January 2012 - Confirmed 2012 calender released by RKBF1
Eastern Airways F1 Sidecar British Championship
APRIL 7-9 BRANDS HATCH INDY
APRIL 13-15 THRUXTON
MAY 25-27 SNETTERTON 300
JUNE 22-24 KNOCKHILL
JULY 20-22 BRANDS HATCH INDY & GP
SEPT 7-9 DONINGTON PARK
SEPT 21-23 ASSEN, HOLLAND
SEPT 28-30 SILVERSTONE ARENA GP
OCT 12-14 BRANDS HATCH GP – SEASON FINALE
At the Final Round two races will be run on Saturday 13th both of which will be carried live on Eurosport.
With the calender confirmed Bell Racing are now actively searching for sponsors inorder for the team to compete in this high profile championship running fully along side BSB.
Phil said "As it stands we are struggling to find the backing that will help us compete in this years championship but we will continue in our search which hopefully see us on the grid at Brands Hatch at Easter".
November 2011 - Search for Sponsors in 2012
With the 2012 season rapidly approaching the team are now desperately searching for some support to enable the team to compete in next season's Eastern Airways Championship. The championship looks to be moving in the right direction with every round in the British Superbike championship. The profile of our championship is getting huge but along with the increased profile comes increased costs to remain competitive.
Phil said " This year has been a constant struggle with tyres and fuel. Had we encountered any major reliability issues our season would been much shorter but luckily everything held together very well. We achieved some fantastic results in varied circumstances this season. Whilst I appreciate our current support from our small backers its going to be impossible to continue into 2012 with the same level of funding".
If anyone is interested in supporting this professionally turned out team please look at our Sponsors / Opportunities section.
October 2011
The Sunflower Trophy - Bishopscourt N.Ireland 21/22nd October
Sunflower Trophy 2011 - Photo courtesy of Mark "Wally" Walters
Express Tyres one of our teams loyal supporters over the past 20 yrs donated a set of Yokohama tyres so that we could afford to make the trip over to the Sunflower which was very appreciated given how much the team had spent on tyres this season with Avon! The team had a disasterous start to what should have been a stress free weekend as we had our first engine failure in 4 years of using our K7 Suzuki engines! The team worked tirelessly to change engines in the lunch break so we could get back out for qualifying! We finished the session in 5th position after giving Phil (Passenger) some steady laps to learn the circuit! Unfortunately the whole weekend suffered from atrocious weather conditions and this gave the team problems with set up on different tyre makes in the different conditions.
A set up issue in race 1 meant the the team were 2 teeth undergeared and also suffered from fuel starvation; as a consequence suffered from a lack of top speed. We finished 5th just making it over the line. Changing conditions for the 2nd race allowed the team to challenge locals John Clarke/Stuart Graham for 3rd place before eventually settled for 4th.
Phil said "Given the issues in practice we were once again happy to finish both races and continue our 100% finishing record this season in all races".
12th October - Last stop The Sunflower Trophy - Bishopscourt N.Ireland 21/22nd October
After a successful trip to Mondello Park to team have been invited back across the Irish Sea to the annual Sunflower Trophy races taking place at the New Bishopscourt circuit. Strong opposition in Tim Reeves, Ben Birchall, Scott Lawrie and John Clarke will give the meeting more of a British championship feel but it should be a good weekend to round off a successful season.
8th October - Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship Final Rd - Mondello Park
Well after whats been a very eventful season Bell Racing ended the Eastern Airways Championship with all its aims fullfilled. A couple of podiums and a final top 6 placing in the most competitive sidecar championship in the world. Our visit to Ireland just 1 week after Silverstone was very fruitful as the team got back on the pace after a disappointing previous round at Silverstone. Given Phil and Phil had never raced together in the rain; the team were over the moon with two 5th places and being very competitive in the tricky conditions.
2 Wheels TV Link : Mondello Park Race 1 and Race 2
The two Phil's battling with Scott Lawrie and James Neave - Photo courtesy of Mark "Wally" Walters
September 2011
Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship Rd7- Silverstone
As September's hectic month continued the team competed at Silverstone just two weeks after Donington Park. Like most teams this was our first visit to the "Home of F1" and competing on the F1 Grand Prix circuit was a great opportunity. Phil and Phil struggled to get to grips with the circuit with the limited track time available and coupled with an engine on its last legs (4yrs of hard racing) they didnt feel very competitive. To the teams credit they came home with a 5th and 7th still clinging on to that top 6 placing in the championship.
Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship Rd6- Donington Park
Donington Park was to be the first of 3 weekends races over a 4 week period. With the team chasing a top 6 finish in the championship everything was still to play for The team welcomed Phil Hyde on board for Donington Park. This ended up being a baptism of fire for Phil. After ending our one and only free practice in 2nd last position, the Phil's were really struggling to gel! With plenty to think about over night before qualifying Phil H sort advice from the right people in the paddock. A better qualifying saw the team team start 12th. They finished with a creditable 8th in the 1st race. A 10th place finish in the 2nd race didn't tell the full story as the team spun out at Goddards on the last lap going for a vastly improved 5th place!
Phil Bell said " Given where we started the weekend when the bike wouldnt turn or brake safely Phil has done an amazing job. The whole team were really impressed with his commitment, it definately bodes well for the final three races of the season"
2WheelsTV Link :- TV Coverage from Donington
Photo courtesy of Mark "Wally" Walters
August 2011
25th August - Website Updated
After a couple of turbulent months our website has now been updated. Since the successes of Knockhill back in June, the team suffered mechanical gremlines at Snetterton and following this Phil and Ash Hawes parted company after issues attending Jock Taylor Trophy at Knockhill. Phil then reunited with Tony Belsey for the Rd 5 of the Eastern Airways Championship at Cadwell Park which the team got back up to the business end of the races again with two top 6 places. See our race reports section for further detail.
Phil said "The past two months has made me seriously consider my future in the sport. The passenger issues really sickened me but other factors such as the budget to compete at the front of the championship with tyres is also frustrating. However we went to Cadwell Park with the aim of enjoying the weekend and we certainly did that coming away with my best results and my fastest ever lap around the lincolnshire circuit. I cant thank Tony enough for helping me get back on form and I now look forward to welcoming Phil Hyde into the team for the remaining 3 rds of the championship. We are back!!"
Phil and Tony Belsey in action at Cadwell - Photo courtesy of Mark "Wally" Walters
20th June - Knockhill TV Schedule
Thursday 23 Jun Race 2 - BSB Coverage
18:30-20:00 - British Superbike Extra
British Eurosport 2
Saturday 25 Jun - British Sidecars Review (60min)
07:45-08:45 - Knockhill Race 1 & 2
British Eurosport 2
20th June - Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship Rd 3 Knockhill - Double Podium Success for Bell Racing
Photos courtesy of Mark "Wally" Walters
Bell Racing secured a brace of podiums at Knockhill with two fantastic races in front of the large BSB crowd. The results were very pleasing for the whole team given the troubled practice which saw the team struggle to 5th on the grid as once again we struggled with tyres this time in very wet conditions. Both races saw Phil and Ash's late charge brought to a halt after James/Winn flipped their outfit over twice. The team were very content with 3rd (wet) and 2nd (Dry) place to secure 2nd overall and move upto 3rd in the championship now only 17 points behind Lawrie/Neave in 2nd place.
Full Race Report will appear shortly.
The prize money earned will now enable the team to make the long trip to Snetterton (Norfolk) 9th/10th July for Rd 4 of the championship.
14th June - Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship Rd 3 Preview - Knockhill
This is without doubt Bell Racing's biggest event of the year; the BSB round at Knockhill. Having given former World Champion Tim Reeves a run for his money last year Phil and Ash are confident that they can achieve their aim of standing on the top step of the podium at Knockhill this weekend hopefully.
Phil said, "Although Knockhill is across the border, its a circuit i've always gone well at and raced at regularly. I class it as my home circuit and I cant wait to get out on the track and put our previous weekend behind us. Brands Hatch was an eye opener for me with the tyres but its time to enjoy what I can of the races left in my season starting with Knockhill. I'm going to give it my best shot for the top three and anything better would be a bonus, its going to be tough with Barry (James) and Scott (Lawrie) on top form and we arent sure if either Ben (Birchall) or Tim (Reeves) will appear but i'll race my own race hopefully we can come out on top!"
