World Sidecar Championship

Donington Park – Report and Images by DEEGEE: Motorsports Photography

15^th – 17^th July 2022

British crews dominated the home World Sidecar Championship round last weekend at Donington Park, with Brits, (and a French woman) winning both races.

Race 1, held late in the day at the end of Saturday’s programme, became a titanic three-way struggle after early leaders Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement (#6) found themselves under intense pressure from 2021 World Champions Markus Schlosser and Marcel Fries (#1) and Kershaw and Charlwood (#29), recovering fast from a poor start.

The second half of the race was a thrilling encounter as each of the three crews raced nose to tail round the fast-flowing Donington Park circuit. 

However, dealing with back markers more effectively towards the end of the race proved decisive for Ellis and Clement, who opened up just enough of a gap on their two chasers to take a deserved victory

The victory increased the pairs lead in the championship over the Schlosser/Fries duo, who were happy to fend off a late challenge from Kershaw and Charlwood.

The second race of the weekend was just as exciting, with the podium positions being fought over by Ellis/Clement and Kershaw/Charlwood, this time joined by Harry Payne and Mark Wilkes (#45)

Schlosser, despite a good start, never looked happy with his outfit, suffering major vibration issues and fell back from the leading trio before mechanical problems forced him to retire.

The pace of the leading duo proved too much for Payne and Wilkes as the race progressed, who had to settle for a safe third place, but the battle for the lead continued unabated, with former Santander team-mates Ellis and Kershaw changing places regularly.

The lead was in doubt right up to the finish line with the red / white outfit of Kershaw and Charlwood triumphing by just 0.305 of a second at the chequered flag.

Despite finishing up in the runner-up slot, Ellis and Clement, thanks to Schlossers retirement, extended their lead in the championship.

Payne/Wilkes followed the leading two crews home, with brothers Sam and Tom Christie (#34) completing a consistent weekend, returning to World Championship action after a long break, to make it a 1-2-3-4 British monopoly.

Sidecar racing has enjoyed a real renaissance over the last two or three years, particularly in this country, so a small field of just eleven outfits was very disappointing at such a high-profile event.

Nonetheless, the small field kept the crowds entertained. 

Hopefully, all of the UK based World Championship crews, including Race 1 winners Ellis and Clement, who are based less than ten miles away from Cadwell Park, will be contesting the Sidecar Revival meeting to be held over the weekend of 6^th-7^th August at the mini-Nurburgring.

They will be joined by all the regular British Championship contenders, including current championship leaders Lewis Blackstock and Paddy Rosney, and multiple TT winners the Birchall brothers, in what promises, based on this weekend’s events, to be an outstanding event.

:DEEGEE: Motorsports Photography will be there (nothing could make me miss it to be honest !!) to capture the action, which will be wall to wall sidecar racing of all classes.

Championship Standings