Archive 2009 & 2008 - Team DWS Racing

RACE RESULTS & REPORTS 2009

Lydden Hill, Kent
Saturday 31st October & Sunday 1st November 2009
THE LORD OF LYDDEN SIDECAR BURN-UP
F2 SIDECAR PRACTICE
Once Shaun was used to the circuit having a 3 lap initiation we now set about getting a feel for our bike. We had brakes to bed in and other checks to see from previous adjustments made for Lydden. Practice seemed to go smoothly and every lap seemed to get a bit better and by the end of the 11 laps we felt comfortable in general with our set up and also quite happy with our qualifying position of 3rd place.
OLD TIMERS SIDECAR PRACTICE
This was our first time out on the very interesting and long awaited ride on Gary Golders Windle chassis fitted with a Yamaha XT 660 single cylinder (with a 760 big bore kit). With new brakes fitted and no idea of its handling or driveability we decided to just take our time for the first few laps and try to get a feel for any issue’s that we may foresee, we soon found that we had a brake pedal problem and could not push any harder until we further investigated the problem (but we still managed to qualify 5th on the grid).
F2 SIDECAR RACE RACE 8
We lined up on the grid ready for the start (all starts for the weekend would be done by flag not lights) engines roared and the flag was dropped and we found ourselves going into the first corner in 4th place, behind Rick Lumley but managed to take back third before the left hander and then set our sights on the leading 2 teams of Tim Reeves and Shaun Hegarty. A gap stayed at about 2 seconds for the next 4 to 5 laps but we seemed unable to stay with them and without any interruption from behind with an ever increasing gap we simply set about trying alternative lines and braking points. The race seemed to go very quickly and we were more than happy with our initial result of 3rd place.
OLD TIMERS SIDECAR RACE 10
We lined up on the third row for our initial race on the Wingold 760 without having done a race start, Matt was a little anxious on not stalling or launching in a peculiar direction so we eased the outfit off the line with everyone else flying from their gates. We soon found out that this was not a wise decision as we dropped to 2nd to last into the first corner. Yet again we found that our braking problem had not been resolved with near consequences of crashing at the hairpin on the first lap. With no brakes and an ever increasing knowledge of the outfit on every lap we pushed on passing another outfit every few corners. By lap 7 we had managed to get to 4th place and after an attempt to close the gap further on 3rd we decided against pushing ever harder due to inconsistent braking (or should I say lack of brakes!) This is where we remained until the final lap resulting in a very satisfying 4th.
F2 SIDECAR RACE 18
Yet again we managed to be passed by a very fast starting Rick Lumley whom seemed to have the bits between his teeth (well done Rick) but with track knowledge to our advantage (or should I say to Matt’s advantage!) We were able to pull in Ric and regain 3rd place but with the two leading outfits having pulled a comfortable gap on us it seemed inevitable that we would not be able to better our third place. Just when we though that the race was going to end again as in the first race we were suddenly aware of another visitor Lee Eastell. Lee managed to get along side us going into the very fast paddock bend (going onto the last lap) but he was unable to hold this position and had to pull in behind again and with Matt taking a defensive line into the next few corners this only left the hairpin as a possible passing place for Lee. Sure enough Lee tried a last moment overtake around the outside but consequently spun allowing Ric Lumley back to 4th.
OLD TIMERS SIDECAR RACE 20
With the continued issue of no brakes both in practice and our first race we had decided during the intervals to have a good investigation. We had found a damaged brake line which was leaking fluid but had not managed to repair it in time for the actual race, so consequently we were unable to start.
SUNDAY
With severe gales in the morning we feared that the days racing would be delayed but with hope it would clear by lunchtime. The club decided to abandon the first half of the day in anticipation of running the 2nd heats and finals.
F2 SIDECARS RACE 14
With a rather wet circuit we all gathered on the grid, with a better start from ourselves we had managed this time to sustain our position of 3rd from the start with our wet tyres. Taking a few laps to get to optimum temperatures we found ourselves on the outfit of the Hegarty brothers and we had managed to pass them coming out of the hair pin on lap 7 with Tim Reeves some 8 seconds in front and the Hegarty’s having pulled out of the race we found ourselves in a lonely but satisfying 2nd place.
THE SIDECAR BURN-UP RACE 19
With our grid position being determined by our fastest lap time of the weekend (the races taken by the fastest 24 outfits over the weekend be it F1 or F2) this put us in 11th on the 5th row. With us getting a good clean start and taking a very wide outside line (unlike nearly everyone else whom opted for the inside line) we found ourselves going cleanly into the first corner and Matt was able to then find a gap to come back through the pack and get ourselves onto a now tighter inside line whilst everyone else seemed to wash to the outside. This subsequently allowed us into a clear track in 3rd place and the rest you can see for your selves on the video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO8z59qrxps
With this being one of our most exciting races to date I would highly recommend that you watch it rather than read it and see how close we were from winning the 2009 sidecar burn up!!!
written by Shaun Parker

Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire
BRITISH F2 CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th September 2009
Saturday dawned, a nice dry crisp morning ideal for a good days racing!!
We were looking forward to a better time at Cadwell than our last appearance at the beginning of the year. We all had had problems at the last meeting, driver, passenger and sidecar but many things had been sorted in the following few meetings and thus we were looking forward to a more challenging and productive meeting.
Free Practice 09:00
We set out on the circuit with a steady pace checking and bedding in our newly refitted brakes after a couple of laps we set upon trying to get up to an acceptable pace trying to see how the track was feeling both for grip and changes from our last visit. Our times were immediately improved upon by several seconds from our best times last time out at Cadwell.
Timed Qualifying
With a few subtle tyre and brake changes(not that the brakes seemed quite right in practice) we set out for our 20 minute session. Everything felt good straight away and we stayed out until the end of the session, having been stopped by a red flag mid way due to a crash which we found out later was due to a brake failure on the outfit of Roy Hanks and Dave Wells (get well soon lads!). We ourselves had found our brakes had now fully recovered and we felt that a reasonable place of 16th had been achieved with only half a second covering 19th – 11th places.
Race One Saturday
With a slow but steady warm up lap we assembled on the grid we waited for the lights to go red and within a split second they seemed to go out. Several units seemed to be caught out by this but luckily we seemed to get away promptly. We went into the first corner three abreast with bodywork on both sides being rubbed, not nice to be in the middle of that sandwich I can tell you!! Thankfully Howard Baker on our right pulled back at the last moment leaving ourselves and Dave Atkinson to challenge into the first right. The race was very close for quite a few laps Matt not being dropped off the rear of the group. But a slight gear change into the chicane caused Shaun to miss a hand hold and throwing him forward onto the fairing on his ribs winding him badly. Shaun had to give Matt a squeeze to give him a chance to get his breath back, Matt backed off slightly whilst still keeping on a good pace which caused him to lose touch with that pack straight away. After a couple of laps Shaun was ready to go again and not a moment too soon as the units to our rear were beginning to close the gap on us. With Shaun back to his usual self they pushed on with a close race to the line, finishing a comfortable 14th from our start in 16th. Congratulations were in order for John Holden and Andy Winkle for wining the British F2 Championship.
Race Two Sunday
Another reasonable start but we were squeezed out on the first and second corner thus allowing a cloud of outfits behind us to gain advantage and at the beginning of lap two heading down the park straight (as we reached top gear) there was a sudden change in the bikes stability and a noise of grating bodywork could be heard. With this we rapidly slowed and made our way to the bales at the chicane (by this time the rest of the pack was long gone) we then noticed that none of our bodywork clips had been fitted and subsequently the fairing had detached itself. We were able to re-fit and re-clip the fairing and re-join the race but by this point we were at least half a lap behind the rear of the race. With this in mind we pulled into pit lane a few laps later when the leaders had caught us so as not to interfere with anyone’s championship and race positions. A sad end but lucky escape to an otherwise enjoyable weekend.
Many thanks to the pit crew for all their helpfulness and efforts (and forgetful moments!!) over the weekend. Also many thanks to Nicki and Sadie for keeping us sane and stocked up with hot drinks all weekend.
written by Shaun Parker