Phil has previously won the last national championship round two years ago at Knockhill and has finished in the top two over the past five years at the Jock Taylor Memorial winning it in 2009!
After the problems at Brands Hatch the team's full time participation in the Eastern Airways Championship is now looking very doubtful now however Knockhill is the perfect opportunity to bounce back. The team must thank Graham Turnbull from Autominster Garage who has helped us in the build up to the meeting with a significant contribution to our weekends tyre fund. The team are now looking for further help to try and complete the rest of the season.
May 2011
28th May - Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship Rd 2 - Brands Hatch GP
Bell Racing endured a frustrating weekend at Brands Hatch with 3 x 7th places after problems with tyres. What started off being a promising weekend with a solid qualifying ended up with three lonely rides in 7th due to the poor tyres and not having the funds in place to change the tyres on a regular basis. However its not all doom and gloom as the team sit firmly in the top 6 of the championship. See race report for more details
Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship - TV Coverage available on the web
See below link to catch all the action from Brands Hatch. This new web portal will show all the Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship coverage after the event has taken place.
http://www.2wheelstv.com
April 2011
26th April - Eastern Airways British Sidecar Championship Rd1 - Brands Hatch
Bell Racing kicked of the British Championship season finishing with a 5th and 7th place at the British Superbike event at Brands Hatch. The first live TV race that the team had ever took part in on Monday was particularly pleasing as Phil and Ash finished 5th after tremendous battle with Team JH Racing (Ben Holland and Lee Watson). For 4 laps of the race the TV camera's focused completely on the two way battle with both outfits looking the best in the paddock with the immaculate liveries!
Phil said "Mondays race was superb we had reliability issues all the way through the weekend and nearly didnt finish the first race but it all came together at the end, i think we squoze every inch out of our rear tyre to last the weekend and barring the last 6 laps of the race it was absolutely perfect!"
The team left Brands sitting 5th in the Championship table looking forward to our return visit to Brands in a month on the GP circuit for the 2nd round of the championship.
For Further details see the first of our race reports - 2011 Race Reports/Results
9th April - Season Kicks off with two wins at Croft
Phil and Ash kicked off there season at Croft. Phil's local club NEMCRC (of which father Geoff is Chairman) got their traditional early season date back this year so it presented the perfect opportunity to test the outfit without any huge costs of travelling! Saturday was spent running our new engine which had been refreshed and detuned to fall in line with the new regulations for the Eastern Airways Championship, however Phil and Ash still encountered issues with fuel starvation. Sunday saw the team take two wins after a good battle with scottish rivals Scott Lawrie / James Neave in the first race who were fresh back from a weeks testing in France and Holland!
Phil said "Blowing off the cobwebs at Croft is sets us up great for Brands Hatch in two weeks, however we have an issue to resolve with the new Avon rear tyre. Our rear tyre lasted lasted 4 laps of the first race today which is a major concern and the larger diameter tyres is also interfering with the rear tie bars".
Ash said "The demands of the Croft circuit was the perfect opportunity to test our physical fitness ahead of Brands. I personally can't wait for Brands which will be my home round of the British Championship"
Team would like to thank Scott Leathers (Pete May) and Bell Helmets (Mark Taylor) for the support at the meeting. The leathers and helmets supplied for the team at Croft were brilliant. Barring a couple of minor issues with Ash's leathers, the new team racewear looked really smart!
Croft Preview - Sunday Sun (Zoe Burn)
2011 Race Season Preview - Journal (Zoe Burn)
February 2011
Croft kicks off the season in 2011
Bell Racing has now confirmed that Croft will be the teams first outing. The local North East Club meeting should give the team plenty of track time on the technically challenging circuit!!
Phil said, "We are leaving it late to kick off this season but going out for two full days at Croft should give us enough time to prepare for Brands. Both myself and Ash are itching to get out but i'd rather spend our limited funds on the British Championship meetings to try and compete at the front from the start".
New Products and Sponsors for Bell Racing
With the season now fast approaching Phil and Ash have recieved a boost as they will be recieving some sponsorship from Autominster Garage after family friend Graham Turnbull offered to contribute to our season's tyre bill.
