing of former world champion Jock Taylor who also won at the Isle of Man TT races and was a former British and Scottish champion sidecar racer. He was killed in a racing accident during the Finnish Grand Prix at Imatra in 1982 at 27 years of age and is still sadly missed by all who knew him.

   Qualifying took place during the Sunday morning with the quickest team being the Birchall brothers aboard their Theaker Recycling LCR Suzuki, followed by 2006 Scottish Champions Philip Bell and James Neave from the North East of England, who were over a second behind the Birchalls. Qualifying in third place were Stuart Muldoon and Stuart Graham on their Jock Taylor liveried outfit, painted especially for the weekend.

   The first sidecar race of the day, the Jim Silver Memorial Trophy was run over eight laps, but unfortunately Muldoon and Graham had an opening lap collision with Gordon Shand and Mark Howard, resulting in Graham being taken to hospital with an injured arm so that halted the weekend proceedings for the Muldoon team! After the re-start, the race was led from start to finish by the Birchalls, with an average lap speed of 88.514mph. The brothers finished over 13 seconds ahead of the Davies, whose average lap speed was 86.140mph and following on in third place was the pairing of Shand and Howard.

   The finale of the weekend was the Jock Taylor Memorial Trophy race that was to be run over 12 laps, but due to the accumulation of hold ups and having to complete the racing by 6pm, several races had their laps reduced, three solo races were abandoned and the Jock Taylor race was reduced to just 10 laps.
   The race got underway in very cold conditions with Ben and Tom Birchall, who had only ever completed two races at the Knockhill circuit at an MRO round in 2005, immediately shooting to the front of the pack, once again leading the race from start to finish. Quite a way back the teams of Davie/Davie and Shand/Howard enjoyed a good battle as they were fighting for third place.

   The Mansfield brothers were soon to encounter back markers, but managed to pass them without any problems, going on to decisively win by almost nine seconds from runners-up Philip Bell and James Neave, with this year’s Scottish Champions Bill and Graeme Davie finishing a further three seconds behind in third place.

   After the race, Jock’s sister Sheila and his niece Yvonne said they were really happy to see such a huge crowd of race fans and very proud that Ben and Tom Birchall had travelled such a long distance for the race and Yvonne remarked that the quality of their World Championship outfit was outstanding.

   Following the trophy presentation, Ben said “Tom and I feel very proud and honoured to have our name inscribed on the 25th Anniversary Jock Taylor Trophy alongside riders such as 10 times FIM World Champion Steve Webster, who won it four times between 1984 and 2002. We were pleased that so many enthusiastic race fans had turned out and really happy to have received such a warm Scottish welcome from the spectators and everyone we have met or raced with this weekend.”

 

ANOTHER 2ND PLACE AND NEW LAP RECORD FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT LE MANS

 

The final round of the FIM Superside World Sidecar Championship took place at Le Mans in France, when Mansfield’s racing brothers, Ben and Tom Birchall took another World Championship podium, set the fastest lap of the race and created a new lap record for the French circuit aboard their 1000cc LCR Suzuki outfit.

   With first and second places already secured in the Championship and 25 points still up for grabs from the weekend, the brothers, currently sitting in fifth place, needed a good grid position during qualifying and could theoretically move up to third place in the Championship.

   “Tom and I are happy with the way things have gone so far this weekend,” Ben said, “the times are very close and we’re looking forward to the Gold Race on Sunday and if we can make a good start and finish well up in the points, we could improve on the team’s fifth place in the Championship.”

   The Birchall brothers made a good confident start in Sunday’s 20-lap Gold race. They were fourth into the first corner and soon to be the fastest lapping team out on track. Ben and Tom were fast closing in on the French pairing of Sebastien Delannoy and Gregory Cluze who were racing on their home track and they soon were able to make a move on them during the third lap. The brothers then reeled in and got past the Finnish team of Pekka Päivärinta and Timo Karttiala.