Anglesey, Wales
FSRA meeting hosted by the Wirral 100 Motor Club
Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd August 2009
As the team arrived at the circuit after their 6 hour drive, they were disappointed to get out of the team vehicles and be greeted by gale force winds and the prospect of torrential rain.
They quickly got the unit out of the team transport and set up the sleeping quarters with Shaun forgoing his tent in favour of a bike trailer instead, mainly due to the fact that it was less likely to blow away over night!
In the morning they were please to see the sky clearing and temperatures improving with prospects of a good, dry racing weekend ahead of them.
With their previous visit to this track completed in May this year, they were ready to set their sites on further improving their track knowledge and timings in the practice and qualifying sessions, thereby securing a good grid position for the races.
Saturday morning practice session was mainly spent concentrating on improving their times on the parts of the circuit they already knew and getting to grips with the corkscrew section of the track they had not raced on previously. This proved to be as exciting as it looked.
They found they were struggling with aspects of the two main left hand corners, which possibly could cause issue’s in qualifying.
Qualifying for the weekend
Qualifying seemed very fast and active with so many teams on the fast moving circuit. Matt and Shaun kept trying different lines and approaches to ever increase their times. For certain they were not the slowest and in fact, they felt positive on the pace but, with the pace being so fast and close they only seemed to manage a rear ward position qualifying 17th and of 24 units.
Race 1 Saturday
As the lights went out Matt and Shaun seemed to get a good line into the first corner closely following Dave Atkinson into the first right hand corner who promptly nearly span out in front of them causing them to lose momentum but, by the next right the pack had re bunched and Matt and Shaun were able to pick off another few units. Matt again seemed attached to the back of Dave Atkinson coming down towards the corkscrew and this time Dave again over powered going into the corner and spun. The team were luckily able to narrowly avoid Dave and soon tagged onto a group of four other units, this group seemed to continue throughout the early part of the race with all teams trying to gain an advantage at each corner. By mid race Matt and Shaun seemed to have settled into an order with everyone pushing on. Temperatures seemed to be rising both on circuit and on board as the brakes and engine were pushed ever harder. Not that the standard engines aren’t always being pushed to their upper most limits!
Tony Baker (sidecar manufacturer extraordinaire!!) was the lead outfit of the group and by now had pulled a small gap on the other outfits, this leaft the three remaining units to fight it out. The race was at three quarters of the way through when we caught an ever slowing Coombes whom seemed determined not to be passed. This in consequence led to Matt and Shaun accidentally tagging both Michael Line’s bodywork and his passenger’s crash helmet (sorry Mike!!)
With Dean Lindley pushing very hard from behind, Matt and Shaun were chasing down Coombes at every opportunity, it seemed this is how the race would finish. Coombes however pulled off at the start of the last lap leaving the battle between Matt and Lindley. With some damage to Lindley’s bodywork from contact with Matt and a possible podium in the cup race at stake, Lindley dropped off on the last lap this meant Matt and Shaun would finish a comfortable 11th place.
Without a doubt this race was the most exciting and challenging race of the season to date.
Race 2 Sunday
This looked even more promising with even better weather conditions than the previous day. With a few last minute changes to the unit (due to a few issue’s on the left hand corners still) they headed out for the warm up lap. The lights went out and again Matt seemed to get a reasonable start from the others, but was soon thwarted when they got pushed out wide on the first left hander. This dropped them very near the back of the pack. They pushed on as hard as possible but it soon became apparent that the alterations had detrimental effect and they struggled in nearly every corner. With this they were unable to attack and spent most of the race defending to no avail. The end result was disappointing when compared to the previous day’s result finishing in 16th.

Many thanks to the pit crew and the catering staff for all their help at the weekend.
Special thanks to Pete Alton for the kindness of letting us share his awning for the weekend.
written by Shaun Parker

Donington Park, Leicester
WORLD GRAND PRIX
Friday 24th & Saturday 25th July 2009
This was Matt and Shaun’s 2nd outing of the year at Donington and once again, racing the full circuit, including the Melbourne loop. Only, this time it would be amongst world class solo riders. Timed practice was on the Friday, with the main race on Saturday. With an uncertain weather forecast, there was much to prepare for. Tyre choice was going to be critical on the day.
A heavy shower half hour before the timed qualifying confirmed that the already wet track would be wet enough to warrant full wets with standing water at Coppice and down the Starkeys straight. The entrance to the track for the sidecars was at the left hand side of the track on the ride hand corner of the foggy Esses via a ankle deep puddle which made the fairly dry part of the circuit there wet for the beginning of the qualifying. The timed session was 20 minutes long and on average a tyre change on a unit can take up to 4 minutes even with single nut wheel and quick release fairings. After 10 minutes of qualifying with the track temperature increasing all the time, various teams were entering the pit area to come out on their intermediates or slicks.
Matt and Shaun came in after 5 laps to change from full wets to intermediates front and rear but having no inter for the side left, the wet stayed on. One lap later they came straight back in again as the track was drying so quick the wet on the side would have been wrecked. As they headed out to the track again Matt and Shaun knew they would be hard pushed to get a good placing. This fear turned out to be true as one lap in, just as the tyres were warming up, the chequered flag came out placing Matt and Shaun 24th on a grid of 29. The one sweetener to this result was the Birchall brothers (currently lying 2nd in the world F1 championship) had spun off on slicks and ended up qualifying 23rd which meant the team would get a good tow off the line.
On the following day the weather was great and all teams were looking forward to a great race, 15 laps long.
As the lights went out, the Birchall brothers were off just as Matt had predicted and he tucked in behind them into Redgate and onto Craner curves for the first time increasing their position to 21st in less than half a mile. The pace was fast and furious and two laps into the race Matt and Shaun had been left by the Birchall brothers and they were beginning to enter into battles lap by lap for places.
Lap 9 saw them move up into 16th when Matt broke late after catching up and overtaking Dean Banks into Goddards, this meant Matt had to slow up and go straight on or flip the unit. Matt managed to get the unit slowed enough not to hit the tyre wall or lose Shaun on his tight right U turn and rejoined the race just in front of the Sanders brothers in 23rd. They now had their work cut out to make up the places they lost, within only 3 laps they were back up to 18th and lining up Dean Banks and the Mad Cow team (Miles and Kevin) to get in front of them coming out of the Foggy Esses. This time however when Matt had to brake late, with the hot brakes starting to fade, Matt and Shaun once again took evasive action not to hit them, putting a good 3 seconds gap between Miles, Kevin and Dean. On the last time entering the Foggy Esses, Miles, Kevin and Dean were having one last attempt to decide who would finish where, when they both out broke each other leaving the door wide open for Matt to slip through back up to 16th! All the way down to the Melbourne loop and up to Goddards, Miles was right behind Matt waiting for a gap or mistake. So intent both teams were of finishing in front of each other that they both left their braking late and both only just made it round the final bend. Miles and Matt both had the right gear but Matt had the better line to place him over the line 00ths of a second infront of Miles and Kevin. What a race! The teams completed their warm down lap and were directed into the pit lane to park up outside the GPs’ garages. Matt and Shaun ended up outside Valentino Rossi’s garage . James Toselands team very kindly supplied energy drinks to the tired competitors whilst Mr Rossi’s mechanics came out and sat on Matt's unit, if only we’d had a camera!
A great weekend, a great race and such good publicity for the sport.
A massive THANK YOU as always to all our sponsors for their support, with Special Thanks to Rob Geer prior the weekend and to Trevor and Russ Wicken’s at the track for their excellent spannering work.
Thanks also to Marion and Nicki for supplying the crew with refreshments over the weekend.
written by Shaun Parker

Mallory Park,

Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th July 2009

Saturday morning dawned a lot brighter than Friday night had closed! The track was nice and dry with Matt and Shaun set up for what they hoped, would be a fault free weekend. Had they finally fixed the elusive electrical issue? First un-timed practice session went well both getting familiar with a track that they both haven’t visited since last season. Timed qualifying also went well which ended up with the team qualifying 13th out of 28 entrants.

At the end of the timed qualifying the British Superbike, organisers had agreed to allow the FSRA team members to pay a track tribute to their recently lost fellow competitor Phil Dongworth after his death racing at the Southern 100. The moving lap of remembrance was well received by the whole circuit & spectators, it was a fitting tribute to such a great racer.

So race time soon came along with the track temperature rising, Matt and Shaun firmed up on the grid ready for what they both hoped would be a great race. As the lights went out Matt was able to pick up places promoting them up to 11th place. The race was obviously going to be a hard fought one. Matt and Shaun managed to hold off Tony and Fiona Baker for two or three laps. They traded rubber and fairing until finally, Tony managed to get the drive out of the bus stop chicane and pulled away from Matt and Shaun. During the next three laps, Matt and Shaun were battling with the other teams that were close behind them. As the their tyres started to bulge and slip, the temperature still rising, Matt and Shaun were able to hold off the concerted efforts of the other teams and take their first points of the season. Finishing the race confirmed to the team that the unit was most definitely fixed and further close racing could be expected in the race the following day and at the next two meetings in the following two weeks.

The next race was scheduled for the Sunday afternoon which unfortunately was cancelled due to heavy rain, so heavy in fact it resulted in a river running down the devils elbow and standing water over the start finish line! Unfortunately both the Triumph race and the sidecar race had to be cancelled but, a great weekends racing all in all and roll on Donnington Invitation at the World GP next week!

written by Shaun Parker

Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire

Sunday 3rd & Monday 4th May 2009

BRITISH F2 CHAMPIONSHIP 3RD AND 4TH MAY 2009

Sunday 3rd May DNF electrical problem

Monday 4th May - 19th out of 20

electrical problem returned on last lap

Pembrey, Carmarthen

DWS TEST WEEKEND

Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th April 2009

"Saturday was always going to be a strange day starting the qualifying race at the back of the grid wearing race No 1 as last years championship winners!!
The last two weeks in the workshop had not brought up any confirmed causes for the issues that the team experienced at Brands Hatch two weeks earlier. However numerous parts had been removed, inspected, refitted and the unit was all set up for a practice weekend at Pembrey to see if the strange elusive electrical fault has been fixed.

