Birchall brothers confirm sidecar return for the 2011 Isle of Man TT
Thursday 31 March 2011
TT
Ben and Tom Birchall have confirmed they will contest the Sidecar races at the 2011 Isle of Man TT fuelled by Monster Energy.
The brothers won the World Championship in 2009, the same year they made their Mountain course debut.
Although the Birchalls were forced to retire on the final lap of the single sidecar race held that year, it was a solid start to their TT career. They had been running in sixth place when they stopped, and secured a fastest lap of 110.615mph around the Mountain course.
That lap made the Mansfield-based pair the second fastest sidecar newcomers of all time and placed them 14th in the list of all-time fastest sidecar crews.
Hopes of building on that strong start with another TT run in 2010 were dashed when they were unable to find suitable machinery and reluctantly withdrew from the races
The Birchalls have been working hard on securing their TT return and have now confirmed they will join the 2011 line-up, as the Mountain course celebrates a century of racing.
They will have an LCR outfit for the two Sidecar races in June. The brothers will also be contesting the British and World championships.
After their stunning TT debut the pair are expected to be among the challengers for podium positions, however they will be competing against many talented crews – including fellow World Champion Klaus Klaffenbock and his passenger Dan Sayle, who won both Sidecar races in 2010.
Ben Birchall said:
“We really enjoyed our first year on the Isle of Man and are really looking to build on the experience that we had.”
“The Mountain course is one of the truly great motorsport courses and it will be very special to be competing in its Centenary.”
TT and Motorsport Development Manager Paul Phillips added:
“I’m delighted that the Birchalls have been able to sort out their machinery issues and return to compete on the Isle of Man.”
“They had an excellent debut year and are a great addition to an already strong sidecar field.”