The team will also be using Bell Helmets supplied by friend/sponsor Mark Taylor (Putoline Distribution).
Scott Leathers have also given the team a great deal for two sets of made-to-measure leathers.
Once again Phil and Ash would like thank everyone for their support because without it racing this season would not be possible. The team are still looking for some further support with tyres and fuel. If you are interested in helping the team then please contact Phil@Bellf1sidecarracing.com.
December 2010
Our racing calender is complete for 2011 with the eight British F1 Championship races announced:-
Eastern Airways British F1 Sidecar Championship
Apr 24/25 Brands Hatch – Indy (BSB)
May 21/22 Brands Hatch – GP (BMCRC)
Jun 18/19 Knockhill (BSB)
Jul 9/10 Snetterton – 300 (BMCRC)
Aug 13/14 Cadwell Park (BMCRC)
Sep 10/11 Donington Park (BSB)
Sep 24/25 Silverstone GP (BSB)
Oct 1/2 Mondello Park - Ireland
Other Meetings
Mar 27/28 Snetterton - 300 (BMCRC) or Apr 9/10 Croft - (NEMCRC)
Jul 23/24 Knockhill - Jock Taylor Memorial Trophy - (NEMCRC)
Oct 8/9 East Fortune - Mac Hobson Trophy - (NEMCRC) - Provisional
Phil's comments "This is without doubt the best opportunity that F1 sidecars have had in decades. I personally didn't think last years championship could be bettered but the RKB team have again proved it can be done. Starting off at Brands and then going to Knockhill which I class as my home circuit gives us a fantastic opportunity to start off well. Its the opposite to last years championship"
Ash's comments. "Starting off at my home circuit on live TV is unbelievable, we both cant wait for the season to start"
The team are still actively looking for support to enable them to compete in this fantastic Championship. If you are interested please contact Phil@bellf1sidecarracing.com.
We have recently recieved some support from J&J Motors of Llanelli which is much appreciated, their company logo will be displayed on our leathers in 2011.
November 2010
PRESS RELEASE TO THE SIDECAR FAMILY
GROWTH
Based on passion and belief in the product, RKB-F1 Motorsport took the reins last season in promoting a high quality, high profile series for F1 Sidecars, the like of which hadn’t been seen for many generations. With the help, support and organisation of ThundersportGB, RKB-F1 Motorsport was able to fulfil its intentions of injecting a renewed interest, enthusiasm, and greater coverage for F1 Sidecar racing in the UK.
Carrying on from that extremely successful first year RKB-F1 Motorsport is pleased to announce the continued growth of the most competitive Sidecar Championships that motor racing fans have ever seen.
HIGH PROFILE
With Eight Rounds planned for this prestigious series in 2011 four have been secured at the high profile BSB British Superbike Championship events, giving F1 Sidecars the opportunity to display its close, exciting form racing in front of a large and enthusiastic public and media. Three Rounds will be run as the Headline event within the BMCRC (British MotorCycle Racing Club) meetings, with a further round currently being negotiated across the water at a venue in Ireland.
TELEVISON
The high level of TV coverage obtained during 2010 will continue and indeed grow in the coming season Not only will we have our existing programme with Eurosport we will have live coverage with BSB on the Sunday. The extensive prize fund introduced for F1 Sidecars this year remains the same for 2011.
RKB-F1 Motorsport would like to take this opportunity to extend a big THANK YOU to ThundersportGB, Sponsors, Teams, Team Helpers and Supporters who all stepped up to the challenge, for their help in creating a fantastic platform for the F1 Sidecar Championship in 2010, and now look forward to the exciting prospects of the 2011 season and beyond.
2011 Eastern Airways British F1 Sidecar Championship
Apr 24/25 Brands Hatch – Indy (BSB)
May 21/22 Brands Hatch – GP (BMCRC)
Jun 18/19 Knockhill (BSB)
Jul 9/10 Snetterton – 300 (BMCRC)
Aug 13/14 Cadwell Park (BMCRC)
Sep 10/11 Donington Park (BSB)
Sep 24/25 Silverstone GP (BSB)
+ TBA, Ireland
Further details will be announced soon.