As previous championship winners Matt and Shaun knew North Gloucester’s home circuit of Pembrey very well so besides testing the unit this would be an opportunity to improve riding and passengering team work and communication. Along with trying different lines and techniques through the variety of corners this circuit has to offer.
When the lights went out for the start of the qualifying race Matt was able to over take 5 of the other competitors up the start finish straight into the hairpin. During the first 3 laps of the 8 lap race Matt was able to work his way up the field to 6th from 18th having had to pass both 600 and 1000cc powered units. Unfortunately there was a red flag stopping the race due to a unit losing its oil on the circuit all the way from the hairpin to the two left hand corners. This meant a restart all the way back from 18th! The lights went out and it was a very similar start as the previous one but this time they was up to 9th by the entry to the hairpin on the first lap of the now reduced 4 lap race!! Matt now had to start trying to overtake some of their old adversaries from the previous year. Getting past the Cookson team they then had to pass the Rod Robinson and Shelly Smithies (1000cc) team. Matt was able to outbrake Rod and Shelly on the entry into the hairpin in the penultimate lap. This is where they finished gave Matt and Shaun the starting position for the race of 6th on the grid.
The race in the afternoon was going to be a very close affair with 5 top finishing F2 units and two 1000cc units in the first 7 places on the grid. As the lights went out the units of Ian Drowne and Phil Dongworth accelerated away to have their own private battle, which left the next five units to battle over third!! This was a close fast race with positions being swapped from corner to corner between all of the other 5 units. Wayne Lockey and the Millington’s were having a very close fought battle which allowed Matt and Shaun to yet again battle with the Cookson unit and Rod and Shelly in front of them. By the end of the 9 lap race Matt had managed to get away from Rod with a gap of 4 seconds. On entering the paddock Matt and Shaun found out that their 3rd place was actually a 2nd as Ian Drowne had suffered a mechanical issue causing them to pull out.
So the mechanical gremlins certainly seemed to have disappeared, Matt and Shaun left the unit with the set up it already had ready for the race the following day.

Sunday qualifier was a very close fought race with Matt and Shaun coming once again from the rear of the pack to finish 5th putting them behind Rod and Shelly on the starting grid for the race in the afternoon.

The race started off as a drag race between Matt and Rod but this time Matt and Shaun were beaten into the hairpin on engine power only to undertake them on the two left hand corners. This put Matt and Shaun up into 4th to now catch up Wayne Lockey whilst still hold off Rod and Shelly. Matt and Shaun slowly caught up Wayne lap by lap and by the end of the 6th of the 9 laps Matt was just ready to start battling with Wayne for 4th when the motor lost power the warning light came on and Matt and Shaun had to retire from the race with exactly the same problem that had put them out of the races at Brands Hatch.

A very unfortunate and disappointing end to the weekend but as a whole Matt and Shaun’s teamwork continued to increase empowering them further in their TT preparations for next year.

Thanks to all our sponsors, team members and supporters for their help."

written by Shaun Parker

Anglesey, Wales

Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st May 2009

Saturday 30th May DNF electrical issue
Testing and track familiarisation

After working on the unit most of the previous evening in the still hot conditions nothing had been confirmed to be the cause of the still re-occurring electrical issue.
As soon as the flag dropped on the warm up lap the engine warning light came on letting the pairing know that the issue still had not been fixed. Intermittently the motor would seem to die during corners only to come back on.seconds later. Even though this was happening Matt and Shaun came from the back of the grid to finish 7th out of 19.
Starting from 7th of the warm up lap of the race after changing and tweaking various items on the engine the warning light once again came on to inform us that there was still this elusive electrical issue.
The lights went out for the actual start of the race and Matt got up into 5th going into the first corner in front of a 1000cc unit and close on the heels of Shambles racing. A different Formula 1 unit joint the chase and got by to leave Matt and Team Shambles in a very closely fought battle all the way through the 10 lap race. The 6th and 7th places were swapped numerous times in this battle allowing the 5 teams in front to pull away. In the end the struggling motor of Matt and Shaun’s had its effect on its team as fighting off other units whilst keeping the revs below 14’000rpm and tweaking the lines in every corner in 30 degrees heat would tire anyone! Matt and Shaun settled for 7th happy with having reduced the initial lap times from 1.49 down to 1.41 over the weekend on a motor that just wasn’t performing at 100% like it can.
The team left with the circuit layout and racing lines now firmly installed in their minds for the return in August. Although they will be racing the coastal circuit in August the majority of the circuit is the same so this practice round will help their performance.
Plans are underway to take the unit to a rolling road test system to hopefully sort their electrical problem once and for all.
The message the team take from this weekend is; if we can finish 9 seconds quicker than originally, Start at the back of the grid in the morning and finish 7th overall imagine what we’ll be able to do when the engine is performing correctly!
Once again thanks to all our sponsors, supporters, friends and family for their continued encouragement.
written by Shaun Parker

Brands Hatch, Kent

EASTER BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

Saturday 11th April 2009

Practise Race

Sunday 12th April 2009

Qualifying Race 1 (Overcast:Dry)

DNF after 10 laps - engine cutting out.

They acheived their Best Lap time ever - 52.821 seconds

Monday 13th April 2009

Championship Race 2 (Sunny:Dry)

Finished in 20 position, Race stopped after 9 laps completed

Official results click link below

www.fsra.org.uk/news.php?extend.93.3

www.fsra.org.uk/e107_files/downloads/f2champ09.pdf

FSRA Report click link below

www.fsra.org.uk/news.php?extend.94

Brands Hatch, Kent

Saturday 21st March 2009 - NG Road Racing (testing) - Brands Hatch

Race 1 (Sunny:Dry) 2nd place F2, 4th Overall

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) DNF - due to collison on 2nd lap

Official results click link below

ngroadracing.org/results_data/2009/brands_21mar/sidecars.php

Sunday 22nd March 2009 - NG Road Racing (testing) - Brands Hatch
Race 1 (Sunny:Dry) 2nd place F2, 6th Overall
Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 2nd place F2, 6th Overall
Official results click link below
ngroadracing.org/results_data/2009/brands_22mar/sidecars.php

Championship table click link below

ngroadracing.org/results_data/2009/championship_table/sidecar_open.php

Brands Hatch is one of the most iconic sporting venues in the world and can lay claim to being the busiest race circuit in Europe. Having undergone a series of major improvements in recent years, the Kent circuit now attracts some of the biggest international events on the calendar. Ever since starting out as a dirt track motorcycle circuit in 1926, Brands Hatch has been characterised by its natural amphitheatre, with virtually the entire 'Indy' configuration visible from the spectator banking and grandstands. A firm fans' favourite, Brands Hatch has also witnessed a number of significant moments in history. The short or 'Indy' circuit boasts the best spectator viewing in racing. From Paddock Hill, nearly the entire track can clearly be seen, with the most dramatic corner Paddock Hill Bend - in the immediate foreground. Although often thought of as a head banging 'scratchers' track, it is in fact extremely technical, with each bend flowing into the next. A fluent riding style pays dividends, but total commitment is also required.

"The day dawned bright with hardly any breeze and had promises of being a great day for racing, not too hot but not wet either which was what team DWS needed to try out the alterations made to the unit over the winter. Also, it’s always easier to blow away the winter cobwebs in the dry rather than in the wet!!
Matt and Shaun rose refreshed and ready for the days racing all be it a little apprehensive after the winter break!

As they headed out onto the track everything seemed to just fall into place. The new front end was performing really well and Shaun was a lot more comfortable with the new fairing and his new passengering style.

insert pic

The 9 lap qualifying race saw Matt and Shaun start in Pole due to their championship finishing place last year with the 2nd place position going to Ian Drowne and Ken Edwards. Ian had been a formidable challenger for the open championship last year and Ken his passenger (whom had passengered Mick Robson last year and also in turn, challenged Matt for the F2 championship). Rod Robinson and passenger Shelley Smithies were in third with Team Bennet and Perry on the first Mad Cow Team unit in 4th, it was all shaping up to be a close race against familiar faces and units from last year!

However, there were some new faces and some other well known drivers and passengers further down the field with a well deserved reputation as being quick too!!
As the lights went out for the beginning of the qualifier Matt and Shaun were on the outside of the track and Ian and Ken with their extra 400cc’s were quickly up alongside them on their inside for the entry into paddock hill bend. As they dropped into the dip for the first time it was always going to be a question of braking distances and abilities followed by, nerves of steel!! Matt and Shaun with the lighter unit were able to break slightly later and got the inside line into Druids hairpin the first time, as they came out they got a better drive down the hill towards Graham Hill. Ian and Ken were right behind Matt as they came round Graham Hill bend the first time and easily powered past them on the cooper straight to go into the left/right sequence of corners at Surtees and Clearways. As they headed onto the start finish straight Matt was able to close right up to Ian so there were not able to leave them completely on the straight. This close racing continued until Rod Robinson joined in on the 3rd lap. With all three of us now closely battling for the lead Phil Dongworth was able to catch and pass all three of us on the 5th lap on the start finish straight! Rod and Shelly headed off after Phil to battle with them for the lead, leaving Matt and Ian to ballet for 3rd and 4th positions, which kept changing right up to the 9th lap which unfortunately saw a technical red flag being shown due to the Cables engine going bang just in the entry to the Paddock Hill bend. This meant that Matt and Shaun’s hard work on the 9th lap going under Ian again at Graham Hill was all for nothing as the results were taken back to the end of the 8th lap. So Matt and Shaun had to settle for 4th place in the actual race later that day.

