Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship
Round nine
Knockhill, October 2-3 2004.
EASTERN AIRWAYS DRAMA AT KNOCKHILL LEAVES TITLE DECIDER TO LAST ROUND
Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship leader Steve Webster was a second race retirement in round nine at Knockhill on Sunday, forcing a title decider at Mallory Park in two weeks.
Webster won the opening race but only after powering out of the final corner to snatch victory from the rampant Tim Reeves. Battling M&M Suzuki ace Reeves edged ahead into the final corner but Webster gained a better line and the necessary drive to be first to the chequered flag.
Webster made the most of his experience in the damp conditions but was forced to hold off Reeves at the end of the 10-lap battle to earn his ninth win of the year. Andy Laidlow took a memorable third place a first podium finish of the year for him and passenger Patrick Farrance.
Webster looked set to complete a Knockhill double before a technical problem forced him out of the second race with little more than two laps to go, allowing Reeves to take victory and close the gap in the championship to just 27 points.
“It’s all to play for at Mallory and all of a sudden we¹re back in with a shout of the title,” said Reeves. “We were 47 points behind Webster going into the Knockhill round so this has really livened things up for Mallory Park.”
Derek Brindley took the runner-up place in Sunday’s second race while Greg Lambert and passenger James Sirrell repeated their podium success of the last round by scooping third place.
Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship, round nine Knockhill – race one result (10 laps 12.28 miles): 1 Steve Webster, Castrol Suzuki 9m 18.693s 82.929mph, 2 Tim Reeves, M & M Suzuki 9m 19.172s, 3 Andy Laidlow, TLF Suzuki 9m 36.191s, 4 Derek Brindley, Readymix Suzuki 9m 36.579s, 5 Greg Lambert, Dalepak Suzuki 9m 37.983s, 6 Bill Philp, 155 Media Yamaha 9m 52.417s, 7 Stuart Woodard, Woodard Yamaha 9m 52.206s, 8 Andy Peach, Readymix Suzuki 9m 59.354s, 9 Mike Ibbotson, Ibbotson Suzuki 10m 08.801s, 10 Bryan Pedder, Roberts Suzuki +1 lap.
Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship, round nine Knockhill – race two result (10 laps 12.28 miles): 1 Reeves 8m 58.037s 86.113mph, 2 Brindley 9m 03.674s, 3 Lambert 9m 12.909s, 4 Pedder 9m 17.262s, 5 Philp 9m 17.426s, 6 Laidlow 9m 18.225s, 7 Peach 9m 29.465s, 8 Steve Norbury, Lockside Yamaha 9m 30.206s, 9 Woodard 9m 30.578s, 10 Ibbotson 9m 38.794s.
Knockhill news in brief 3.10.04
EASTERN Airways Championship teams made up the first two rows of the grid for the Jock Taylor memorial race at Knockhill on Sunday, led by pole-setter Steve Webster, Tim Reeves and Greg Lambert.
KNOCKHILL winner in July, Derek Brindley, chose wet-weather tyres on a drying track in the opening Eastern Airways Championship race at Knockhill on Sunday. “As we went out onto the track there were spots of rain and I thought I’d cracked it,” said Brindley.
EASTERN Airways Championship regular Andy Laidlow was crowned Scottish champion at Knockhill on Saturday.
TEAM Roberts played host to senior management from their sponsor JCB at Knockhill.
GREG LAMBERT was running an ex-Ian Lougher 1000cc Suzuki motor at Knockhill, supplied by former TT racer Mark Johns.
Eastern Airways Sidecar Championship points after round nine
1 Steve Webster / Paul Woodhead Castrol Suzuki 291
2 Tim Reeves / Tristan Reeves M & M Suzuki 264
3 Derek Brindley / Neil Miller Readymix Suzuki 240
4 Greg Lambert / James Sirrell Dalepak Suzuki 170
5 Bill Philp / Rick Long 155 Yamaha 169
6 Bryan Pedder / Rod Steadman Roberts Suzuki 135
7 Andy Peach / Mark Cox Readymix Suzuki 104
8 Andy Laidlow / Patrick Farrance TLF Suzuki 99
9 Stuart Muldoon / John Briggs SMR Suzuki 95
10 Richard Gatt / Paul Randall GRS Suzuki 93
11 Ben Birchall / Tom Birchall Richards Yamaha 92
12 Steve Norbury / Scott Parnell Lockside Yamaha 80
13 Stuart Woodard / Andy Smith Woodard Yamaha 74
14 Mike Ibbotson / Ivan Murray Ibbotson Suzuki 46
15 Stefan Dodd / David Dodd Dodd Yamaha 44
16 Gary Horspole / Jason Miller Horspole Suzuki 43
17 Chris Founds / Mark Cox Founds Yamaha 42
18 Jorg Steinhausen / Trevor Hopkinson Q8 Suzuki 37
19 Jan Bevers / Gunter Verbrugge Bevers Yamaha 10
20 Colin Nicholson / Jarno van Lith RCN Yamaha 9
21 Mike Salmon / Kevin Burt Slipstream Yamaha 7
22 Trevor Stafford / Andy Winkle Allbikes Milefix Yamaha
7
23 Paul Steenbergen/ Rene Steenbergen Steenbergen Yamaha 6
24 Ian Ashley / Paul Cowley Willmakers Yamaha 4
25 Dean Henry / Ian Smith Magnam Yamaha 3
26 John Clarke / Geoff Smale JCR Yamaha 2
2004 Eastern Airways International Sidecar Championship
1 May 1 – 2 Knockhill, Fife
2 May 21 – 23 Mondello Park, Ireland
3 June 10 – 13 Silverstone, Northants
4 June 26 – 27 Croft, North Yorks
5 July 2 – 4 Knockhill, Fife
6 July 29 – August 1 Brands Hatch, Kent
7 September 2 – 5 Assen, Holland
8 September 25 – 26 Castle Combe, Wilts
9 October 2 – 3 Knockhill, Fife
10 October 16 – 17 Mallory Park