Sidecar World Championship

FIM Sidecar World Championship

Sport	Motorcycle sport
Founded	1949
Countries	International
Most recent champion(s)	Pekka Päivärinta (driver) Kirsi Kainulainen (passenger) LCR-BMW S 1000 RR

FIM Sidecar World Championship is the international sidecar racing championship. It is the only remaining original FIM road racing championship class that started in 1949. It was formerly named Superside when the sidecars moved from being part of Grand Prix Motorcycles racing to being support events for the Superbike World Championship. In 2010 the FIM took over the management of the series from the Superside promoters, and the championship was called "FIM Sidecar World Championship". However, the FIM still uses the word Superside for promotion purposes, despite the demise of the Superside promoters.

The championship is raced over a number of rounds (8 in 2013) at race circuits, mainly in Europe, although in other years they have been held in United States (Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca), South Africa (Kyalami) and Australia (Phillip Island).

The 2013 Calendar consists of races in Aragon (Spain, supporting the WSBK), Rijeka (Croatia), two rounds at Assen (Netherlands, first round supporting MotoGP), Sachsenring (Germany, supporting MotoGP), Oschersleben (Germany, supporting Endurance World Championship), Schleiz (Germany), and Le Mans (France, supporting Endurance World Championship).

In 2014, for the first time a Kawasaki rig won the title with Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze ending an 11 years consecutive Suzuki run. In 2016 Kirsi Kainulainen became the first woman motorcycle world champion.

Historic Grand Prix racing 1949—1976

Chis Vincent on the Norton-BSA outfit he used for 1958 in grasstrack and 1959 for road racing, just by changing the tyre tread, a low sitter achieved by 16 inch wheels instead of 19 and showing an early version of the passenger platform which endured until the late 1970s

The early years of the sidecar world championship were dominated by unambiguous, orthodox outfits where a sidecar was attached to a conventional solo motorcycle. Rigidity and strength were poorly understood and pre-war machines have been described as "scaffolding on wheels". Development was based around cutting weight, providing a flat platform for the passenger, and reducing drag around the sidecar wheel and at the front of the sidecar platform. When developments in dolphin and dustbin fairings on solo machines proved successful at reducing drag, it was natural to adapt similar streamlined enclosures for the sidecar outfits. A pioneer in this area was Eric Oliver who worked with the Watsonian company on the development of successive experimental racing outfits including such innovations as the use of 16 in (410 mm) diameter wheels. By 1953, this had evolved to include the complete redesign of the motorcycle frame, where the seat height had been reduced to the point where the driver now sat in a semi-prone position. This permitted the use of a one-piece fairing which enclosed the front of the outfit as well as the sidecar platform. The enclosure led to unfamiliar handling, and the advanced design was only used in practice for the Belgian Grand Prix and in the final Grand Prix at Monza, where it finished fourth in the hands of Jacques Drion and Inge Stoll. Throughout the year, other outfits experimented with more modest refinements such as additional braking via the sidecar wheel, sometimes linked to one or both of the other two brakes.

Modern replica of Max Deubel's 1960s low sitter with traditional 16 inch wheels with sidecar-tread racing tyres

Transition Period

BMW RS54 Rennsport 500 cc engine as installed in a modern replica of Max Deubel's 1960s low sitter

Prior to 1977, the racing sidecars were similar to road-going sidecars. A traditional racing outfit was a road-going motorcycle outfit without the boot and with the suspension lowered. The bootless sidecar frame would have a flat platform. Both the battery and the fuel tank could be placed either between the motorcycle and the sidecar, or on the sidecar platform. Over time the subframe, struts, clamps, sidecar frame, etc. would merge with the motorcycle mainframe and form a single frame. But essentially the racing outfit was still a variant of the road-going outfit in principle.

In 1977 George O'Dell won the championship using a Hub-center steering sidecar called the Seymaz, however during that season the Seymaz was rarely used. The Seymaz had been built by Rolf Biland, however O'Dell used his old Windle frame for much of the year. Then in 1978 Rolf Biland won the championship using a sidecar called BEO which was a rear-engine rear-drive trike. To keep up with technological innovations, in 1979 the FIM split the championship in two: One for traditional sidecars (B2A), another for prototypes (B2B). The B2B championship was won by Bruno Holzer using an LCR that turned the act of motorcycle riding into the act of car driving, including sitting on a driver's seat and using foot pedals and a steering wheel. Neither the BEO nor the LCR required much participation from the passenger. The former only required Clifford Williams to sit on his seat, while the latter only required Charlie Maierhans to lay flat down on the passenger platform. Due to the high cost of technological development, the non-active participation of the riding passengers, and the fear that sidecars would eventually become something that has nothing to do with motorcycles, in 1980 the FIM banned all prototypes. But in 1981 the FIM reversed its decision due to protests from competitors, and allowed prototypes again. However the FIM and the competitors reached a compromise involving the rules: A sidecar must be a vehicle that is driven only by a single rear wheel and steered by a single front wheel, the driver must use a motorcycle handle bar as opposed to a steering wheel for steering, and there must be active participation from the passenger. The only ban that still exists today is the ban of using trikes or cyclecars.