The Championship Race was destined to be a mess from the warm up lap with the NG grid organisation not going well. They were told one thing in the holding area, another thing on the grid for the warm up and then a completely different thing at the end of the warm up lap. Instead of Matt and Shaun being 4th they actually ended up in 5th position. Matt & Shaun were left facing diagonally across the track.
I think what summed up the lack of organisation was the club chairman standing on the grid saying “there’s nothing I can do” - well if he can’t, then who can?
Anyway, the race got off to a blistering start with Matt making a blinding start powering up to third place into paddock hill bend! This pace was set to continue all through the first lap and on into the 2nd as Matt and Shaun came out of Graham Hill bend onto the cooper straight Rod and Shelley powered past them and took third as they went into Surtees. Just as they exited McLarens and entered Craner curves Matt’s wheel arch came into contact with Rod and Shelly’s rear tyre and next thing, Shaun’s in mid air landing on his head, getting up, realising he’s in the middle of the circuit and running for the nearest bit of Grass!! When they say it all happens so quickly, they’re not wrong!! This meant, race over for Matt and Shaun.
The racing continued at a blistering pace with Phil Dongworth taking first and the Dodd brothers working their way up to take 2nd. Ian and Ken managed to get by Rod and Shelly to take third place.

Sunday morning was a bit colder than Saturday. Matt and Shaun were out first for the practice. They just wanted to be sure that nothing had been overlooked repair wise during the previous nights work. Unfortunately the new fairing couldn’t be repaired locally, so they altered the fairing from last year to fit the new stays locations.

insert pic

The Qualifier Race went really quickly and it was a great pleasure to see that NG seemed to have learned their lesson about the grid formations from the pervious day’s fiasco.

Matt and Shaun once again starting in pole position. This race was won by the extra top end speed of Formula 1 units, despite having some close cornering at Graham Hill’s bend and some drastic out braking attempts at druids. The extra 400cc on the day is what told the tale in this race with Matt and Shaun ending up 6th behind 4 Formula 1 units but it was good to see a Formula 2 in the form of Phil Dongworth take pole for the final race later that day.

The reduced distance 10 lap Championship Race started off at a furious pace with Matt taking the first corner ahead of three of the Formula 1 units and powered down Paddock Hill bend and into Druids Hairpin close on the tail of Phil Dongworth and Rod Robinson. Doing battle with Ian Drowne and Ken Edwards at Graham Hill once again!! The race was very close with Ian and Matt swapping places till the Cable unit came into the play for a whole lap, Matt and Mr Cable raced sometimes inches apart till coming out of the Graham Hill bend on the 5th lap. Mr Cable got a real tank slapper on which dropped him off Matt’s rear tyre for a bit. However, in the 9th lap he reappeared on the inside of them going into Surtees. I’m sure Shaun was glad that Mr Cable was able to use his backside as a means of pushing him and Matt off the racing line towards the grass rather than using their extra 400cc down the straight to get by. Matt managed to keep the unit off the grass but had lost a good ten unit lengths, this left a bitter tasting 6th position as a result.

insert pic

A great weekends racing despite the crash, damaged fairing, new helmet required and bruises on both Shaun’s a^$e cheeks (all acquired after the 2nd race!). The first meeting at Donnington will prove to be a challenge for the pair, racing the full circuit will be the first time in some five years that a sidecar unit has been round the Melbourne loop. It should be a very interesting weekend indeed.

A massive THANK YOU as always, to all our Sponsors for their continued support and Special Thanks to Rob Geer, Trevor and Russ Wickens for excellent spannering work over the weekend and not forgetting, Nicki for the endless cups of tea!"

written by Shaun Parker

Donington Park, Leicestershire

Saturday 28th March 2009 - - Donington Park

Race 1 (:) DNF

Race 2 (:) DNF

Sunday 29th March 2009 - - Donington ParkOfficial Race Report

Race 1 (:) DNF

Race 2 (:) DNF

Disappointing result due to loose connection with the petrol pump.

http://www.fsra.org.uk/news.php?item.86

Donnington Park is popular with the riders. There is a predominance of medium-speed bends. In contrast to the sweeping character of the rest of the track, the result feels very stop-go and artificial. The Melbourne Loop, as the extension is named, adds a slow chicane and two consecutive hairpin bends. It is thus extremely tough on brakes, probably as hard as any circuit in the world. Grip is good, although the surface does tear rear tyres if the suspension, particularly the compression, is set too hard. In the wet it can be treacherous, sometimes offering good grip, other times not. Riders don't think of Donnington as being bumpy, although bumps are a major feature at Goddards and McLeans. Since curves comprise so much of the track, gearing is a compromise between straights and corners. It is essential to strive for the best possible drive out of each of them, although this may not always be possible.

"The day dawned bright with hardly any breeze and had promises of being a great day for racing, with this being the first round of the British Championships intentions and heart beats were high!!

The sidecar was all ready to go for the first timed practice and Matt and Shaun rolled out hoping to be one of the first teams on the track but, only to get lost in the maze of the poorly laid out paddock. Eventually they got onto the pit lane just as the rest of the field took to the track.

As they would be racing round the full GP circuit this weekend the first couple of laps were quite sedate as Matt had not raced around the full GP circuit since 2005 and Shaun had only ever raced around the shorter circuit so the foggy Esses and the Melbourne loop were going to be new to him. After their third time across the start finish line they picked up their pace and completed another two flying laps to put in a qualifying time of 1.52.60 which after the first session put them 25th on the 30 strong grid (just behind the Mad cows outfit) with another qualifying session to look forward to later on that day, Matt and Shaun thought this was a good start. The second session however was doomed not to be a quick one. Half hour before the session was due to start the rain that had been predicted all day finally turned up to not soak the track but make the track wet enough to slow everyone down. Matt and Shaun used this opportunity to scrub in their wet tyres and just confirm their lines for the race later that afternoon. They did manage to set the 10th fastest time in the wet which they were quite pleased about especially as they snuck up the inside of John Holden just entering into Mcleans one lap!!

So the race came along later to see Matt and Shaun on the 10th row right next to Miles and Kevin from the Mad Cow’s racing team. The lights went out and off they went sneaking up the inside of the mad cows to lead into Redgate for the first time and on exiting Redgate and taking a tighter line Matt and Shaun were able to gain another three places up to 21st entering Hollywood. Things are always a bit hectic for the first couple of laps in any race and this was to prove no different, Matt and Shaun were level with Miles and Kevin at one point but managed to brake later than them into the Coppice on the 3rd lap and slowly pulled away from them down the back straight. They later found out that Miles was right behind them on the 4th lap till he out broke himself going into coppice and just managed to keep of the grass. On the 4th lap Matt and Shaun were coming out of the Melbourne loop closely followed by Will Smith and they managed to hold them off at Goddards only to lose his place down the start finish straight due to sheer lack of horsepower in Matt’s standard engines compared to Will’s tuned ones with a few more horses, the run into Redgate may have been very different. However it was all to no avail as Will broke down on the 5th lap, allowing Matt and Shaun to move into 18th place but, unfortunately their race was also to be cut short down the back straight on the 6th lap. Their own the motor just died forcing them to retire and watch the rest of the race from behind the tyres at the Foggy Esses.

The race continued with some ferocity and some very close racing to see Nick Crowe and Mark Cox take the win followed by the Birchall Brothers closely followed by Simon Neary and Stu Bond. Many thanks to Peter Farrelly for the shove back all the way to the pit lane.

Back at the pits, they had a look to see what the clocks said only to find it all right as rain again and started with no issues. Something very strange they thought and headed back to the garage to start examining possible causes for this issue.

However, they had gained a place further forward on the grid by finishing 0.3 of a second in front of Miles and Kevin from the Mad Cow racing team so they would be starting in front of them on the grid.

In the afternoon having pretty much changed everything except the engine Matt and Shaun took to the grid and had an absolutely blinding start picking up 5 places into Hollywood however a red flag cause the race to be stopped and they all reformed up on the grid. The next start went a similar way except they only managed to pick up two places this time and just couldn’t get past Peter Farrelly but it was all to no avail anyway as in the 2nd lap the fault reappeared. Matt fought off traffic and sustained a couple of shunts for his trouble so in the end, pulled off at the Melbourne loop to save the fairing getting anymore damaged. Also it was rumoured he was overheard voicing concern that Shaun may get hurt if he had carried on but that is a rumour! Matt and Shaun watched the rest of the race from the loop and then headed back the the garage once more.

Once again the fairing came off and all the wiring was examined this time. With the wiring loom left live and after much twiddling they heard the petrol pump cutting in and out examined the cabling to find the culprit. One of the connectors from the battery had cracked inside so although looked good from the outside was making and breaking the contact to the battery during the race. No wonder it was all on or off in corners!!!

A disappointing weekends racing but at least the team head to Brands Hatch knowing that all the issue’s have been resolved and the unit will be ready in time to line up at the British Superbike Meeting at Easter Weekend.

A massive thank you as always to all our sponsors for their support
Many thanks to Rob Geer prior the weekend and to Trevor Wicken’s at the track for their excellent spannering work.

