Bikers’ Classics - A royal place for sidecars …

Last year, there was so much enthusiasm for the sidecars that we just had to expand this part of the Bikers’ Classics programme. Not just on the level of the participants but also on the level of machines present at the track of Francorchamps on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of July.
Honour to whom honour is due : Steven Webster will honour us with his presence. Tenfold world champion sidecars will ride with his magnificent LCR, one of the two last ones left in the world. Does it still need to be said that this British rider started his career at the age of nineteen, which is exceptional in this discipline, and that in the course of 25 seasons he won 10 world titles, participated at 181 GP’s of which he won 62, ended 2nd 37 times and finished 3rd 27 times. He also scored 82 pole positions.
But many also remember his name from his major crash at the 1985 TT in Assen. He rode in the grass which led him to lose control over his machine with as a result that he crashed into the ditch with his companion Tony Hewitt, just in front of the photographers. A crash that is viewed year after year by thousands of internet visitors. He will once again enter the Raidillon, in the company of Paul Woodhead, who followed Tony Hewitt, Gavin Simmons and David James.

Far from lonely…
Of course, Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead won’t be the only champions present at the track of Francorchamps that first weekend of July. The Germans Rolf Steinhausen and Gries Torsten, crowned in ’75 and ’76 will be there with a 1970 Konig RSI. For your recollection, this sidecar was the first two-stroke to ever win a world title. The British rider Steven Abott, 2002 champion, will be accompanied by Scott Whiteside. They will ride on the famous Belgian track with their 1984 Seymaz Krauser Yamaha. And let’s not forget the German Ralf Enghelhardt who assisted Klaus Enders in winning 5 titles. They will let us rediscover their Busch BMW.
And there will be more to discover, like the Paul Stanick’s and Klaus Dieter Heller’s Helsta B2B. This ex Steinhausen sidecar is special because the wheel of the sidecar was also a directional wheel. Afterwards, this technique was forbidden by the FIM because of the dangers it implied.
Derek Jones, alias « Mister Crazy horse », will entertain us with his authentic 1978 Ireson Yamaha. The constructor of this sidecar, Trevor Ireson, will be present in the paddocks, and so will Dieter Busch, Terry Windle and many other genius craftsmen.

A two-stroke meeting …
This 9th edition will also enter the annals as the biggest two stroke sidecar meeting, as we already received many subscriptions. Through the many two and four stroke machines that will be present, we’ll be able to get a good view on the evolution of the sidecars throughout the decennia.
An evolution that will be emphasized even more in the tent that will be mounted in the paddocks and where you’ll be able to admire the most beautiful sidecars ever. The most expensive one will also be exhibited there, before going onto the track : the URS 500cc built in 1966 by Helmuth Fath. Its owner, the Frenchman Jean-André Coquard and his co-pilot Julius Kremer will ride with it !