   During the final few laps, there was a three-way battle going on for the lead between Reeves and Farrance, the Birchall brothers and Fins Päivärinta and Karttiala. Ben and Tom were quickly closing in on race leaders Reeves and Farrance until encountering back-markers Adam Treasure and Endeveled Kees who held up the brothers’ progress, causing them to run out of time just as they were fast approaching the finish line.

   Nevertheless the brothers rode to a very well-deserved second place finish, less than a second behind Reeves and Farrance and almost three seconds ahead of third placed Päivärinta and Karttiala. Ben and Tom recorded the fastest lap of the race and created a new lap record for the Le Mans circuit.

   Ben and Tom would like to thank all of their sponsors for their continued support during the 2007 season and they are now looking forward to their next race meeting at Knockhill in Scotland on September 29-30, when they will be competing in the Jock Taylor Memorial Trophy race.

SECOND PLACE FOR BIRCHALL BROTHERS IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT RIJEKA

 

Mansfield's racing brothers Ben and Tom Birchall travelled to Rijeka, Croatia, for the sixth and penultimate round of the FIM Superside World Sidecar Championships, where they achieved their third podium of the season with a well deserved second place finish on their 1000cc LCR-Suzuki.

   The weather was extremely hot for the two qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday with the air temperature thirty-three degrees and the track temperature in excess of fifty degrees.
“Despite the intense heat and a slippery track, both qualifying sessions went well” remarked Ben, “we ended up in fourth place for a second row grid start having been only .08 of a second off pole. Our lap times this year on this circuit are quicker than last year and the team are looking forward to the 20-lap race tomorrow.”

   In Saturday’s Sprint race semi-final, Ben and Tom finished as worthy runners-up. Later in the day they got off to a slowish start in the Match race final, but soon got on the pace, went on a charge and finished the race in a creditable fourth place.

   The 20-lap Gold race on Sunday saw a repeat of the extremely high air and track temperature of the previous day, so tyre choice would prove to be crucial because of the combination of intense heat and the abrasive track surface.

   The brothers got off to a reasonable start, then got held up in the opening lap and were lying in fifth place until they made a pass on the Austrian team of Moser and Wafler. For the next few laps the front three were locked together with Ben and Tom in a very safe fourth position ahead of Norbury and Knapton, where they remained until the last lap when they began catching the French pair Delannoy and Cluze.

   Ben and Tom crossed the finish line in third place behind the current World Champions and were close behind Sebastian Delannoy and Gregory Cluze, who finished up in second place. After a protest was lodged concerning a last lap manoeuvre by Reeves over Päivärinta, film footage was examined and Reeves was penalised with a 20-second time penalty, elevating Ben and Tom to a well-deserved second place and relegating Reeves and Farrance to third place.

   Ben and Tom would like to thank all their sponsors for their continued support of the team throughout the 2007 season.

   The final round of the FIM Superside World Sidecar Championships will be held from September 7-9 at Le Mans, France, alongside the Truck GP series, when Ben and Tom hope to continue their current form and will be aiming for a strong finish to complete the series, enabling them to move further up the World Championship league table from where they are currently sitting in fifth place!

 

SECOND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PODIUM FOR MANSFIELD'S BEN AND TOM BIRCHALL

 

Ben and Tom Birchall, the Mansfield World sidecar racing brothers, moved on from Germany to the Salzburgring circuit in Austria for round five of the FIM Superside World Sidecar Championship last weekend, where they were rewarded with an impressive second place and their second World Championship podium this season.

   The brothers qualified in fourth place for a second row grid position alongside the Swiss team of Schlosser and Hänni. Saturday’s 10-lap sprint race was held in quite hot conditions and the brothers got their LCR-Suzuki quickly off the start line into second position but later slipped back into fourth. After very close racing throughout, and having improved on their qualifying time by 0.4 of a second, Ben and Tom finally finished ahead of Delannoy and Gatt, in a creditable fourth place.