Also, Thanks to Marion and Nicki for supplying the crew with refreshments over the weekend."

written by Shaun Parker

Saturday 29th & Sunday 29th March 2008 - Round 1/2 - Pembrey
"It was a weekend for the Formula 2 sidecars to take charge in the wet conditions on Saturday as Matt Dix and Rob Beere took their first NG win in the Century 2000 F2 Sidecar class on the A and R Baker 600. To boot they also headed home all the Open outfits in the wet conditions in the CSC Open Sidecar class. The open win came as they passed Ian Drowne and Gary Andrews on the final lap. Drowne a former six-time sidecar champ and multiple hill-climb title holder is returning to racing after an 11 year absence, and is still a little race rusty. Sunday had a one-day visit for Phil Dongworth and Stu Castles on the WAS Worcester Ireson Honda, and their class shone through as they won by nearly 10 seconds from Wayne Lockey and Mark Howard and Saturdays winner Matt Dix and Rob Beere."
NG Road Racing Report click below
http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/pembrey_29mar/race_report.htm

Bemsee Championships -7th, 8th & 9th March 2008 - Brands Hatch

written by Matt Dix

Friday - Test Day

Friday was soon upon us as the outfit was barely ready in time (usual things ie. breaks & body work issues). With my mate Rob Beere back in the chair, we set out for our first session with our new brake & fuel system fitted and awaited the outcome...it seemed great. We had Brakes that worked & fuel pressure that didn't alter or surge. Rob too was pleased as it's his first meeting in a year after his accident. Second session was much the same but, with brakes & fuel good we aimed to get me sorted im my new seating and leathers (thanks to Steve @ AMI Leather) Third Session (last one of the day due to wobbly old solo's falling off I think). Well what can I say - big smiles all round :) We are pleased that the bike behaved herself. Come on the weekend's racing!

SATURDAY Race Day (No1 for 2008)

With scrutineering done we headed back to our awning for breakfast. Racing Qualifying Practice was at 18 mins past the next hour, so plenty of time for a cuppa and what you need to do on a Sat am! Next thing I knew, it was 5 past and the sidecars were being called to go on track (bloody early). With no Rob as he had gone to the loo(nerves I think) and the bike cold, myself and my other spanner man Trevor, fired the bike up and drove to the loos. Rob ran out looking hot & bothered (hehe). We made it out on track with only a few minutes left. We managed our 3 laps(minimum required) but felt cross as we didn't seem to get a decent lap in. Somehow we had got 3rd on the grid (front row) closely followed by Mr S Coombes in 4th, the next F2.

RACE 1: With a drying track it was hard to choose tyres but we were ready this time. Lights went out and we were off. A fair start from the front, we fell into 3rd around Paddock and got 2nd into the left at Graham Hill bend keeping Mr Gilbert in view we went around Clearways only to see Mr Gilbert lose the back end as he powered on and headed for the pit wall but, as we were close enough we avoided being collected. Race Stopped. RESTART: We had a good start and got the better of Mr Body into Paddock Bend but, Mr Coombes must have got a flying start from the second row as he nipped us around Paddock leaving a big hole into Graham Hill. We pinned him for the lead but, as we headed down the back straight we saw RED FLAGS! Stopped Again. Race 1 was to be rescheduled Sunday instead of a practice now.

RACE 2: With a great start in the wet we headed into Paddock in the lead. We held this for 5 laps but, was waved Yellow Flags into Paddock and lost drive into Druids and got nabbed by Mr Coombes. We chased him for the last few laps but, he had the legs on us down the straights and finished just over a second faster over the line, with nearly 15 seconds between us two and 3rd place, we were pleased.

SUNDAY- Practice (Re-run Race from Sat) With Mr Coombes now in pole and us in second on the grid, we had our work cut out for the win. We got another great start and were not so polite into Paddock shutting the door on Mr Coombes and taking the lead once again. We held the lead for 5 laps but, got mugged on the brakes into the second bend by Coombes and he took a more defensive line into Graham Hill this time. Into Clearways we lined him up but just at that point the outfit engine cut out and we coasted into the pit lane. Totally lost for words we ground to a halt. With no idea why it had stopped we took the body work off and started looking. Then by what seemed madness she started! Possibly battery, we went back to the pits and did some more work but, couldn't find the fault for sure.

RACE 1: With us towards the back of the grid and a dry track we had a lot of work to do. Lights went out and away we went - another fab start. By Paddock Bend we had taken 8 places and 4 more into Graham Hill. We were up to 6th or 7th place as we went over the line with the leaders in sight. Around Druids again and then disaster, the engine cut. Now my Mother told me not to swear, but I'm sure that I said a few words then. As we slowed and I flicked the switches, 7 or 8 outfits past us. Then by pure chance I pulled the cutout switch and pushed it back in - she starts and off we went. Two more times this happened in the race and some how we managed 4th overall (2nd in F2's).

RACE 2: With a wet but drying and cold track we got ourselves ready with Coombes not appearing for the last race, it was easy to concentrate on the few F1's that were going to cause trouble for us (eg Body & Gray). With a good start (not best of the weekend though) we got 2nd and went for the lead into Clearways but, got my nose nipped by Mr Body and then promptly Gray passed us down the start straight. It was a close race with only a few seconds between all 3 over the line. Amazingly our bike didn't cutout but, the fault was still there (I'm sure to find it though).

Many thanks to Rob Geer and Trevor Wickens for excellent work in a long and hard weekend's Racing and Rob Beere (aka Buzzer) for not falling out (hehe) and the Wife for her great cooking. Roll on Pembrey, our next outing...

RACE RESULTS & REPORTS 2008

Saturday 4th October 2008 - Round 13 - Thruxton

Race 1 (Slight Drizzle:Damp) 3rd place F2, 7th Overall

Race 2 (Raining:Wet) 2nd place F2, 5th Overall

Official results click link below ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/thruxton_4oct/sidecars.php

Championship table click link below ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/championship_table/sidecar_open.php

"Thruxton Park is claimed to be the fastest circuit in the UK with a race lap distance of 2.35 miles at least 2/3rds of a mile of that being three very fast connected right hand corners.

The day dawned gradually after a bitterly cold night for those people sleeping in the team van rather than the caravan (how the other half lives)!! However the forecasted rain had not appeared although, the grey clouds near by told the story all too clearly that there was rain to be expected at some point in the day!!

Matt and Shaun was the first unit out on the circuit eager to get as much track time as possible. After cycling the track twice the night before and once in the early hours of the morning, this was to be Matt’s first time at this circuit so it was he who was to have the steep learning curve and with the open championship still up for grabs this was the make or break meeting.

Matt headed out in practice through the complex taking it easy to start with learning the bends, tight corners and bumps that just aren’t evident till you go through them at speed. As the practice session went on the lap times reduced and by the end of the session Matt was lapping at nearly the same pace as most of the other teams who had ridden there before.

The 5 lap qualifying race started with Matt on pole and the teams regular adversary’s in the F2 class Mick Robinson and Ken Edwards in 2nd and Ian Drowne and Gary Edwards in 3rd . So as the lights went out and the tyres span it was always going to be interesting to see who would enter the first bend in the lead. Mick’s superior motor and experience saw them exit the first corner with Ian and Gary right behind them so the first time through the complex of tight bends it was Mick in 1st Ian in 2nd and Matt in 3rd. However as they all entered the back set of three right hand bends Roger Lovelock came cruising past from 10th on the grid as is to be expected by such a machine and experience. He was also closely followed by Mark Edwards and Jamie Winn. Once they were past and clear Rod Robinson and Shelly Smithies on their Yamaha LCR and Miles Bennet and Kevin Perry joined the front 3 to make it a group of 5 all battling for the 3rd to 7th positions. As the race continued and the tyres really got up to temperature the complex got all the more interesting each time. The third lap saw Mick in front in 3rd when Rod shoot past Ian in a dramatic out braking manoeuvre that nearly took the other two teams behind that pair all by surprise although there was no contact it was a very hair raising moment! This closed the group up again but Matt saw himself slowly being dropped off the back as he was struggling with the first right hand corner and a fading rear tyre. The race had a very interesting last lap with Miles and Kevin finishing a fantastic 4th in front of Ian in 5th with Rod and Shelly in 6th and Matt and Shaun in 7th .The two Sanderson brothers also put in a great display for their first time at the circuit finishing only just a second behind Matt. However 7th overall in the race and 3 seconds off their lap times was close enough to Ian who finished 5th to keep the teams championship hopes alive. There was everything to play for in the race later on that day.

In what seemed like a real short time the final race was upon us and all the teams had been deliberating what tyres to run as it had really clouded over and drops of rain had been falling sporadically for the previous hour so tyre choice looked to play a big part in the race outcome. As the race was called and units headed up to the holding area Matt and the rest of the team decided on a soft inter on the rear with slicks on the front and chair just on the off chance that the rain came down heavier, with the track temperature being so low the rear would heat up quicker anyway.