Bell Racing look for additional support for 2011
With plans for next years British Championship about to be confirmed Phil and Ash are looking for some much needed support for the 2011 so they can improve on this years 7th overall British Championship position. If you are interested in becoming a valuable member of the team and can offer some financial assistance have a look at our Sponsors/Opportunities section.
October 2010
2nd Nov - Mallory Park Eurosport Coverage
See coverage of Phil and Ash securing their 1st podium on Saturday 6th November 10.00pm - British Eurosport
1st Nov - Eastern Airways UK F1 Championship Finale - Mallory Park World Sidecar Festival
With only 4 days between Donington and Mallory the team rushed to prepare the bike in time for Mallory. Friday saw the team have a valuable test day with Maxton Engineering (Suspension). After again qualifying 9th the team weren't too happy but they were only 3/10th sec behind 5th placed Bryan Peddar! As the 1st race got underway the team went from being 9th on the opening lap to finishing 3rd and finally securing that elusive podium position. The whole team were delighted; however that was soon to turn to disappointment as the team took part in the taxi rides. See 2010 Race Reports for further details.
Photo courtesy of Mark "Wally" Walters
27th Oct - Bell Racing have a successful first visit to Donington Park
Both Phil and Ash had never been to Donington Park so reopened circuit proved an interesting challenge for them both. Phil's preparation could not have been worse as the injury from East Fortune got worse in the week leading upto Donington. However Fridays practice seemed to ease the pain!! After qualifying 9th the team where happy but the first race didnt go to plan as we chose the wrong tyres (intermediates) for what turned out to be a very wet race!!
Things got much better on Sunday as they finished 6th and 5th in the two main races in front of a large crowd. See 2010 Race Reports for further details.
13th Oct - A crash cant stop Bell Racing winning at East Fortune
Bell Racing had an eventful weekend at East Fortune after a brake failure in qualifying caused the team to crash in spectacular style at the esses. Riding against doctors orders the team got the bike ready for Sundays races and Phil rode through the pain to clinch an impressive win in the last race!! Not racing on saturday prevented the team making any impression on Express Tyres Challenge which was won by rivals Scott Lawrie / James Neave. Phil and Ash finished 4th and 5th in the other races on Sunday.
See 2010 Race Reports for further details.
Phil now faces a race against the clock to be fit for Donington in two weeks time with back problems.
Photo courtesy of Mark "Wally" Walters
9th/10th Oct - Express Tyres Challenge Preview - East Fortune
Phil and Ash make the trip across the border to East Fortune for the Express Tyres Challenge. As one of the teams long term supporters Sam/Ian Hamilton have donated £1000 to the winner of the 3 legs within NEMCRC meeting. With Phil being last years winner he faces strong opposition from newly crowned Scott Lawrie, Bryan Pedder, Dave Wrinn and Gordon Shand. Last years meeting produced some good lap times to close within 4/10ths sec of the lap record so watch this space in the hope that the team can get closer!!
September 2010
21st Sept - Anglesey Review - Wet,Wet,Wet
Phil and Ash again continued their good form in the Eastern Airways Battle of Britain Championship at Anglesey. They had their best qualifying of season with 6th place but once the rain came down the team struggled on uncompetitive tyres. The Yokohama wet tyres were 2 to 3 secs a lap slower than the new Avon's, unfortunately Bell Racing were one of the few restricted with a lack of funds staying on Yokohama's but they finished a creditable 8th and 7th in race 1 and 2. In the final race Phil and Ash were lying 3rd but again when most other teams around them had new rubber they used their older tyres to finish 5th. The team have closed the gap to 5th place in the championship and also further consolidated 7th.
Photo courtesy of Mark "Wally" Walters
15th Sept - Anglesey Preview
Bell Racing have a brand new paint scheme for Round 6 of the Battle of Britain at Anglesey. Many thanks to Merlin Sidecars for the superb work yet again!! The team are hoping to continue the run of finishing races in the top six in the last four rounds. Phil and Ashley both didnt think much to the new Anglesey circuit but having been there already this season the team hope to continue the good form. There will be practicing on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and the main races sunday.
