TT 2022: Birchalls win Sidecar race one

Ben and Tom Birchall lived up to expectations on Monday afternoon and led the opening 3wheeling.media Sidecar TT race from start to finish, the Haith Honda duo lapping at 119.22mph, just a fraction outside their own lap record, to win their 11th TT and eighth in a row.

The battle for second went all the way to the chequered flag though and it was the Manx pairing of Ryan and Callum Crowe (Haven Homes) who secured second place, in just their second TT race, from Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley (FHO Racing) by the tiny margin of 0.11 seconds, both lapped in excess of 118mph on their final lap. Nine miles into the race at Glen Helen on lap one, it was as predicted and the Birchalls were leading the way but their advantage over the Crowes was only 2.39 seconds with Founds/Walmsley only another 1.8 seconds further back. Dave Molyneux/Daryl Gibson (DMR) were running in fourth place ahead of Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde and Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney. Newcomer drivers Lee Crawford and Harry Payne slotted into seventh and eighth respectively with passengers Scott Hardie and Mark Wilkes, but one crew already out were Steve and Matty Ramsden, the father and son combination stopping at Glen Vine. By Ballaugh, the Birchalls had extended their lead to 3.8 seconds with the Crowes, in turn, stretching the gap to Founds/Walmsley to 2.6 seconds – but with only 6.4 seconds covering the top three, it was still tight. The dominant duo were getting into their stride though and their lead had crept up to 6.8s as they rounded Ramsey Hairpin for the first time, the Crowes losing time as they fought their way through the crews that had started ahead of them. The Birchalls flashed across the line having lapped at 117.90mph on their opening lap and