The final round of the 2008 Ian Durston Plant services British Sidecarcross Championship took place at the Diss motor cycle club’s Wattisfield Hall circuit yesterday, writes Chris Helm.

After an absence of 29 years it was good to see championship sidecars back at this track which was well prepared for the meeting by the enthusiastic club members. In addition they very nearly provided perfect weather for the whole day with the promised heavy rain only arriving very late on in the proceedings.

Although Stuart Brown / Luke Peters had already won the title they were still keen to race and the big question was would they still continue with the Ballard Husaberg engine that given them so much trouble last weekend at Langrish. Another unknown was whether Scott Wilkinson / Gary Burt would be fit to race after their serious accident at Langrish. Scott had chipped a bone in his leg and stretched a ligament but was keen to ride just to pick up the few points he needed to secure his second place.

After the closure of signing on the answers were known with Brown continuing with the Husaberg and Wilkinson on the missing list. This now meant that both John Lyne / Peter Girling and the Millard brothers could possibly overtake Scott & Gary to take second.

After the morning practice session things didn’t look good for Brown when the Husaberg broke down again with a broken woodruff key in the ignition.

In brilliant sunshine the riders came to the line for the first leg and after the gate dropped the charge into the first corner was led by Brown from Millard with Hodges / Ide in third. When the riders came into view again in the top field Brown had pulled away from Millard who in turn was leaving Hodges behind who was already under pressure from Kinge / Kinge, Lyne / Girling and Topp / Geraghty.

Lyne passed Kinge on lap 2 and immediately closed in on Hodges but it took him until half distance in the race to pass him. Hodges then immediately came under pressure from Kinge and Topp. Lyne closed the gap on the Millards on every lap and by lap 11 were right in his wheel tracks. On the lap before Hodges was finally passed by Kinge and then Topp. On the penultimate lap Brown was out with a broken chain leaving Millard leading the race from Lyne. Although under intense pressure from Lyne for the last two laps the Millards held on to take the win – their first ever and also the first race win for a fourstroke engine in over 20 years. Kinge held on to third place from Topp with Philpott / Dance passing Hodges on the last lap to take 5th.

The second race was led into turn one by Brown from Hodges and Lyne with the Millards not getting such a good start this time in 5th. Brown soon pulled away from Hodges whilst Lyne was soon on the back wheel of Hodges and on lap three was past. Hodges was then passed by Pelling and Millard. After 8 minutes Pelling who was in fourth place and riding in considerable pain with damaged ribs ( another result of riding at Langrish) came under pressure from Millard but for lap after lap he was able to hold them off.

On the very last corner of the last lap Millard got his bike just inside Pelling’s and was able to just hold him off to take third behind Brown and Lyne.

This result meant Wilkinson was still holding second place in the championship but Millard was now only two points behind him and Lyne five points. If they both had good results in the final race they would both be on the championship podium.

When the gate dropped for the final race of the championship Brown again took the holeshot from Millard with Pelling 3rd and Breacher / Hillyard 4th just ahead of Lyne. By the end of lap two Lyne was past Breacher and Pelling and set off after Millard. On lap 6 Lyne was past Millard but the young West Country brothers knew that if they held third they would finish second in the championship unless Lyne passed Brown which was not going to happen unless the Husaberg broke down.

Behind the front three Pelling was now under serious pressure from Kinge, Topp, Breacher, Jenkins and Jarvis. This ‘train’ continued for a couple of laps until Topp pulled out with a broken bike. With three laps to go Jarvis was past Jenkins and Breacher and closing on Kinge and Pelling. Brown took the win from Lyne with Millard third ahead of Pelling, Kinge and Jarvis.

The overall win was taken by Lyne by just one point from Millard with Brown 3rd.

The 2008 champions are Brown / Peters with the Millards 2nd and Lyne third. With the new crop of young riders taking 6 of the top 15 places the ‘old guard ‘will need to watch out next year.