Brands Hatch - Taxi Rides
On Saturday evening at Brands Hatch all the sidecar drivers took 4 paying passengers out for "Taxi Rides". This was the perfect oportunity to give spectators, helpers and sponsors 3 laps of the track and also raise money for charity. In total the teams raised approximately £3k for the "Help the Heroes" charity.
Phil ended up taking 3 passengers out; his girlfriend Lynn, Ash's fiancee Roxzanne and Danny Walker from team CTR. Luckily Lynn and Rox hung on to keep the camp happy but Danny wasnt so lucky.
Passenger 1 - Lynn (Phil's Girlfriend - Race Reporter/Physio)
Passenger 2 - Roxzanne (Ash's Fiancee)
Both girls thoroughly enjoyed their taxi ride, so watch this space for further outings!!
Brands TV Coverage
Watch Eurosport on Sunday 5th September to see Phil and Ash in action from Brands Hatch (Rd 5 Battle of Britain)
August 2010
August was certainly no holiday period for Bell Racing.
Its been a very hectic month for Bell Racing with Phil and Ash contesting Battle of Britain rounds at Cadwell and Brands Hatch. The team also contested the Jock Taylor Memorial Trophy at Knockhill. All the race reports will be online soon but it was a very successful month for the team. Top 6 finishes at both Cadwell and Brands coupled with race wins at knockhill and 2nd in Jock Taylor races close behind 3 x World Champion Tim Reeves. The team have no now moved upto 7th in the British Championship after the Morris Oils Performance of the weekend at Brands Hatch.
Brands Hatch Podium
Phil and Ash (Far Right) recieving the Morris Oils Performance of the weekend award.
Knockhill Podium
Phil, Ash, Greg Cluze, Tim Reeves, Scott Lawrie and James Neave (Left to Right)
For further details see 2010 Race Report and 2010 Results
June 2010
28th June - Another step in the right direction for Bell Racing at Oulton Park.
Phil and Ashley secured a pair of 6th places after storming through the grid from 12th. The bike set up in qualifying once again put the team on the back foot but some changes ensured the team had a successful days racing! Phil and Ashley were delighted with the performance and they are now looking forward to Cadwell with a fresh engine and our new bodywork after moving upto 9th in Championship standing.
For further details see 2010 Race Report and 2010 Results
18th June - Bell Racing recieves some additional support.
AS Performance have agreed to supply the team with discounted Performance brake pads and other specialist racing products and Charlie Johnston has kindly offered to provide the team with some new bodywork which should give the team a step up in performance. We hope to have the new bodywork on for the next Battle of Britain round at Cadwell Park in August.
15th June - Oulton Park Preview
After a 7 week break due to the Isle of Man TT; Bell Racing are relishing a return to the team's first National Cup victory two years ago. Oulton Park is a favourite circuit for nearly every competitor but Phil and Ash are eager to continue the climb up the Eastern Airways Championship table having moved into the top 10 after Snetterton. The meeting takes place on the 25/26th June with qualifying on Friday and two races taking place on Saturday.
11th June - Bell Racing have first visit to Anglesey
With no Eastern Airways Championship rounds for 7 weeks the team took the opportunity to visit Anglesey. With neither Phil or Ash having been there before it was ideal practice for the British Championship round at the end of the year! The weekend started off with further brake problems. However the team reverted to back to last years set after missing one race. Phil and Ash managed to get to grips with the circuit finishing 2nd behind circuit experts Barry James & Carl Morgan in the other three races lapping within 1.5 secs of the lap record.
The ciircuit is far from being the teams favourite but it was an ideal location to listen to many of our fellow sidecar comptitors competing across the Irish Sea at the TT, even if it was a long way to go!!
The team are now eager for the 3rd Rd Eastern Airways Championship at Oulton Park.
May 2010
18th May - Bell Racing target the World Championship event at Knockhill
Phil and Ash are anxious to compete in this year’s British Round of the Sidecar World Championship which takes place at Knockhill in August. The team have always been one of the pace setters around the Scottish circuit and last season won all the major sidecar honours at the circuit in winning the British Championship rounds and the Jock Taylor memorial trophy.