So the grid formed up and after the warm up lap still no constant rain but the drops were getting more frequent! The lights went out and all 24 units lit up their tyres and they were off Roger Lovelock got run out wide by an incredibly good start from Mick Robson again on entering the corner but he soon pulled it back by the beginning of the next corner so off Roger and Mark Edwards went having their own battle for the whole race. Behind them they left the battle for 3rd and the open championship. Matt left behind Rod and Shelly on the line and closed right up behind Miles and Kevin for the first couple of corners watching their tail to ensure that Rod and Shelly or the Sanderson brothers didn’t get too close. After the first couple of laps Matt had found his rhythm and the inter rear gave us the extra grip we needed, as the slick had seen better days! On the second lap Matt had a better drive out of the tight left hander in the complex and on entering the back three right hand corners Matt chose the inside line on the hope that Miles and Kevin would drift out wide, this turned out to be just what happened and as they headed up the long incline towards the chicane Matt was able to out a second between him and Miles which left four laps to reel in Ian and Mick.

Since Roger and Mark had cleared off from the start this left Mick and Ken and Ian and Gary having a real good battle up the front. Matt and Shaun were able to close up putting in consistent faster laps one after another. Their fastest lap overall was only .55 off a second of the lap record set by Wayne Locket and Kez Williams some three years earlier on a dry track not a damp one like this day was!
As they exited the complex on the 5th lap, The rain was still holding off, but the track was getting damp enough now for it to be causing all the teams some issue’s on those three fast right hand corners at the back of the circuit, so much so that on the 5th lap Mick was able to pull by Ian and as they jockeyed for third place overall up towards the chicane.

This allowed Matt to close up even more, and on exiting the first corner for the last time Ian was third Mick and Ken were 4th with Matt and Shaun right behind them in 5th it was very close all the way through the complex and onto the back part of the circuit until the third right hander where Ian had a big slide and Mick braked so hard that Matt and Shaun almost went into the rear of his unit but this also enabled Mick to get inside Ian closely followed by Matt and Shaun. As they proceeded up towards the chicane for the final time Ian’s 1000cc was able to pull back past them both again and secure third place once again.

On entering the chicane for the last time some 25 seconds beforehand Mark Edwards and Roger Lovelock had had their own battle with Mark trying a pass around the outside of Roger which ended up with Roger and his passenger seeing some real air for a while but not to cause any damage (to the unit anyway) I’m sure Rick Roger’s passenger had a few bruises from where he landed on the track! So Mark secured first with Roger 6 seconds behind to take second place. So 25 seconds later saw Ian, Mick and Matt enter the chicane for the final time Ian was a good second in front of Mick but as Matt had been round the track enough to try some real late braking in corners Matt was right up behind Mick and Ken as they exited the chicane Matt’s gearing allowed him to pull in front of Mick for a spilt second but then as Mick’s extra power took effect Mick was able to pull back in front of Mick before the line was reached. The result couldn’t have been closer Mick and Ken crossed the line 0.07 of a second in front of Matt and Shaun! That was enough though so the results stood Mark Edwards 1st Roger Lovelock 2nd Ian Drowne 3rd Mick Robson 4th and Matt Dix 5th.

Matt and Shaun completed the warm down lap at a walking pace jubilant in their achievement over the past few months together as a team.

For Matt and Shaun, points wise this was enough to secure 1st place in the Open championship and make history for the North Gloucester Road Racing Club.
This is the first time that a Formula 2 unit has won both the Formula 2 Championship and the Open championship in the same season.
The last time anything similar like this had happened was when Rob Verrier and Ian Brinkley won the F2 and the Four stroke championships in 1998 which was also an achievement in itself.

All the DWS Racing team have helped in this achievement; Rob for his spannering skills, Trevor for his great team management and Nicky for her never ending supply of Tea’s and Coffee’s and lovely meals and snacks!!

A special thanks to all our sponsors friends and family for all your help and support during the season. All the hard work has paid off!!"

written by Shaun Parker

NG Road Racing Report click below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/thruxton_4oct/race_report.htm

"Thruxton normally attracts a few top sidecar crews, and this year was no different. Former European champ Roger Lovelock and Rick Lawrence, along with Mark Edwards and Jamie Winn, came along to challenge the NG regulars. Lovelock had qualified on pole on his BB Bikeshop LCR Suzuki, but come the final he made a bad start that saw him mired down in 5th place at the end of lap one. Edwards and Winn needed no excuse and built up a 4 second lead by the end on lap 3 of the 6 lap final, by which time Lovelock had go through to second place, and proceeded to chase down the race leader. The local Marlborough based pair swept through into the lead on the final drag up Woodam Hill. However Edwards tried a high wide line and the Club chicane…. The pair were on a collision course which the massed crowd on the banks braced themselves for. Contact happened, which pitched Lawrence out of the chair and was dumped unceremoniously on the Thruxton tarmac. He got back on board but Edwards/Winn had already crossed the line for the race win. Matt Dix and Shaun Parker finished in a fighting 5th place to lift both CSC and Century 2000 Sidecar titles, beating Ian Drowne and Gary Andrews by just one point in the open class."

Saturday 20th September 2008 - Round 12 - Oulton

Race 1 (Sunny:Dry) 1st place F2, 2nd Overall

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 1st place F2, 3rd Overall

Official results click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/oulton_20sep/sidecars.php

Championship table click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/championship_table/sidecar_open.php

"Oulton Park is a lovely undulating circuit located in Chester with two fast chicanes three steep inclines and a banked hairpin.

The day dawned bright with hardly any breeze and had promises of being a great day for racing, not too hot but not wet either which was nice after the Pembrey round! Matt and Shaun rose refreshed and ready for the days racing after their practice day the previous day to help Shaun learn the track as he had not raced their before.

As they headed out onto the track everything seemed to just fall into place. Matt and Shaun had walked the track the previous evening and discussed the changes they were going to make for the practice and if they worked then they would keep them for the race.

By the end of their second lap it was obvious the changes they made to their racing lines and the unit had really paid of after producing some sub two minute laps. They came in after 5 laps at race speed content that in the short space of time they had had the previous day, they had done all they could to prepare for the qualifying race.

The 5 lap qualifying race saw Matt and Shaun start in Pole with the 2nd place position going to Mick Robson and Ken Edwards and in third place, Ian Drowne and Gary Andrews. So this race was to make it all to play for in the final race of the day in the afternoon. As the lights went out Matt and Shaun were neck and neck with Mick Robson off the line but once again Mick’s extra horse power from their newer unit showed through by leading the race into the first corner. As the power really started to kick in on the short straight leading up to the next bend Ian passed Matt on the right hand side and positioned himself in the perfect racing position to stop Matt out braking him into the corner. Approaching the next left hander Matt positioned himself directly behind Ian’s unit and in the short distance between Ian and the hairpin Matt dived up the inside leaving the breaking extra late so Matt was able to take the 2nd place back going into the hairpin. Accelerating towards the 1st chicane Mick was in front with Matt closing all the time. Onto the 2nd chicane, Matt and Shaun took the corner so tight the left was a good foot in the air and almost clipping the tyres on the inside of the chicane!

All the way up the rise with the two lefts and through the final two rights, Matt still had no answer for Mick’s extra hp from their 2007 motor. As they crossed the line at the end of the 1st lap Matt took a tight inside line to Mick’s wider one and left the braking extra late so he had the racing line into first place as they exited the first right hander heading towards the slight right hand rise. This move dropped Mick into the grasps of Ian who then started a royal battle for 2nd place leaving Matt and Shaun to gradually pull out a 3 second lead over the next 3 laps. This is how is stayed till the last lap when suddenly on the straight between the two lefts, Matt and Shaun found themselves being passed by Stephen Williamson and Colin Two in their Windle Suzuki powered 1000c unit, who started at the back of the grid!! By the time Matt had exited the hairpin Steve and Colin had already entered the first chicane! In the remaining half of a lap there was no way Matt was catching them and that’s how the race finished with Steve and Colin in first place and Matt and Shaun in 2nd with a late burst from Sanders and Ansquer who took 3rd from Ian Drowne for what looked to be a very exciting final!

The 7 lap final saw a bit of a strange beginning with the warm up lap causing one unit’s brakes to seize which reduced the race to a 6 lap race with a warm up. On the next warm up lap another unit’s engine then seized causing yet another delay before the start of the race. The officials decided to reduce the race again to 5 laps, so as the grid took their 3rd warm up lap, tensions and engine temperatures were running high!!

Finally the lights went out and they were off. Matt was first into the right hander just managing to stay in front of Steve Williamson with Ian Drowne beating Sanders and Ansquer into the first corner. With the engines running hot and the F1 unit’s brakes and tyres still not yet had a chance to fully warm up Matt was able to out brake Steve Williamson into the first left hand bend fully expecting Steve to pass him in between the two left hander’s on the straight. However, Ian Drowne was now right close behind Steve which meant to keep his 2nd place, he had to drive defensively and try to get away from Ian before he was able to pass Matt and Shaun. So the race continued like this Matt and Shaun in the lead with Steve and Colin in second and Ian and Gary in third until the 3rd lap. After the first chicane Steve and Colin powered past Matt up the rise and pulled in front of Matt just before braking and entering the 2nd chicane really late. This move caused Matt to brake even sharper and take the dirty outside line in the first right so as not to hit the back on Steve. This in turn allowed Ian and Gary to close up to Matt also who passed Matt on the outside up the rise out of the 2nd chicane into the first of the two deceptively quick left hander corners. So at the end of lap three with two laps to go Steve Williamson and Colin Two were in the lead with Ian Drowne and Gary Andrews in 2nd with Matt and Shaun close to them in 3rd. This is how the race progressed, Steve pulled out a comfortable lead on Ian and Gary who with some spectacularly late braking by Ian, managed to stay in front of Matt and Shaun. On the last lap Matt closed right up to Ian entering the 2nd chicane only to be hampered by a back marker going up the rise exiting the chicane. This meant that Ian and Gary were able to pull back two seconds by the end of the race to take 2nd with Matt and Shaun taking 3rd overall.

