Reigning world sidecar champions Ben and Tom Birchall from Mansfield are busy preparing for the defence of their world title which is set to kick off in France on April 18th at Le Mans. The seven-round Superside F1 sidecar world championship is set to take place at major racing circuits throughout Europe and, with the purchase of a new LCR chassis and change of engine manufacturer to Yamaha, the Mitchells of Mansfield sponsored brothers are determined to retain their world title. Also on the cards is a new for 2010, eight round British F1 championship run alongside the Thundersport GB series which sees the brothers travel the length and breadth of Britain in the aptly named Battle of Britain F1 sidecar championship. Ben and Tom will once again contest the Isle of Man TT races in the F2 sidecar class and this year will be aiming for two strong results. To prepare for the TT races the brothers will take in selected races in one of the F2 sidecar championships which will enable them to bring the machine up to speed and iron out any niggling problems they may encounter. Speaking on how becoming world champions has changed their lives, Ben commented: “Winning the world championship will not change us, we are just a couple of ordinary lads who know where their roots are. We are both extremely proud to live in Mansfield and our aim this year is to once again bring the world championship title home. We have had such a lot of support and so many messages of congratulation from the people of Mansfield, it’s unbelievable. We can’t thank every one enough for their support. “We have risen through the ranks to contest the world championship fairly early in our careers and are therefore relative youngsters in the sidecar world. We have a good 10 years or more in us at the top level and our intention is to contest the world championship for a good few years to come and add more titles to our CV. “We have also attended some high profile events, including the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show in Sheffield. Although we didn’t get a mention on the show we did get to rub shoulders with some of the most famous sports stars from across the world and spent a considerable amount of the evening talking to double World Superbike champion James Toseland who we both admire. “We have had a lot of media interest since becoming world champions and have featured prominently in various biking magazines and newspapers which has brought both us and the sport of sidecar racing more into the public eye. “Although we have the continued backing of our major sponsors Mitchells of Mansfield, we are still looking for extra backing and if anyone is interested in helping us we would be pleased to discuss this further.” (Ben can be contacted via the Birchall Racing website.) Below is a list of 2010 race dates, although the dates are not yet set in stone. It is likely there will be a couple of clashes and in this case the world championship will be the priority. But despite the possibility of having to miss a couple of rounds, the Birchall Brothers are expected to be strong contenders in the Battle of Britain championship in its inaugural year. You can follow the Birchall Brothers’ progress via their website ~http://www.birchallracing.com/~ which will carry regular updates plus any changes to the racing calendar that may be instigated. 2010 FIM SUPERSIDE F1 SIDECAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP R1 APRIL 18 LE MANS R2 MAY 9 SCHLEIZ R3 JUNE 20 RIJEKA R4 JUNE 27 CARTEGENA R5 JULY 18 SACHSENRING R6 AUG 15 KNOCKHILL R7 AUG 29 SLOVAKIARING 2010 F1 SIDECAR BATTLE OF BRITAIN R1 APRIL 10 PEMBREY R2 MAY 3 SNETTERTON R3 JUNE 26 OULTON PARK R4 JULY 18 DONINGTON R5 AUGUST 8 CADWELL R6 AUG 31 BRANDS HATCH R7 SEPT 19 ANGLESEY R8 OCT 31 MALLORY ISLE OF MAN TT FESTIVAL Practice May 9 June 4 Race 1 – Saturday, June 5 Race 2 – Wednesday, June 9