When the circuit was announced on the FIM World Championship calendar the team registered an interest however rule changes to engines this season has meant Phil and Ash cannot compete in the event unless they run a lower specification engine. It is not possible to use the existing engines so the team are looking for support to revert to the new specification engines from this event.
Other complications would mean that the team would then have to revert to the lower specification engines at the remaining rounds of the British Championship, deeming their current engines useless. This is an expense that the team cannot afford mid season but the team are anxious to compete in what could be a one off World championship at their favourite circuit.
The team are looking for support in an attempt to line up on the grid in August and compete against the best teams in the world. If you are interesting in helping the team please contact Phil@bellf1sidecarracing.com
9th May - Snetterton Review
Round 2 of the Eastern Airways UK F1 Championship was a big step foward for the team. After struggling in qualifying the team had two superb races on Bank Holiday Monday to move into the top 10 of the Championship.
For further details see 2010 Race Report and 2010 Results
28/29th April - Snetterton Preview
Round 2 of the Eastern Airways UK F1 Championship takes place this Bank Holiday weekend as Bell Racing prepare for another long haul down south to Snetterton (Norfolk). After the recent test at East Fortune the team have high hopes that the suspension problems that plagued them in the opening round at Pembrey are resolved. Snetterton offers the team the chance to use the full power of the Bell Racing tuned engine and is a circuit the team enjoy.
18th April - East Fortune (Test weekend)
After recieving new parts from Maxton Bell Racing went to East Fortune for some testing. After spending the day testing on Saturday, the team took part in the races on Sunday and comfortably beat rivals Scott Lawrie/James Neave to win both races. Phil said "It feels like a different bike, having felt comfortable with the new settings straight away we were able to experiment and learn more about the suspension. We cant wait for Snetterton now"
See 2010 Race Results section.
14th April - Pembrey Review
Phil and Ash had very a trying weekend at the first British Championship Rd at Pembrey.
See 2010 Race Reports section for full details.
Pembrey Preview - Eastern Airways UK F1 Sidecar Championship revs up for Rounds 1 & 2
Pembrey in South Wales is the venue for the opening rounds of this, the biggest and best, F1 sidecar championship since the late 1980’s. An absolute top quality field of F1 sidecars, the like of which hasn’t been seen since the 1986 Silverstone Grand Prix, will be heading down to the former Spitfire base to set their mark on the opening stages of the Battle of Britain.
The current World Champions, Ben & Tom Birchall and former triple World Champions Tim & Tristan Reeves would be favourites to clean up under normal circumstances, but some interesting rule changes mean that the odds may be about to be turned on their heads. The World Championship teams now have to use standard engines as opposed to the highly tuned motors they have been able to run previously and Tim Reeves reckons that change costs up to one second per lap. Coincidentally, one second per lap was about the advantage they had over the best of the National teams in previous seasons, so a seven or eight outfit scrap at the head of the field now looks to be on the cards.
Current British Champions Roger Lovelock and Mark Howard won’t be the only ones fancying their chances in this new era we also have a whole host of younger drivers just about ready to break into the big time from the English scene too. Phil Bell & Ashley Hawes surprised a quality field to win last year’s Jock Taylor Trophy (also finished 3rd in the British Championship). the crews of Ken Knapton/Tony Belsey, Ben Holland/Lee Watson, Ben Bygrave/Ryan Charlwood, Barry James/Carl Morgan and Carl Parkinson/Darren Tritton won’t be shy about barging through and past the more experienced teams in order to get amongst the huge prize fund.
Want more?
Okay, we also have half a dozen teams with proven World Championship pedigree who will be feeling that they really are in pole position to turn the form book on its head. Andy Peach/Charlie Richardson, Bryan Peddar/Rod Steadman, Simon Gilbert/Jon Allum, Allan Schofield/Steve Thomas, Greg Lambert/Karl Schofield, Roger Body/Lee Barrett and Ian Guy/ Carol MacBride all have the skill sets, determination and self-belief needed to climb onto the podium and even take the race wins if Lady Luck is kind to them.
So not only is this the biggest field of F1 Sidecars in nearly 25 years, it’s probably the most competitive and open championship ever, not to mention the most exciting! With the field so closely matched you’ll be lucky to find a bookmaker in the country willing to give you decent odds on the outcome, so be there to see it for yourself. The action gets underway on Saturday 10th April and culminates with the Eurosport televised races on Sunday 11th April. Pembrey is located just off the A484 near Llanellli in South Wales, within easy reach of the M4 motorway.