As the first formula 2 unit across the line this meant that Matt and Shaun now had an unassailable lead on the ID and C Baker 600 securing them the Formula 2 2008 championship!

Matt and Shaun still have a 3 point lead in the open championship in front of Ian Drowne and Gary Andrews with one round left at Thruxton on the 4th October. With this circuit being one of the fastest in the UK and well suited to the larger engine machines this final round really will put the new partnership of Matt and Shaun to the test. With lots of key names in the sport of sidecar racing attending this awesome circuit anything could happen in the race!

A massive Thank You to all our Sponsors for their support

Many Thanks to Rob Geer and Trevor Wickens for excellent work over the weekend

and Special Thanks to Nicki for the great cooking and cups of tea!"

written by Shaun Parker

NG Road Racing Report click below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/oulton_20sep/race_report.htm

"No one could match the pace of Leeds pairing on Stephen Williamson and Colin Two with their Windle Suzuki as they took the CSC Racing Open Sidecar final from Ian Drowne and Gary Andrews by some 14 seconds. Drowne/Andrews kept their championship hopes alive as they closed the gap slightly to now be just 3 points off the series lead. Matt Dix and Shaun Parker were once more the top Century 2000 F2 outfit taking their 8th win from the 12 rounds and giving themselves an unassailable lead on the ID and C Baker 600 as they headed home the experienced Mick Robson and Ken Edwards."

Saturday 9th August 2008 - Round 10 - Pembrey

Race 1 (Raining:Wet) 2nd place F2, 3rd Overall

Race 2 (Raining:Wet) 1st place Overall

Official results click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/pembrey_9aug/sidecars.php

"Saturday looked gloomy the moment we opened the van door in the morning and the weather got worse from there. Matt and Shaun went out in the rain (as did everyone else mind) for the practice on full wets, looking to check the track and the unit setup. When they came in there were smiles on their faces and steam coming off the tyres. There was a small discussion as to why at one point they over cooked the left but in those conditions something like that is going to happen when you’re right on the limit and besides we were wet anyway before we went through the puddle!

Starting from pole in the qualifying Mick Robson from 2nd on the grid got first into the hairpin quickly followed by Ian Drowne which left Matt and Shaun in third, less than a second behind Ian. For a further 4 laps it stayed like this right on Ian’s tail close enough for Shaun and Garry to have shaken hands until on lap 6 Matt and Shaun caught the edge of the beginning of the curve going into the first left at the track which I think we will now call a step rather than a dip! According to the marshals’ Shaun looked more like a bronco rider rather than a passenger 2 foot in the air holding on with his left hand, feet out behind him and his right hand in the air!! But what goes up must come down! Shaun landed in the tray and off they went again!! However this gave Ian the breathing space he needed and that was how the race finished.

So race time came eventually (after rain delayed the race and the lap distance got reduced to 7 instead of the expected 9) and 3rd on the grid, Matt and the spanners in the pits (Cheers Rob and Trevor) had a made a few minor adjustments which they hoped would help in the race and they were right. The lights went out Mick Robson in pole got a slow start which allowed enough time for Matt to slip by and sit right behind Ian Drowne (Open Class) for the first time into the huge puddle that was the hairpin. Matt chose the inside line, Ian chose the outside Matt and Shaun got very wet but also the lead!

Down the back straight Ian’s extra 400 cc’s allowed him to overtake them through the kink but also through him wide for the very quick Honda Curve onto the start finish straight Matt once again hung onto the inside line and took the lead back and not with the bit very firmly between their very wet teeth headed off down the straight fully expecting Ian to go by on the outside. Due to some great power drifting in the corners along with some defensive driving and being able to get their power down better on an F2, Matt and Shaun held first place into the hairpin and the race was then run baring any mishaps. There were none and Matt and Shaun jubilantly crossed the line 4 laps later some 2 seconds clear of Ian by the end of the race.

This put Matt and Shaun in a very strong position in both the championships 41 points clear in the F2 class and 19 points clear in the Open Class with only 48 remaining in each championship."

Sunday 10th August 2008 - Round 11 - Pembrey

Race 1 (Overcast:Dry) 2nd place F2, 4th Overall

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 9th place F2, 14th Overall

Official results click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/pembrey_10aug/sidecars.php

Sunday brought with it rain and wind and sun and rain and clouds and well you get the drift. The weather was very mixed!

After their win in the wet, Matt and Shaun didn’t need to go out in the wet practice as they had a good set up that they knew worked so they watched the practice hoping to see where they might be able to gain those important fractions of seconds on others in the races to follow.

The qualifying race came eventually and it had stopped raining by this time long enough for the wind and solo’s to create a dry line on the track so everyone headed out on slicks and Matt and Shaun took there place in pole ready to try and do yesterdays achievements all over again. However where the long Open class units suffer in the wet (as they have real issue’s putting down the power without spinning) they have no such issue’s in the dry on slicks. Off the line they went, the whole grid getting away cleanly. Once again taking 3rd place into the hairpin behind Mick Robson and Ian Drowne. Coming out of the old hairpin on lap two saw Matt pull in front of Ian to take second place only to loose it on the start finish straight as Ian was not having the same spinning up issue’s that he had the day before. The race then took on a different feel as Ian slowly pulled away Matt and Shaun found themselves battling to hold off the challenge from Rod Robinson and Shelly on their Open class machine. Two laps to go and Rod saw an opening due to his power around the outside of Matt and Shaun in the first left hander and powered by. This is how the race finished with Matt and Shaun in 4th holding off a challenge from a British F2 unit (Cookson) who had started at the back of the grid.

So 4th on the grid for the race and after making some changes to the setup due to a handling issue that Matt couldn’t put his finger on they were all set. The lights went out and they all powered down the straight once again. Matt and Shaun help their position up to the stoppage for a really bad accident in lap two which caused a short stoppage, as they were rolling back to the grid Matt and Shaun heard a strange noise coming from the front of the unit. Once stopped at the grid they were informed that they had 10 minutes before they would be re starting the race. So off came the fairing’s to see where this strange noise was coming from. The rules state that if a race is stopped and formed up waiting for a re start if your machine leaves the grid, then you are in effect retiring. So not being able to really do anything Matt and the rest of the team (as the team mechanic’s Rob and Trevor were there also to help if possible), decided that it was most likely to be the bearing in the front wheel giving notice. The decision was made to put the unit back together and just limp round the 6 laps (restart distance) and gain what points they could. This is exactly what Matt and Shaun did, grinding their teeth in frustration as slower units passed them and not being able to do anything about it.

A very disappointing end to the weekend but they completed the race, managed to salvage some points, no-one got hurt and we all had fun which is what racing is all about.

With only two more races in the championship remaining it couldn’t be closer.

31 points in the lead of the F2 championship with a maximum of 32 remaining and 4 points in the lead in the Open championship also with 32 points remaining.

The next two race meetings now will prove to be very interesting indeed!

Thanks again to all the team and our sponsors for their help and support of the weekend."

written by Shaun Parker

NG Road Racing Report click below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/pembrey_9aug/race_report.htm

"The CSC Racing backed sidecar championship contenders were the next on track activity with the Mick Robson & Ken Edwards partnership taking pole position on their SFB Racing supported F2 unit ahead of the F1 unit of Ian Drowne & Gary Andrews. In the final it was Matt Dix & Shaun Parker on the A&R Racing supported F2 unit that stole the lead pulling out a 3.2 second gap to 2nd placed Drowne & Andrews at the flag. Robson & Edwards had dropped to 5th on lap 1 but managed to find their rhythm and secured 3rd place.
Sunday saw Robson & Edwards secure pole position again from Drowne & Andrews, but Rod Robinson & Shelley Smithies improved their qualifying form finishing in 3rd spot ahead of championship leaders Dix & Parker. In the final Robson & Edwards had a much better start holding the lead until lap 3 when the race was stopped following an incident caused by brake failure to the Mad Cow Racing pairing of Scott Rabin & Patrick Jones. After a short delay the grid reformed for a reduced 6 lap race in which Drowne & Andrews achieved a winning margin of 2.1 seconds from Robinson & Smithies who had taken 2nd from Robson & Edwards on lap 5. Dix & Parker saw their 16 point Open championship lead end up as a 13 point deficit after another poor race saw them finish in 14th."

