Birchall brothers break sidecar lap record riding over 120mph average speed at Isle of Man TT
Ben and Tom Birchall have set a new sidecar lap record at the Isle of Man TT.
The Birchall brothers took the win in their opening race, riding at an average speed of 120.357mph around the Mountain Course.
The previous record stood at 119.250mph, again set by the brothers.
There was no stopping the duo as they posted a lap of 120.357mph on their second lap, breaking the challenge of Pete Founds and Jevan Walmsley with an eventual winning margin of 24.066 seconds.
John Holden and Maxime Vasseur took third place making it on to the podium.
Through Glen Helen on lap one, the Birchalls led Founds and Walmsley by 3.9 seconds, with the Crowe brothers a further 4.1 seconds adrift as Holden and Vasseur, Gary Bryan and Phil Hyde and Daryl Gibson and Tom Christie occupied fourth to sixth.
The Birchalls eked out another two seconds on the run to Ballaugh but by Ramsey Hairpin, Founds and Walmsley had responded and cut their deficit to 3.5 seconds.
The Crowes continued to run in a comfortable third, 12.9 seconds behind Founds and Walmsley, and although Holden and Vasseur were still in fourth, Gibson and Christie had overtaken Bryan and Hyde for fifth.
The lead was back up to 4.8 seconds at the Bungalow and although the Birchalls had an opening lap of 118.577mph, Founds and Walmsley weren’t letting them get away with their lap of 118.230mph seeing a gap of 3.3 seconds as they started their second lap.
It looked almost certain to be a two-horse race with the Crowes more than 20s behind in third and whilst Holden and Vasseur continued in fourth, the battle for fifth was very much on with Gibson and Christie, Steve and Matty Ramsden and Bryan and Hyde covered by just three seconds.
Newcomer Gibson lapped at an impressive 111.093mph.
Second time around and the Birchalls had doubled their advantage by the time they reached Glen Helen and with three more seconds added on the high-speed section to Ballaugh, the lead was looking a lot more healthy at 10.1 seconds.
That trend continued for the remainder of the lap and little wonder having smashed their own lap record and setting the first 120mph lap in the process at 120.357mph.
Despite a new personal best of 119.023mph, Founds and Walmsley found themselves 16 seconds adrift and Holden and Vasseur were now in third after the Crowes retired at Keppel Gate.
They were 10 seconds clear of new fourth placed crew the Ramsdens, on course for their best TT result, with Gibson and Christie and Bryan and Hyde completing the top six.
The third and final lap saw the Birchalls control their lead and the history makers duly came home for the victory with Founds and Walmsley in another strong second place but the battle for the final podium went all the way to the end.
But despite a new best lap of 112.660mph, the Ramsdens fell short by 3.5s as Holden recorded his 22nd podium with passenger Vasseur achieving it for the first time.
Bryan/Hyde took fifth ahead of Gibson and Christie – who lapped at 111.772mph on their final lap – with Wayne Lockey and Matthew Rostron, Greg Lambert and Andrew Haynes.
John and James Saunders and Alan Founds and Colin Smyth completing the top ten.
The record-breaking race coincides with the 100th anniversary of sidecars competing at the Isle of Man TT.
Tomorrow's RST Superbike Race is scheduled to start at 14:40
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