Steve Webster: a legend returns
Steve Webster, the world’s most successful sidecar racer ever, has had his name added to the list of participants of this year’s Sidecar GP Revival at the Bikers’ Classics at Spa-Francorchamps from June 11-13.
Webster won ten world championships and 62 Grand Prix and World Cup races in his long career. In 1987 he took over the sidecar torch from Dutch triple champ Egbert Streuer. The Dutchman will be present in Francorchamps to meet up with Webster, but will not ride as his son Benny is racing his old chassis in the Netherlands.
In 2004 Webster won his tenth and last world title. Tony Hewitt partnered Webster to his first three championships, whereas Paul Woodhead sat and kneeled by his side during his last three titles. Together with Gavin Simmons and David James Webster also rode to world glory. In 2005, a year after his historic tenth title, Webster called it quits. The Brit was extremely fast with two-stroke Yamahas and Krausers, but when the sidecar community decided to switch to four-strokes, Webster proved he could win with big roaring Suzuki engines as well. During his whole GP career Webster used chassis built by Swiss sidecar building legend Louis Christen. At this year’s Bikers’ Classics Webster, a legend in his own right, will climb into a Windle/Yamaha outfit formerly raced by the late Jock Taylor. The ex world champion’s Windle/Yamaha is now part of Ralph Bohnhorst’s impressive collection.
The Spa Francorchamps circuit does not hold many secrets for Webster MBE: in 1986 he snatched victory with Tony Hewitt and in 1988 and 1989 the duo finished second. At this year’s Bikers’ Classics Paul Woodhead will be Webster’s passenger.
