Unternehmer und ehemaliger Seitenwagen-Weltmeister wurde 83 Jahre.

Der bekannte Automobilhändler Walter Schneider aus Weidenau ist am Samstag im Alter von 83 Jahren verstorben.
Die Unternehmerpersönlichkeit war weit über die Grenzen der Region hinaus als herausragender Sportler geschätzt. 1958 und 1959 gewann Walter Schneider zusammen mit „Schmiermaxe“ Hans Strauß jeweils den Titel des Motorrad-Weltmeisters in der Seitenwagenklasse. Auf dem Gipfel des Ruhms traten beide anschließend vom Motorradsport zurück.
Zur gleichen Zeit unternahm Walter Schneider seine ersten unternehmerischen Schritte. In Weidenau eröffnete er 1958, also kurz nach seinem ersten Weltmeisterschaftstitel, eine Tankstelle. Mit der Eröffnung einer Autoreparaturwerkstatt ging es 1962 geschäftlich kontinuierlich bergauf.
Walter Schneiders Unternehmen wuchs und zählte 1972 bei der Eröffnung des bekannten VW-Kundenzentrums an der Weidenauer Straße gegenüber seiner kleinen Tankstelle bereits 50 Beschäftigte.
Maßhalten und Bescheidenheit sowie Teamgeist waren stets die Erfolgsgeheimnisse von Walter Schneider. Das galt einerseits für den Sportler und andererseits in seiner Rolle als Unternehmer. Die Verantwortung hat der Verstorbene frühzeitig an seine beiden Söhne Kurt und Jost übergeben.

2010 Tim Reeves starts with French passenger Greg Cluze.
Here is a French article about them, written after the practice session in Valdivienne.

Tim Reeves et Greg Cluze se sont mis « sur le toit » lors des journées « Carlos » au Vigeant. Responsables ? Les nouveaux pneus Avon qui équipent désormais la catégorie superside en lieu et place des Yokohama.

Du 15 au 19 mars 2010, sur le circuit du Vigeant (Vienne) se sont déroulées les « journées Carlos » du nom de l’organisateur allemand qui gère ces journées consacrées à des essais motos et side-cars. On y retrouve un maximum de pilotes d’outre-Rhin mais également quelques pointures du side-car mondial dont le britannique Tim Reeves, 3 fois champion du monde, associé cette saison au français Grégory Cluze.

De plus Grégory participera au championnat britannique de side car F1 et, quand les dates le permettront, au championnat de France FSBK comme passager de Sébastien Delannoy. De quoi s’occuper !

En 2010 Tim Reeves pilotera toujours un châssis suisse LCR propulsé, grande nouveauté, par un moteur Honda CBR 1000 alors que le Suzuki GSX-R monopolisait le plateau depuis des années. Moteur stock, car en Mondial 2010, c’est la règle. Cela n’a pas empêché le tandem Reeves /Cluze de réaliser des chronos très proches du record du tour détenu par les frères Birchall en motorisation libre.

Mais Reeves/Cluze se sont mis sur le toit (faire un tonneau), responsables : les nouveaux pneus Avon, qui équipent désormais le plateau side car. ( Yokohama disparaît purement et simplement).

« On est partis en glisse dans un gauche » confie Gregory Cluze « mais subitement les pneus ont raccroché sans prévenir ! ». Plus de peur que de mal, malheureusement le moteur a explosé l’après-midi, sûrement une conséquence de la figure matinale.

A noter cependant qu’un équipage suisse utilisait le dernier Yamaha R1 qui impressionne par sa puissance. A quand un BMW ?

Lors de ces journées, les frères Birchall, champions du monde en 2009 étaient également présents. Par contre pas de Paivarinta, le sliding finnish, champion 2008, son passager Hanni s’étant "cassé" durant les essais de Carthagène fin 2009.

En 1990, le français Alain Michel devenait champion du monde avec un passager britannique : Simon Birchall. Pourquoi pas un pilote britannique et un passager français en champions du monde en 2010 ?

Albert Grison

Just a quick update on the team. Ben was invited to BBC Radio Nottingham on Monday for an interview.

The link to the show can be found below, the interview starts about a third of the way through the clip and it is worth listening to. Ben came over very well especially as this went out live and not recorded as he first thought.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/e...mes_15_02_2010/

Move the slider at the bottom to 0:44.00/ 1:56.54 sit back and enjoy!!

