Double for Daniel
By TMX Archives on 3rd May 07
Round two of the World Sidecar-cross Champion-ship was held at Plomion in France over the weekend. Typically French, the track was fast and twisting with challenging jumps, steep drops and good for spectators.
Saturday was very warm, sunny and dusty, despiteenthusiastic track watering. Qualification was held on a drying track,so times came down throughout both sessions. With 52 outfits incontention, qualification was never going to be easy. Group A wasparticularly strong. It ended with Daniel Willemsen fastest, ahead ofJan Hendrickx, Sergis and Rupeiks. Britain's John Watson took eighth,and the last front row spot, ahead of Stuart Brown in ninth, but JohnLyne missed the cut. Group B was headed by Henrick Soderqvist fromJoris Hendrickx, Pulinx and Burgler with Wilkinson tenth, Keane 14thand Pelling unlucky.
Following serious over-night track irrigation anda miniscule drop of rain, Sunday dawned overcast and humid, but it hadbrightened up a bit by the time competitors lined up for race one.
Rupeiks' engine died as the gate dropped leavingKeane with no where to go. Things did not quite go to plan forWillemsen - Cermak took the holeshot! With Jan Hendrickx, Sergis andScherbinin breathing down his neck, the reigning champion lost no timein making a move, relegating the Czech driver to second in double-quicktime. Watson got away eighth, Wilkinson 13th but Brown's sidecar wheelgot stuck in wet mud which relegated him to the back.
WORLD SIDECAR-CROSS CHAMPS Rd 2 - Plomion, FRANCE
1 D Willemsen/ Grutter (NL/CH - Zabel Mefo) 25 + 25 = 50
2 Sergis/ Stupelis (LV - KTM Mefo) 22 + 22 = 44
3 Ja Hendrickx/ Smeunincx (B - Zabel VMC) 20 + 20 = 40
4 Happich/ Schelbert (D/CH - Zabel VMC) 16 + 18 = 34
5 Cermak/ Cermak (CZ - Jawa Mefo) 18 + 15 = 33
6 Burgler/ Beschart (CH - KTM VMC) 11 + 16 = 27
SERIES STANDINGS after 2 (of 8) rounds: 1 DWillemsen 100 points, 2 Ja Hendrickx 80, 3 Rozehnal 30, 4 Van de Boomen32, 5 Pulinx 50, 6 Sergis 77, 7 Scherbinin 19, 8 BROWN 32, 9 Grondman22, 10 Jo Hend
NEXT ROUND: May 6 - Zabok, CROATIA.
For full report, results and pictures see T+MX NEWS, Friday, May 4, 2007.