The 1981 rules remain largely unchanged to this day, with the exception that during the late 90s the FIM finally allowed the use of car-type suspension for the front wheel, such as the wishbone suspension. Sidecars that are outside of the technical rules can still compete in racing events, but would not be able to score or record their positions officially. An example would be the team Markus Bösiger/Jürg Egli, who achieved several high placings in the 1998 season using a sidecar in which Bösiger sat driving instead of riding. Even though they were allowed to race, their results were not classified in the official records. They would have finished third in the championship.

The traditional racing sidecars remain popular in several countries, especially the United Kingdom, mainly due to lower cost. They also have lower top speed but better maneuvering capabilities. They are now commonly called Formula Two Sidecars (600cc Engines) which are mostly used in true road racing events like the Isle of Man TT race. This is to distinguish them from the modern post-1980 Superside machines which are now called Formula One sidecars (1000cc Engines).

Today

LCR Sidecar in race paddock

Between 1981 to 2016 Sidecars raced in Superside are modern high tech machines related to motorcycles only by the engines that are used. The chassis are purpose built and owe more to open wheel race car technology and the tires are wide and have a flat profile. They are sometimes known as "worms". The basic design remains unchanged since 1981. However starting in 2017 the championship will be reversed back to traditional design (F2) with 600cc engines only.

Under FIM regulation, the word "Rider" applies to both the driver and the passenger. The driver is positioned kneeling in front of the engine with hands near the front wheel, while the passenger moves about the platform at the rear transferring their weight from left to right according to the corner and forward or back to gain traction for the front or rear. The passenger also helps the driver when it comes to drifting, and is also usually the first person to notice any engine problems since he is next to the engine while the driver is in front of it. The two must work together to be a successful team. Nowadays it is common to call the driver the "Pilot", while the passenger has several nicknames: the "Acrobat" used in North America which is no longer in use, and the now common term "Monkey" which originated from Australia. Occasionally the words "Co-Driver" or "Co-Pilot" are also used.

The most successful sidecar racer in Superside has been Steve Webster, who has won ten world championships between 1987 and 2004. The most successful chassis is LCR, the Swiss sidecar maker, whose founder Louis Christen has won 32 championships between 1979 and 2016, with a variety of engines, originally Yamaha and Krauser two-strokes, more lately Suzuki four-strokes. The BMW Rennsport RS54 Engine powered to 19 straight constructors titles from 1955 to 1973, the most by any engines.

Sidecars on starting grid

Match, Sprint, Gold

Since 2005 the organizers have created a new format in which there are now three types of races. A championship round can have all three type of races. But sometimes there is only one type of race (the Gold Race) in one round, usually when the round is a supporting event of a major meeting such as MotoGP.

• Match Race. Teams are divided into groups and race in very short heat races. Winners and the better placing teams in these heats would advance to the next round (semi-finals), until only the best six teams left for the final heat race. A typical heat race distance is three laps.
• Sprint Race. All teams participate in a short race. A typical race distance is twelve laps.
• Gold Race. All teams participate in a long race, usually twice the distance of the sprint race.

