Photo: Ian Charles Mark Cossar & Gareth Williams along side Paul Whitelam & Jake Fumarola 2017 British Youth Championships, Round 6 & Saturday Summer of Speed, National Speedway Stadium, 5 August 2017

Motorsport of a different kind graces the shale of the National Speedway Stadium this Saturday, October 14, as the ACU British Sidecar Speedway Championship Grand Final comes to town.

The four-meeting series kicked off at Leicester’s Beaumont Park raceway on May 27, before heading to Somerset’s Oak Tree Arena and then onwards to the Adrian Flux Arena in King’s Lynn.

The championship features the top 16 British Sidecar crews battling for dominance in this rapidly expanding area of speedway, some of whom have already taken a spin around the iconic NSS.

Current series leader Mark Cossar, whose brother Tom also competes in the event, took part in several demonstration races when Belle Vue hosted their Summer Speed Saturday on August 5.

In addition to the main field of 1000cc machines – racing in a clock-wise direction! – a supporting line-up of 500cc Sidecars include former European Champions Josh Goodwin and Liam Brown.

Cossar said: “I’ve only taken a handful of laps around the National Speedway Stadium but my first impressions of the place are it’s a great size, a great shape and it certainly suits my style of riding.

“Sidecar Speedway is very different to the kind you’re used to seeing at Belle Vue. It’s much more of a contact sport, with much wider machines trying to fit through some very small gaps.

“The racing can get tight at times but that’s all part of the charm of sidecar racing. We’re used to rough-and-tumble racing, although having said that it’s rare enough that riders are knocked off.

“It’s a new challenge for this particular competition because in previous years we’ve always raced at Coventry but since the ACU have taken over the sport we’ve expanded to race at more tracks.

“If I have my way, I won’t be dropping any points on Saturday. It’d mean everything to me, after such an amazing year, to not only win the fourth of four round but to seal the championship too.”

Words: Hayley Bromley
Images: Ian Charles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here