Treasure Racing attended Winton Motor Raceway in Northern Victoria recently to continue their bike testing to increase their knowledge of the new LCR Chassis adjustments in preparation for their 2010 World Championship campaign. The main purpose of the day was to focus on suspension.

The Winton racetrack has become quite a bit bumpier in the years since Adam or Darren last rode at the track in 2006. The bumpy track created an environment to test the suspension adjustments allowing Adam to focus on obtaining the perfect balance between low impact ripples while still maintaining composure over the harder hitting bumps for the LCR.

The day started out slow with each test session becoming quicker as adjustments were made. The Sidecar lap record at this track was set by Stacey Sellar at 1:30.088 in 2006, Adam and Darren managed to go out in their last session and lap consistently in the mid to low 1:30’s until the final lap when the boys posted a new un-official lap record of 1:29.63.

Thanks must go to Mick DeWith and Justin Sheppard for their help throughout the day. We would like to take this opportunity to announce that Treasure Racing now has it’s own official Website. We can be found at www.treasureracing.com Thanks to our Website designer and Host Bradley Brown for all of his help and input.

Feel free to drop into our website and sign on to the forum and comments page to keep up to date with our achievements throughout 2010.

Adam & Darren

Treasure Racing

#38

Get your copy now: 120 minutes of top class sidecar racing action from each round of the 2009 series, with exciting On-Board Action, Team Interviews and English Commentary.

for more information and how to purchase the DVD go to

http://www.yangimotorsport.com

The price of the DVD is 12.99 £ (inside GB), Europe 13.99 £ and rest of the world (outside Europe) 15.49€.

Enjoy this DVD, it is a fantastic impression of the whole year 2009. Thanks to our TV-Team Enrico and Matthias who has supported us the whole year.

Dates for MotorsTV UK:
Sunday 31. January: 9.15-11.45 p.m.
Tuesday 2. February: 3.30 - 6.00 p.m.
Wednesday 3. February 4.15- 6.30 a.m. , 12.00 - 2.30 p.m.
Friday 5. February: 2.45 - 5.00 a.m.

2010 MotorsTV will show all races of the Sidecar World Championship. more info follws.

SUPERSIDE plans 2010 a WORLD CUP for F2 Sidecars. This World Cup Series is planed in 3 rounds (2 together with the F1 FIM Sidecar World Championship) on challenging tracks. Start will be before TT race weeks and offers a possibility for best preparation. (No clashes with ACU F2)

Important facts for participation:
International license with start permission from your national Federation for the races.
F2 Sidecar with a max. 600 ccm capacity and 4 Cylinders according to british and french regulations (TT Bikes allowed).
All races get recorded and a DVD will be available at seasons end:
- Price money for the first 5 Teams
- Cups after each race for the first three Teams
- Entry fee 600,00 € in total

Tracktime at each Event between 110 and 150 minutes includes
- Free practise
- Qualification
- Warm up
- Race(s) - Sprint(s) and or a longrun race

A Grid of min. 16 Teams is a assumption to run the F2 World Cup

Estimated Races:
08. - 09. May 2010 (Schleiz / Germany)
06. - 08. August 2010 Oschersleben/Germany
14. - 15. August 2010 tbc Knockhill / Great Britain
* additional round in Rijeka /Croatia possible if great demand

For request please contact:
Mr. Bernd Schwan
or download Entryform schwan@superside.com

SUPERSIDE GmbH
Bonn / Germany January 2010

Reigning world sidecar champions Ben and Tom Birchall from Mansfield are busy preparing for the defence of their world title which is set to kick off in France on April 18th at Le Mans .

The seven-round Superside F1 sidecar world championship is set to take place at major racing circuits throughout Europe and, with the purchase of a new LCR chassis and change of engine manufacturer to Yamaha, the Mitchells of Mansfield sponsored brothers are determined to retain their world title.

Also on the cards is a new for 2010, eight round British F1 championship run alongside the Thundersport GB series which sees the brothers travel the length and breadth of Britain in the aptly named Battle of Britain F1 sidecar championship.

Ben and Tom will once again contest the Isle of Man TT races in the F2 sidecar class and this year will be aiming for two strong results. To prepare for the TT races the brothers will take in selected races in one of the F2 sidecar championships which will enable them to bring the machine up to speed and iron out any niggling problems they may encounter.

