Qualifying: Sidecarcross GP 12 Gooik – Belgium
By Tracy Thacker on 1st Sep 19
This weekend the sidecar GP season moves to GP 12 in Gooik. A track new to sidecar GPs, not technical and few jumps but fast switching between long sweeping bends.
Qualifying races were great again this week with six British teams and a British passenger with Mike Keuben, all qualified for Sunday's points-paying races.
The weather was extremely hot reaching 31 deg and really humid, that didnt help the teams.
In Group A, Brown /Chamberlain took the holeshot blasting into a great lead. Wilkinson /Humphrey held second just ahead of Bax /Stupelis, but they were on top form and worked hard to battle past both British teams to take the lead, going on to take a brilliant win, and will lead their rivals out into the line in the GP races.
Brown /Chamberlain stayed a safe second with Wilkinson /Humphrey third.
Hermans /Musset had more clutch problems which left them out of the race and in the LCQ, which they qualified with no problems.
Veldman /Janssens took a great fourth place, just ahead of the Santermans /Beleckas.
Moulds /Anthony were holding a safe seventh place until their silencer came loose and eventually fell off. The bike wasnt performing and they struggled to hold a top 10 place, but they were noise tested and lost five places, putting them back outside of the qualifying places. They also went to the LCQ, and qualified with ease.
All three Group A teams qualified with two on the front row for the GP races tomorrow.
In Group B it was fast and furious from start to finish.
Van Wernen with stand-in passenger Kenny Van Gaalen, reached bend one first but Dierckens /Bax where close and within the first few bends had blasted ahead into a good lead, but still struggling with injuries picked up in a crash at last weeks GP.
Cuche /Cuche held third but were pushing hard, passing Van Wernen /Van Gaalen to take second, with Brown /Millard just behind both teams holding fourth but working hard to take third.
Cuche /Cuche kept the pressure on Dierckens /Bax until they found a way past and took the lead, Brown /Millard were watching and stayed with them to hold a great second.
But the battles were still on with Vanluchene /Van Den Bogaart recovering from a slow start to tuck into third, they had to work hard to pass Brown /Millard but once they were through they passed Cuche /Cuche and took the lead.
Brown /Millard stayed close taking second with Cuche /Cuche holding third.
Van Wernen /Van Gaalen battled with Dierckens /Bax, in fact, both teams stalled on separate occasions but quickly got going and fought back.
Varik /Daiders were just behind but had mechanical problems and were left trackside. They managed to qualify by winning the LCQ.
Kinge /Gray chased Dierckens /Bax in the last few laps but settled for sixth and a front-row place for Sunday.
Keuben /Horton were a few bends behind and took eighth.
Foden /Bijenhof were caught up in problems on bend two but soon recovered and battled into a qualifying position.
So six British teams qualified for the GP races with four on the front row. It will be interesting racing and with Bax /Stupelis working hard to hold the championship lead and the red plate, expect to see some good battles.
Keep watching our updates for the GP results on Sunday.
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