A ballet dance at 150mph: Kingsclere’s sidecar racing enthusiasts

Hurtling around a tarmac circuit at 150mph with only an 80cm platform to stand on is Hampshire native Oscar Lawrence, explains Newbury reporter Max Carter Keall.

Oscar, a 20 year-old former mechanic from Kingsclere, is a passenger in the sport of sidecar racing, a branch of competition known for spectacular crashes and break-neck speeds.

At certain corners the bike can pull up to three Gs of force, about the same as an Astronaut on a space shuttle, and all while his bike balances on three 12-inch tyres.

Two members of the team race together with one passenger and one a driver, known as a pilot, who is positioned kneeling in front of the engine.

The passenger transfers their weight at the back of the bike from left to right and forward and back along a platform no wider than 80cm, in a daring feat of balance and coordination.

Teams compete in two premier sidecar competitions in Britain, the Molson Group British F1 Sidecar Championship and the Santander Salt FIM World Championship, with 21 separate duos racing for sidecar glory.

Racing was always in Oscar’s blood as his father Rick, a sidecar racer and a previous Eurocup winner, got him racing go karts at a young age but it was riding the likes of two time British Champion Ricky Steven’s at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire that really hooked him.

After riding with such legends of the sport it quickly became clear that Oscar was a natural talent so, at 17 while his friends were studying for their a-levels, he joined his dad and travelled out to Val de Vienne, France, where racers conduct pre-season testing.

After another team’s passenger didn’t show up, Oscar grabbed his opportunity with both hands and has recently come fourth in the British Championship as a part of Holden Racing.

“He just seemed to be a natural, everyone said wow he’s just got it” said Rick.

However natural talent only gets you so far as when racing for 2 days straight and up to forty minutes in one session, and sidecar racing is extremely taxing both physically and mentally.

Rick commented: “The bikes are lightning quick. It’s like hanging on top of a car at 140mph, you physically have to pull yourself out of that situation and stay on the bike.

“It’s so physical on your arms” Oscar agreed, “the grip on the tyres is ridiculous so you really dance on a knife edge and your backside is on the floor.

“It’s a ballet dance, you have to move in a way to make the bike move, grip and corner.

A dance seemed to be an apt name for the sport, with Fellow Hampshire racer Shelley Smithies, 46, also emphasising the delicacy of movement.

“It’s like a dance, if you fight the bike you will never win, you have to let the bike do its thing and once you master that its effortless.

“There’s a lot of respect between all of us in the paddock as we know how tough it is, I’ve seen many a man crumble out there”.

Shelley, a painter and decorator who raced for Scott Larry Racing, also spoke about the inclusivity of the sport, highlighting the brilliance of other female passengers like Emmanuelle Clement, who won this year’s World Championship.

“I work and play in a man’s world and I get treated with respect, like I’m one of the lads.”

She describes that often it’s the old adage of brains not brawn that shines through and when asked about her high regard in the community she simply replied:

“Because I’m the best. I want to win, that’s all I ever want to do”

However Shelley is a living example of how dangerous the sport actually is, experiencing a big crash earlier in the year when her breaks failed darting into a corner, resulting in her being thrown into the barriers at the side of the track.

Shelley was told she would never walk again and spent two months in hospital after breaking her spine and 26 bones in the process despite wearing protective gear, but has defied the doctors and is on the road to recovery.

The dangers of wrecking both your body and your bike are evident, with both coming at a heavy cost if something goes wrong.

Mike Dommett, CEO of The British Motorcycle Racing Club, said: “a lot of personal money goes into funding this hobby and that’s a challenge with today’s economy and the cost of living”

He further spoke about sidecar racing’s premier sponsor, Roger Body, pulling out after ten years and hundreds of thousands of pounds spent, as well as key tyre supplier Avon announcing its close in 2023, leaving a huge hole in a sport that fully relies on its sponsors.

With the sport at a crossroads and its future uncertain, one thing that will always remain true when talking about sidecar racing is the pure excitement.