Speaking on how becoming world champions has changed their lives, Ben commented: “Winning the world championship will not change us, we are just a couple of ordinary lads who know where their roots are. We are both extremely proud to live in Mansfield and our aim this year is to once again bring the world championship title home. We have had such a lot of support and so many messages of congratulation from the people of Mansfield , it’s unbelievable. We can’t thank every one enough for their support.

“We have risen through the ranks to contest the world championship fairly early in our careers and are therefore relative youngsters in the sidecar world. We have a good 10 years or more in us at the top level and our intention is to contest the world championship for a good few years to come and add more titles to our CV.

“We have also attended some high profile events, including the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show in Sheffield . Although we didn’t get a mention on the show we did get to rub shoulders with some of the most famous sports stars from across the world and spent a considerable amount of the evening talking to double World Superbike champion James Toseland who we both admire.

“We have had a lot of media interest since becoming world champions and have featured prominently in various biking magazines and newspapers which has brought both us and the sport of sidecar racing more into the public eye.

“Although we have the continued backing of our major sponsors Mitchells of Mansfield, we are still looking for extra backing and if anyone is interested in helping us we would be pleased to discuss this further.” (Ben can be contacted via the Birchall Racing website.)

Below is a list of 2010 race dates, although the dates are not yet set in stone. It is likely there will be a couple of clashes and in this case the world championship will be the priority. But despite the possibility of having to miss a couple of rounds, the Birchall Brothers are expected to be strong contenders in the Battle of Britain championship in its inaugural year.

You can follow the Birchall Brothers’ progress via their website http://www.birchallracing.com/ which will carry regular updates plus any changes to the racing calendar that may be instigated.

Helen Pask
Press Officer
Birchall Racing

Timo Karttiala, World Champion 2008 (passenger from Pekka Päivärinta in the Team Suzuki Finland), celebrates today his 33 birthday.
We wish him all the best, Happy Birthday !
Or to say in his own Finnish Language:
toivotan sinulle Hyvää syntymäpäivää, Timppa !

(on this photo you see him 2008 at the Croatian GP, left Timo, rightside Pekka)

Volgend jaar gaan Kees Endeveld en Bennie Streuer weer samen de strijd aan in het WK Zijspannen. Wij hadden een interview met Kees Endeveld de bakkenist.

Hoe ben je begonnen met het zijspanracen?
Mijn vader en moeder (Harrald Endeveld en Sylvia Colijn) racete samen in het ONK (open Nederlands kampioenschap) met een zijspan, ik kwam dus al jong in aanraking met de zijspannen en ben eigenlijk opgegroeid in de paddock. Toen ik twaalf jaar was heb ik een keer mee gereden, maar vond dat toen niet echt iets voor mij. Eigenlijk was ik toen nog gewoon te jong, toen ik in 2005 een keer met Jan Bevers mee reed was raakte ik verslaafd aan de kick.

Wat was je spannendste race tot nu toe en waarom die race?
Dat is mijn eerste overwinning in Pembrey in Wales. Dat was in 2007 toen ik bakkenist was van Richard Swift. De hele race stuivertje wisselen met Phil Dongworth, echt een top race.

Wat is het ergste race moment tot nu toe?
Het minst leuke moment was in 2008 tijden een IDM (Duits kampioenschap) in Hockenheim ik reed daar zelf niet maar was daar om te kijken. Ik zag een zwaar ongeval en daarbij overleed Steve Norbury.

Wat zijn jouw verwachtingen voor het seizoen 2010?
Wij gaan deelnemen aan het ONK en WK. Ik bekijk het van race tot race en bij de WK hoop ik zoveel mogelijk punten mee naar huis te brengen, en bij het ONK hoop ik dat ik na elke wedstrijd naar champagne stink.

Verandert er nog iets voor het seizoen 2010?
Het team zal hetzelfde blijven als vorig jaar en wordt door Bennie en mij gerund. De regels veranderen echter wel en daardoor moeten wij weer met standaard motoren gaan rijden. Dat is voor ons het enige dat zal veranderen.

Wat vind je ervan dat je weer met standaard motoren moet gaan rijden?
ik ben het er wel mee eens. De kosten gaan omlaag. De motor wordt betrouwbaarder. En het komt meer aan op het rijden dan alleen een snelle motor.

Wij wensen Kees Endeveld en Bennie Streuer veel succes tijdens hun wk en onk races, dit kunt u ook doen door hieronder een reactie achter te laten.

Foto: Hulshof Sports Photography

http://www.bikex.nl/interview-met-kees-endeveld/