Double podium for Ellis and Clement at Snetterton
Double World Sidecar champions Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement from North Kelsey near Market Rasen took in a round of the SSD British Sidecar championship at Snetterton where they recorded a pair of podium finishes in their races on Sunday.
The Lincolnshire/French duo entered the round as Wildcards and therefore were not eligible to score points in the championship but were using the track time as a test session to become more confident with the outfit and also the new brand of tyres.
After qualifying in sixth position they began the first of three races from a third row grid position and settled into sixth place through the first couple of laps. On lap three they overtook Birchall/Rosney and circulated in a lonely fifth place for a few laps before Birchall/Rosney began to reel them in once again. By lap six Birchall was on their back wheel and made the pass stick one lap later leaving Ellis and Clement to complete the race in sixth position.
After a few adjustments Ellis and Clement started the second race from the third row once again and passed Birchall/Rosney on the opening lap to claim fifth position. Battling for position in the middle of a world class field the top five were closely bunched together and on lap three both Birchall/Rosney and the Laidlows pulled out which elevated Ellis and Clement up to fourth position. One lap later they passed Williams /Charlwood to move into the top three. With the two leading outfits too far ahead to catch Ellis and Clement completed the remaining six laps in third place to claim a podium finish to the race.
Ellis made further adjustments to the settings for the final race on Sunday and the pair set off from the second row at the start. They finished the first lap in fourth place and the top five once again broke away from the rest of the field. This time Ellis and Clement were up to third place on lap three when they overtook Williams/Charlwood and immediately pulled away to establish a two second advantage which they steadily extended. By lap five the Laidlows had passed Williams for fourth place and began to edge closer to Ellis and Clement but they were never near enough to make a pass. This left Ellis and Clement to bring the LCR Yamaha outfit home in a clear third place to clinch their second podium finish of the weekend.
The next outing for Ellis and Clement will be a return visit to Assen for round six of the FIM World Sidecar championship over the weekend of September 20/21.