   "A few minor changes need to be made to the bike for tomorrow’s race" Ben said after the Sprint race "but otherwise everything’s fine and we're looking forward to it".

   The weather was good for Sunday’s 20-lap gold race, in which they got off to an excellent start, lapping in second place for the first three circuits before getting into a battle with Delannoy and later, Schlosser.  After dispatching with both of these, they set about chasing down Reeves who was leading by some distance by then.
    After consistently lapping under last year’s lap record, Ben and Tom managed to catch Reeves and push him all the way to the finish line, ending under a second behind the reigning World Champion to earn second place on the podium.

   Following the weekend’s excellent results, Birchall Racing have further consolidated fifth place in the championship and they are now closing in on fourth placed Delannoy.  The next round is on August 17–19 at Rijeka, Croatia, where they will be looking to continue their current form and further close in on their championship rivals.

Photographs by Mark ‘Wally’ Walters

TOP FOUR FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT DUTCH TT, ASSEN

 

The 2.830 miles circuit at Assen in Holland was the venue for round three of the 2007 FIM World Sidecar Championship for Mansfield’s Sidecar racing brothers Ben and Tom Birchall, held alongside the MotoGP World Championship series.

   Ben and Tom were in fifth place after the first qualifying session, just a fraction of a second off pole. Ben said afterwards that the team was happy with the way things had gone so far and were looking forward to the next qualifying session on Friday.

   The second session was trouble-free and held in very damp conditions but unfortunately the brothers were unable to improve on their fifth qualifying place from the previous day. Ben said the weather for race day was forecast to be better with the team aiming to finish well up in the points and improve on the fifth place at Brands Hatch earlier in the month.

   Ben and Tom felt comfortable and made a good confident start to the race, but after an incident in the fourth lap, the race was red-flagged, so after clearing the circuit, a restart was made.

   Once the race got underway again, Ben and Tom made good progress, gradually moving through the field, overtaking the teams of Schlosser and Hänni and Gatt and Randall. Ben said “We were steadily gaining on third place by a second a lap but we ran out of time so had to settle with a fourth place finish.”

   Birchall Racing are now lying fifth in the FIM World Sidecar Championship and are looking forward to the next round at Sachsenring, Germany from July 13-15 where they will race alongside the MotoGP. This coming weekend July 7-8 Ben and Tom will be racing at Donington Park in the Derby Phoenix race series.

Photographs by Mark ‘Wally’ Walters

TOP FIVE FOR BIRCHALL RACING AT BRANDS HATCH.

 

The 2.830 miles circuit at Assen in Holland was the venue for round three of the 2007 FIM World Sidecar Championship for Mansfield’s Sidecar racing brothers Ben and Tom Birchall, held alongside the MotoGP World Championship series.

   Ben and Tom were in fifth place after the first qualifying session, just a fraction of a second off pole. Ben said afterwards that the team was happy with the way things had gone so far and were looking forward to the next qualifying session on Friday.

   The second session was trouble-free and held in very damp conditions but unfortunately the brothers were unable to improve on their fifth qualifying place from the previous day. Ben said the weather for race day was forecast to be better with the team aiming to finish well up in the points and improve on the fifth place at Brands Hatch earlier in the month.

   Ben and Tom felt comfortable and made a good confident start to the race, but after an incident in the fourth lap, the race was red-flagged, so after clearing the circuit, a restart was made.

   Once the race got underway again, Ben and Tom made good progress, gradually moving through the field, overtaking the teams of Schlosser and Hänni and Gatt and Randall. Ben said “We were steadily gaining on third place by a second a lap but we ran out of time so had to settle with a fourth place finish.”

   Birchall Racing are now lying fifth in the FIM World Sidecar Championship and are looking forward to the next round at Sachsenring, Germany from July 13-15 where they will race alongside the MotoGP. This coming weekend July 7-8 Ben and Tom will be racing at Donington Park in the Derby Phoenix race series.

Photographs by Mark ‘Wally’ Walters