FOUR-TIME World Sidecar Champion Tim Reeves is headlining the International Sidecar Festival at Mallory Park this Sunday (Please note this is a one-day event on sunday 28th october only) and has described a lap of the Friendly Circuit aboard his fearsome LCR Suzuki GSX-R1000 racer.
Capable of 180mph and sporting 10-inch wide slick tyres, the Suzuki is a motorcycle made specifically for speed with a passenger on board - in this case Reeves' World Championship partner Ashley Hawes.
Hawes will athletically change his position on the bike for every corner to maximise weight distribution and traction. He hangs on for his life millimetres from the ground at 150mph plus with complete trust in his driver. He has to be one of the bravest men in motorsport.
Reeves explains a lap of Mallory Park, starting as he passes the Start/Finish Line:
"You are doing over 150mph and accelerating hard before entering Gerards'. You can enter it flat out in sixth gear but the revs will drop mid corner and you'll lose time, so instead, you knock it down to fifth to keep the engine buzzing - you enter the corner very fast. You can spin the rear wheel and slide the whole way round the corner at more than 120mph.
"About a third of the way through Gerards' it is back on the gas and full throttle all the way out and on to the back straight as fast as you can. About 100metres before Edwinas it is hard on the brakes and then you flick through the chicane and up second and third before short shifting into fourth for the Esses and the fast drive up the hill to the Hairpin.
"You brake down hard into first gear at the Hairpin. It is quite rough here and the bike snakes under braking a lot, it would be a good place to watch.
"You come out in first gear and just select second before going through the Bus Stop flicking from left to right. Then it is hard on the gas down the Devil's Elbow with big power-slides all the way and on to the Start/Finish straight as fast as you can and that's a lap of Mallory Park.
"I think Mallory Park is one of the more fun tracks to race at and the International Sidecar Festival is a relaxed event with people there to enjoy themselves and support the sport; it's a great event."
There are a host of classes and trophies to keep everyone entertained on Sunday at Mallory Park with Reeves taking on the best in Britain in the Open Class. Other exciting races will be the F2, Classic and Vintage sidecars, all with healthy entry lists and a friendly paddock welcoming spectators to the Friendly Circuit. Tickets cost 15 on the gate with under 14s going free of charge.
