Round 2 of the 2016 British F1 Sidecar Championship is just days away and reigning champions Ricky Stevens and Ryan Charlwood are looking forward to defending their title.

Sidecar driver Ricky Stevens, from Portsmouth, and his passenger Ryan Charlwood, from Dover, will be heading to the familiar grounds of Brands Hatch in Kent this weekend for the second round of the championship.

For the first time in years, the sidecar races will take place between the two superbike races instead of at the very end of the day. This prime time slot will ensure that more eyes will be on the pair as they defend their title against the likes of Tim Reeves and Greg Cluze.

Paul Knapton, Team Manager, said: “We have been lobbying for years for a better time slot at the British superbike championship. Many BSB attendees love sidecars but with it usually being at the very end of the day, most people have to pack up and leave before the race is done. We’re really excited to have been scheduled earlier at Brands Hatch, it means the guys can give the fans, many of which will be friends and family, a race to remember.”

Since Round 1 at Oulton Park a couple of weeks ago, Ricky and Ryan have made the most of the sunny weather to get racing fit.

Ryan said: “The first race at Oulton Park went well, we started the season with some good points, but we could have done better, especially in the first two laps.

We have to be in top physical condition to keep performing so I have been training hard these past couple of weeks, sometimes running the equivalent of a half marathon along the scenic Dover cliffs.”

The team has also been making minor adjustments to their sidecar, mainly on the suspension, to ensure a smooth race on Sunday.

Ricky added: “We had some minor niggles with the suspension at Oulton Park. We have since taken the whole outfit apart and inspected every element before putting it back together ready for Round 2.

After a long winter break, I suffered a bit of arm pump in the first round. It took me a while to get going in the first race, which resulted in a second place so it was important to get both myself and the sidecar ready for this Sunday. I’m feeling hopeful that the odds are on our side.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Ricky and Ryan are the reigning British F1 Sidecars champions.
• They raced to victory in the 2015 championship for team AOS/Be Wiser with Ricky Stevens, from Portsmouth, as driver and Ryan Charlwood, from Dover, as co-rider.
• In 2015, they also beat the world champions by four seconds, effectively making them the best F1 sidecar racing team in the world at present.
• For the 2016 season, Ricky and Ryan have joined the Quattro Plant Cool Kawasaki team. The newly sponsored team has a new livery and the backing from Bournemouth Kawasaki. The Quattro Plant Cool team also includes British Superbike riders Luke Mossey and Filip Backlund and Supersport rider Andy Reid.

For media information contact:
Sarah-Jane Freni
Account Director
Shooting Star
0117 3131120
sarahjane@weareshootingstar.co.uk
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