March 2010
Mar 27/28th - Phil & Ash had a very useful weekend at Croft getting in valuable miles before Pembrey.
- See 2010 Race Results section for the weekend results.
- Croft Race Report in 2010 Race Reports section.
Mar 25th - New Championship Website launched - www.britishf1sidecar.com
Mar 17th - The team had a very successful test day at Mallory Park and now look forward to Croft for a full shakedown before Pembrey in April.
Mar 7th - Mallory Park testing has now been rescheduled from the 6th to 17th March.
February 2010
Feb 7th - Eurosport to Show Eastern Airways UK F1 Sidecar Championship....
The Eastern Airways UK F1 Sidecar Championship will have its own 'stand alone' 1 hour programme on Eurosport for all 8 rounds in 2010, which should confirm its place as the #1 Sidecar Championship in the World. Both Sunday races (Monday in the case of Bank Holidays) will be shown in full and podiums, grid shots, dancing girls and brolly dollies will also be included.
Each programme will also feature a 'close up' on one team and a 5 minute 'tech talk' feature. This is because we are trying to promote public understanding of sidecars and also to give exposure to all the support services that make the business of racing a sidecar possible. These features will require a bit of co-operation from teams after the Saturday Superpole race
January 2010
Jan 25th - New Sponsorship from Shirlaws & Moto Direct with RST Leathers and KBC Helmets!!
Jan 15th - First outing of the season will be at Mallory Park - 6th March. The test day is being billed as the Battle of Britain 2010 Official Launch. After that the first competitive outing will be a local club meeting at Croft to concentrate on suspension improvements. With no major changes over the winter to the bike, everything is almost ready to go.
Jan 1st - Bell Racing would like to announce that Ashley Hawes will be passengering Phil during 2010. Phil has high hopes of some good results after finding a suitable passenger during the frustrating 2009 season.
Dec 2009
BATTLE OF BRITAIN
NATIONAL F1 SIDECAR CHAMPIONSHIP 2010
Some of the most dynamic and progressive companies in Great Britain have defied the effects of the Credit Crunch and announced a £100,000.- plus package of support for the 2010 “Battle of Britain” F1 Sidecar Championship.
It is also much more than “National” as the Championship Status will be “European Open”, making it the highest ranking series outside of the World Championship so a small invasion fleet will be crossing the channel once a month to try and plunder the £4,000.- per round purse. As with all things ‘Sidecar’ though, this will be first and foremost a Sporting battle and the Post Race atmosphere will be one of camaraderie and congratulation, no matter who wins.
The Championship will be organised and administered by Thundersport GB and promoted by RKBF1 over eight weekends on eight of the top UK racing circuits.
A lucky 24 of the worlds very best sidecar teams have been selected to form the core of the championship and these teams will be joined by up to 10 one-event teams selected from the teams local to each venue.
Provisional Calendar:-
Pembrey – 9th/11th April
Snetterton – 1st/3rd May
Cadwell Park – 29th/31st May
Oulton Park – 9th/10th July
Donington Park – 24th/25th July
Brands Hatch – 28th/30th August
Anglesey – 17th/19th September
Mallory Park – 29th/31st October
Motors TV will be covering the whole series on channel 413 (Sky) with up to 5 repeat showings of each broadcast.
The new championship will feature no less than three sidecar World Champions and the very best of the up and coming British and European youngsters. With such a wealth of talent, it’s not only the prize fund that’s still building, the excitement is mounting too as the teams prepare for battle.
Steve Webster MBE said “This is the best news for Sidecars in the last 15 years. It will showcase the area of motorcycle racing that we dominate on the world stage and for the public to have 8 chances to see the best teams in the world performing in Britain is just fantastic. I will be supporting the series in a promotional role at every round and I just can’t wait for the series to start.” The ten time World Champion congratulated all involved in bringing the series together.
It’s the only place to be, so make sure that you’re there when we pull the trigger and fire off round one of this spectacular race series at Pembrey.