FIM Sidecar World Champions

Grand Prix

Season	Driver	Passenger	Bike	Constructor
600cc
1949	Eric Oliver	Denis Jenkinson	Norton Manx	Norton
1950	Eric Oliver	Lorenzo Dobelli	Norton Manx	Norton
500cc
1951	Eric Oliver	Lorenzo Dobelli	Norton Manx	Norton
1952	Cyril Smith	Bob Clements Les Nutt	Norton Manx	Norton
1953	Eric Oliver	Stanley Dibben	Norton Manx	Norton
1954	Wilhelm Noll	Fritz Cron	BMW RS54	Norton
1955	Willi Faust	Karl Remmert	BMW RS54	BMW
1956	Wilhelm Noll	Fritz Cron	BMW RS54	BMW
1957	Fritz Hillebrand	Manfred Grunwal	BMW RS54	BMW
1958	Walter Schneider	Hans Strauß	BMW RS54	BMW
1959	Walter Schneider	Hans Strauß	BMW RS54	BMW
1960	Helmut Fath	Alfred Wohlgemuth	BMW RS54	BMW
1961	Max Deubel	Emil Hörner	BMW RS54	BMW
1962	Max Deubel	Emil Hörner	BMW RS54	BMW
1963	Max Deubel	Emil Hörner*	BMW RS54	BMW
1964	Max Deubel	Emil Hörner	BMW RS54	BMW
1965	Fritz Scheidegger	John Robinson	BMW RS54	BMW
1966	Fritz Scheidegger	John Robinson	BMW RS54	BMW
1967	Klaus Enders	Ralf Engelhardt	BMW RS54	BMW
1968	Helmut Fath	Wolfgang Kalauch	URS	BMW
1969	Klaus Enders	Ralf Engelhardt	BMW RS54	BMW
1970	Klaus Enders	Ralf Engelhardt Wolfgang Kalauch	BMW RS54	BMW
1971	Horst Owesle	Julius Kremer Peter Rutterford	Münch-URS	BMW
1972	Klaus Enders	Ralf Engelhardt	BMW RS54	BMW
1973	Klaus Enders	Ralf Engelhardt	BMW RS54	BMW
1974	Klaus Enders	Ralf Engelhardt	Busch-BMW RS54	König
1975	Rolf Steinhausen	Josef Huber	Busch-König	König
1976	Rolf Steinhausen	Josef Huber	Busch-König	König
1977	George O'Dell	Kenny Arthur Cliff Holland	Windle-Yamaha TZ500 Seymaz-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1978	Rolf Biland	Kenneth Williams	TTM-Yamaha TZ500 BEO-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1979 (B2A)	Rolf Biland	Kurt Waltisperg	Schmid-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1979 (B2B)	Bruno Holzer	Charlie Maierhans	LCR-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1980	Jock Taylor	Benga Johansson	Windle-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1981	Rolf Biland	Kurt Waltisperg	LCR-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1982	Werner Schwärzel	Andreas Huber	Seymaz-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1983	Rolf Biland	Kurt Waltisperg	LCR-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1984	Egbert Streuer	Bernard Schnieders	LCR-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1985	Egbert Streuer	Bernard Schnieders	LCR-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1986	Egbert Streuer	Bernard Schnieders	LCR-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1987	Steve Webster	Tony Hewitt	LCR-Yamaha TZ500	Yamaha
1988	Steve Webster	Tony Hewitt Gavin Simmons	LCR-Yamaha	Yamaha
1989	Steve Webster	Tony Hewitt	LCR-Krauser	Krauser
1990	Alain Michel	Simon Birchall	LCR-Krauser	Krauser
1991	Steve Webster	Gavin Simmons	LCR-Krauser	Krauser
1992	Rolf Biland	Kurt Waltisperg	LCR-Krauser	Krauser
1993	Rolf Biland	Kurt Waltisperg	LCR-Krauser	Krauser
1994	Rolf Biland	Kurt Waltisperg	LCR-Swissauto V4	ADM
1995	Darren Dixon	Andy Hetherington	Windle-ADM	ADM
1996	Darren Dixon	Andy Hetherington	Windle-ADM	ADM
Sidecar World Cup
1997	Steve Webster	David James	LCR-ADM
500cc 2-stroke or 1000cc 4-stroke
1998	Steve Webster	David James	LCR-Honda
1999	Steve Webster	David James	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
2000	Steve Webster	Paul Woodhead	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
Superside
1000cc 4-stroke
2001	Klaus Klaffenböck	Christian Parzer	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
2002	Steve Abbott	Jamie Biggs	Windle-Yamaha EXUP
2003	Steve Webster	Paul Woodhead	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
Superside World Cup
2004	Steve Webster	Paul Woodhead	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
Superside
2005	Tim Reeves	Tristan Reeves	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
2006	Tim Reeves	Tristan Reeves	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
2007	Tim Reeves	Patrick Farrance**	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
2008	Pekka Päivärinta	Timo Karttiala	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
2009	Ben Birchall	Tom Birchall	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R 1000
Superside Sidecar World Championship
2010	Pekka Päivärinta	Adolf Hänni	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R1000
2011	Pekka Päivärinta	Adolf Hänni	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R1000
2012	Tim Reeves	Ashley Hawes	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R1000
2013	Pekka Päivärinta	Adolf Hänni	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R1000
2014	Tim Reeves	Gregory Cluze	LCR-Kawasaki ZX-10R
2014 (F2 World Trophy)	Tim Reeves	Gregory Cluze	DMR-Honda CBR600
2015	Bennie Streuer	Geert Koerts	LCR Suzuki GSX-R1000
2015 (F2 World Trophy)	Tim Reeves	Patrick Farrance	DMR-Honda CBR600
2016	Pekka Päivärinta	Kirsi Kainulainen	LCR-BMW S 1000RR
2016 (F2 World Trophy)	Ben Birchall	Tom Birchall	LCR-Honda CBR600
600cc 4-stroke				2017	Ben Birchall	Tom Birchall	LCR-Yamaha YZF-R6

Notes

* Barry Dungsworth was a substitute for the injured Emil Hörner in the Isle of Man round. The team finished eighth and received no points.
** Stuart Graham was injured during the practice session of the first round in Schleiz. Patrick Farrance substituted for the race and for the rest of the season.

Trivia

Werner Schwärzel and Karl Heinz Kleis was the first team to win a race (1974 German GP) using a 2-stroke engine (König), Steve Abbott and Jamie Biggs was the last team to win a race (1999 World Superbike Championship round 8 Brands Hatch) using a 2-stroke engine (Honda).

Jock Taylor and Benga Johansson was the last team to use a traditional sidecar to win the championship (1980) and a race (1981 Austrian GP).

External links

• FIM Sidecar World Championship FIM Sidecar World Championship Website