Lincs duo star at Spa in World Sidecar Championship

​Current World Sidecar Champions Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement were in Belgium for round two of the 2023 FIM World Sidecar Championship at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit from where they came away with a win and a second place in the two races to move up into second place in the overall rider standings.
By Helen Pask
Published 19th Jun 2023, 20:47 BST
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After completing their qualifying the Lincolnshire/French pairing started the seven lap sprint race from pole position on Friday and got the hole shot into the first corner with the Birchall Brothers following in hot pursuit.

By the end of the first lap the two teams had pulled clear of the fierce battle for third place which was going on behind them. Ellis and Clement had the lead but the Birchalls were not giving up and their fight for the lead continued when they put in a last corner challenge on lap five, but North Kelsey’s Ellis was having none of it and held his position.

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The Birchalls did take the lead on the penultimate lap and the pair continued, nose to tail through the lap. Ellis was back ahead on the final lap and fought off the challenge to cross the finish line for the win just a tenth of a second ahead of the Birchalls.

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Emmanuel Clement and Todd Ellis celebrate their win. Photo by Wally Walters.Emmanuel Clement and Todd Ellis celebrate their win. Photo by Wally Walters.
Emmanuel Clement and Todd Ellis celebrate their win. Photo by Wally Walters.

The second race was even more exciting with the top four outfits engaged in a fierce battle throughout the 11 laps. Pole sitters Ellis and Clement got the hole shot but were quickly overpowered by the Birchalls for the lead.

They exchanged places numerous times throughout the race and were joined by the Christie Brothers and Kershaw/Charlwood as the top four pulled clear of the rest of the field. On more than one occasion the four outfits were all level and it was to be anyone’s race win.

Going into the final couple of laps they encountered the back markers and miraculously they all got through without incident. By this time Ellis was back at the front and on the final lap it was still anyone of the four that could snatch the victory.

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At the final corner Birchall hit the front and although Ellis was right with him it was Birchalls who took the flag by .02 secs from Ellis with Kershaw third and Christie fourth.

This set of results leapfrog Ellis and Clement above Payne/Rousseau and into second place behind the Birchall brothers where they remain 21 points away from the series lead with the next round at Most in the Czech Republic this weekend, June 23.

Related topics:BelgiumLincolnshire