Championship table click link below - still holding onto Top Spot www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/championship_table/sidecar_open.php

Donington Park 12th & 13th July 2008

Photos by: www.dcd-images.co.uk

Saturday 12th July 2008 - Derby Phoenix - Donington Park

Race 1 (Sunny:Drying) 7th place F2

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 5th place F2

"The day dawned with bright sunshine even though it had been raining all night so with a damp track a new passenger trying his luck with the team we all knew it was going to be an interesting day.
After losing his last passenger Rob Beere to the call of solo riding Matt has taken on Shaun Parker as the new team passenger if he can just hold on this weekend!
Practice Saturday morning saw Matt & Shaun head out onto a slightly damp track, still on slicks as they weren’t planning to go too mad on their first time out. The practice went ok & Shaun was getting used to the different set up of the unit and trying to remember where the handles were in time before each corner!! By the end of the practice though, after completing 6 laps they came in with smiles on their faces.
A quick check over the unit and a tactics talk between Matt and Shaun was all they had time for really before it was out for their first race together. Starting from the 7th row on the grid with 15 units in front them to the line was their first race position and before they knew it they were off. This was a step up in race and standards for Shaun so the learning curve was quite steep and Matt had to correct a couple of big slides at Coppice, but by the end of the race the lap times were coming down and for the last two laps that had a good race against Phil Larder and Steve English. Shaun remarked afterwards that if Matt liked Steve that much he should get in the platform with him as he was close enough a couple of times!! The 8 lap race was red flagged and called a result after Nigel Wesley lost his passenger coming onto the start finish straight at the end of the 7th lap. So even if Matt had been planning an overtaking manoeuvre to get in front of Phil and Steve we’ll never know! Matt and Shaun finished 12th overall out of 27 finishers which was 7th in their class.
The race in the afternoon was a lot quicker again with Matt and Shaun knocking another two seconds off their time and having left Phil and Steve behind on the grid they were trying desperately to stay with the pairing of Rod Robinson and Shelly Smithes in their F1 unit. However (after a real moment at full throttle going into Craner Curves on the 4th lap) Mike Cookson got passed them and held the attack off all the way up the back straight, now the race was really on!! Twice Matt dived up the inside at Mc Leans and held Mike off but his extra horse power down the back straight was just enough to get him past Matt each time into the final chicane. This was the way the race continued and finished with Matt and Shaun finishing 9th out of 30 starters and 5th in their class.
A great days racing with no incidents and a real baptism of fire for Shaun who managed to hang on for the whole day with no real dramas!!"
written by Shaun Parker/Matt Dix

Sunday 13th July 2008 - Round 9 - Donington Park

Race 1 (Sunny:Dry) 3rd place F2

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 3rd place F2

Official results click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/donington_13july/sidecars.php

"After a night with no rain and bright sunshine the day promised to be just as exciting as yesterday.
This was the day that Matt had been gearing Shaun up for the day before. Going into the day Matt was leading both championships, the Open by 18 points and the Formula 2 by 31 points.
Matt and Shaun headed out for the practice in the morning to blow out the cobwebs and check that there was nothing more that needed to be done to the unit and after 4 laps came in quite happy. They fuelled up and prepared themselves for the long wait till the first qualifying race.
Matt and Shaun started in Pole for the 7 lap qualifier with Mick Robson (2nd place in the F2 championship) to his right and Ian Drowne (2nd place in the Open Championship) behind him. The lights went out and all the units leapt off the line however Mick’s motor had the extra hp to get in front of Matt into Redgate and Ian was past on the outside of Matt as they tipped into the bend for the first time. After coming out of Craner Curves Matt was able to out brake Ian up his inside going into The Old Hairpin. Matt was able to hold Ian off and chase Mike all the way up the hill through the Schwantz Curve and through McLeans, as they rounded Coppice for the first time the red flags came out as someone had lost their passenger at the old hairpin. So every one rolled back to the start for a re-start of the race but with only 5 laps with one warm up lap. The re start was a similar story to the first one but Matt went back under Ian exiting Hollywood and out braked Mike this time on his inside at The Old Hairpin. So Matt and Shaun were off in first place and powering up the hill of Schwantz curve again they held first till the back straight where two Formula 1 units passed them. So lap two out of 5 saw 2 Formula 1 units in front and race tuned British Championship formula2 units coming up fast behind. At the end of the race having been passed by the two British Formula 2 units and Ian Drowne (who managed to squeeze past Matt on the last time up the back straight), The results were; 3rd Formula 2 and 6th overall in the race with less than two seconds between 3rd and 6th position.
The final race of the day 8 laps and starting from 6th place on the grid with Formula One units all around them!! As the lights went green the tyres squealed and span and all 28 units headed off into Redgate for the first time. Ian Drowne got all out of shape exiting Redgate as he turned into Hollywood Matt dived under him to take 5th place right behind British F2 Championship contenders Dean Henry and Ian Smith. This is how the positions stayed despite some heavy pressure from Ian Drowne (who was in turn being pressured by Rod Robinson and Shelly Smithes) until new passenger (and very tired passenger) Shaun missed a hand hold going into Craner Curves and almost came out the back of the tray. This allowed Ian through who was followed by Rod and Shelly down the back straight. However the race was not over yet. For the last three laps Matt was close to the back of Rod and Shelley through the bends only being left slightly down the straights. The last time through the final chicane saw Matt leave the braking till the very last moment and with a back marker in the middle of the track Rod and Shelley crossed the line to the left of him whilst Matt crossed the line to the right of him with only 17 100ths of a second separating the two of them!!!
So final results of the race were; 9th overall but once again 3rd Formula 2 unit.
Which leaves the rest of the season looking very interesting indeed!!!"

written by Shaun Parker/Matt Dix

Championship table click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/championship_table/sidecar_open.php

Saturday 7th June 2008 - Round 7 - Cadwell Park

Race 1 (Light Rain:Wet) 1st place F2

Race 2 (Sunny:Drying) 2nd place F2

Official results click link below http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/cadwell_7jun/sidecars.php

Sunday 8th June 2008 - Round 8 - Cadwell Park

Race 1 (Sunny:Dry) 2nd place F2

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 2nd place F2

Official results click link below http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/cadwell_8jun/sidecars.php

Championship table click link below http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/championship_table/sidecar_open.php

"Phil Bell and James Neave took both CSC Racing Open Sidecar finals on their LCR Suzuki with Mick Robson/Ken Edwards on an SF Racing F2 LCR Suzuki grabbing second on Saturday, ahead of series leaders Matt Dix/Mark Hegarty. Gary Horspole and Scott Parnall came in for Sundays activities and held onto second in front of Rod Robinson and Shellie Smithies. The Dix/Hegarty pairing could have come away with better than a third and a fifth but the championship leaders in both CSC Open and Century 2000 F2 table went off onto the grass at Charlies on Sunday and the Chicane on Sunday to impede their rapid progression."

Saturday 10th May 2008 - Round 5 - Snetterton

Race 1 (Sunny:Dry) 1st place F2

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 1st place F2

Official results click link below http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/snetterton_10may/sidecars.php

Sunday 11th May 2008 - Round 6 - Snetterton

Race 1 (Sunny:Dry) 1st place F2

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 1st place F2

Official results click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/snetterton_11may/sidecars.php

Championship table click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/championship_table/sidecar_open.php

“The perfect racing weekend for Dix and Beere”

Brands Hatch 12th & 13th April 2008

Saturday 12th April 2008 - Round 3 - Brands Hatch

Race 1 (Overcast:Dry) 1st place finishing 17 sec in front.

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 1st place finishing 12 sec in front and new ngrrc lap record 53.03 sec. Great racing.

Official results click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/brands_12apr/sidecars.php

Sunday 13th April 2008 - Round 4 - Brands Hatch

Race 1 (Overcast:Wet) 1st place finishing 11 sec in front.

Race 2 (Raining:Wet) 1st place finishing 14 sec in front and new ngrrc fastest lap in wet 56.72 sec. Excellent results putting DWS Racing top of the table with 60 points out of a maximum 64.

Official results click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/brands_13apr/sidecars.php

Championship table click link below www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/championship_table/sidecar_f2.php

Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th April -Round 3/4 - Brands Hatch

NG Road Racing Report click below
www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/brands_12apr/race_report.htm

“The perfect racing weekend for Dix and Beere”

"If anyone mastered the wet then dry/sunny mixed conditions it was Matt Dix and Rob Beere on their distinctive orange and black No13 F2 600 CBR Baker Sidecar outfit. The East Sussex based pairing with backing from ID & C Bands Ltd had an unblemished weekend. They set the fastest lap in practice 1.5 seconds quicker than anyone else…. Took both qualifying race wins and both final wins….. and during one of the good dry spells set a new NG F2 Sidecar lap record. They lead every lap of every race and took maximum points in both the CSC Open Sidecar and Century 2000 F2 Sidecar classes. Their biggest win saw them over 20 seconds clear of their nearest rivals…. And to cap it all went home with handsome points leads in both series. These performances gained them the Rider of the Meeting Award to add to everything else that they had achieved over the weekend. Neither the Open class LCR Yamaha of Rod Robinson/Shellie Smithies or the 1000 Suzuki of Ian Drowne/Garry Andrews had an answer to the flying Dix/Beere pairing, and the next F2 was generally over 30 seconds adrift, as the orange no13 sailed (literally in some of the wet races !) to emphatic victories."

Saturday 29th March 2008 - Round 1 - Pembrey

Race 1 (Sunny:Dry) 1st place

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 1st place

Official results click link below http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/pembrey_29mar/sidecars.php

Sunday 30th March 2008 - Round 2 - Pembury

Race 1 (Sunny:Dry) DNF managed 5 laps

Race 2 (Sunny:Dry) 3rd place

Official results click link below http://www.ngroadracing.org/results_data/2008/pembrey_30mar/sidecars.php