Sidecars stars back at last after lockdown frustration

THEY have been champing at the bit to get back out and last weekend some of the region’s biggest sidecar stars finally took to the track.

While motorcycle track days have been back up and running since last month, sidecars have had to wait a little longer.

However, tests at Knockhill in Scotland and Blyton Park in Lincolnshire finally roared into action last weekend, local favourites Phil Bell and Lee Crawford both making the trip north of the border for their first runs of the year.

Crawford and his Team ARC team-mate Scott Hardie managed to get close to their own lap record pace in the wet as the F2 duo aim to get to as many club race events as possible this year following the cancellation of the British F2 Series.

Bell, meanwhile, is set for another assault on the British F1 Championship and took the opportunity to blow away the cobwebs, while his brother Mick also managed to get out for a run in their shared outfit.

Also back in action was Carlisle’s Simon Robinson, who headed to Blyton to test his F1 machine with passenger Mick Fairhurst to get ready for the British F1 series, which starts on

August 9.