Where legends live on..

Sidecars star at Spa

The winning formula of public parades, star studded solo classes, which saw many former Grand Prix winners joining the fun for the first time, and the ever exciting four hours of Spa endurance race, which ran into the darkness there was almost too much for the huge crowd to take in. Added to all this was a celebration of Moto Guzzi, which gave owners the opportunity to ride the Spa Francorchamps circuit.

Two years ago Ralph Bohnhorst arrived at the sixth running of this unique event with the ex-Jock Taylor Windle Yamaha outfit. With most of the attention heaped upon the solo stars from the 1960s, 70s and 80s Ralph was fortunate enough to be included in the main parades over the weekend, the sole three-wheeler.

But an idea had been hatched and 24 months later, after lots of hard work Bohni made it happen and convinced many former sidecar Grand Prix drivers and passengers that Spa was the place to be.

Olivier Aerts, the event co-ordinator provided the sidecar stars with their own marquee to show off the machinery as well as four on-track periods labelled as the Sidecar GP Revival. The range of outfits covered four decades and showed the dramatic development that had taken place between Ewald Dahms’ 1954 Deubel replica BMW RS54 and Baptist Kohlman’s 1993 LCR ADM.

Topping the list of sidecar stars was 10 times World Champion Steve Webster, who hadn’t been to Spa since 1990 when he finished sixth with Gavin Simmons in the chair.

“When Bohni asked me two years ago if I would be interested in riding his bike at Spa, I thought it was just a pipe dream. And here I am meeting up with all my old mates,” Steve enthused. The mates read like a who’s who of sidecar racing – Alain Michel, Rolf Steinhausen, Derek Jones, Egbert Streuer and Masato Kumano. Also from a different era there was Max Deubel, Ralf Engelhard and Stan Dibben.

Friday, with temperatures in the high 20C and with no planned track time, was an opportunity to renew old acquaintances, swap stories and get used to the endless stream of autograph hunters and photo calls by eager members of the public who had not seen many of the sidecar riders for several years.

One crew that was attracting a lot of attention, due to the amount of work taking place, was Derek Jones and Brian Ayres. Derek had brought with him his 1978 British Championship winning Ireson chassis. “I started rebuilding it just after Christmas and we only just got it finished before coming out to Belgium,” Derek explained.

The frame had been completely resprayed in the original blue colour scheme, and Derek was heard to comment on a few occasions ‘mind the paint work’ when the team were putting finishing touches to the preparation.

Derek had also managed to drum up some support from his old sponsor Gunther Reuschling for the weekend. The engine in the outfit was the 1980 Silverstone Grand Prix winning 500cc Yamaha with G barrels. Unfortunately, the motor hadn’t run for some time and wasn’t happy about being fired up again.

In typical Ardennes fashion, the weather on Saturday had deteriorated and everyone woke up to drizzle and rain. All the crews were prepared to give a good show and risk the tricky conditions.

Alain Michel, reunited with passenger Claude Monchaud, went out in the wet on slick tyres on the ex-Jock Taylor Windle. “This is the first time that I have ridden a non-hub centre steering outfit since 1979,” explained Alain. That was the year when the FIM split sidecars into the B2A and B2B classes.

Others to brave the wet track were Bill Hodgkins and Bert Vloemens on a 1969 Windle Norton sporting number 77, the year that Bill won the British Sidecar Championship. “I haven’t been back to Spa since 1979 as I packed up racing soon after having run out of money competing at Grands Prix,” Bill explained.

At that time he was using one of Stuart Digby’s SDD chassis and Stuart had brought along his smart SDD BSA outfit. Unfortunately he felt the engine tighten during the run and pulled in rather than risk major damage.

Vince Biggs was also out on track with his immaculate red and white Busch chassis with a 1000cc BMW engine in it. “I acquired it from Dick Hawes and it had originally been made for Heinz Luthringshauser to use at the TT about 12 years ago. Unfortunately the rules were changed and he didn’t run it on the Island.” This was Vince’s first time on the Spa circuit as a driver. “I previously raced here in 1983 as a stand-in passenger with Steve Abbott after Shaun Smith had broken his leg. We only lasted four laps before the engine broke,” he recalled.

Sunday saw another 20-minute session, run in perfect conditions, during which Derek Jones finally had his outfit on track. Vince Biggs had a kneeler tray break but they were all looking forward to the major parade in the afternoon.

Pride of place at the head of the grid was the main driving force behind the sidecar spectacular, Ralph Bohnhorst. He was on the Deubel replica BMW belonging to Ewald Dahms with 1953 World Champion Stan Dibben in the chair. At 85 years young Stan was still sprightly and was looking forward to his two laps. He recalled lapping the old Spa circuit at 99.29mph with Cyril Smith in 1956. Stan insisted that in those days you weren’t a ‘passenger’ but a ‘co-driver’. “I worked just as hard in the chair as the driver of the outfit.”

The front row of the grid saw Alain Michel and Claude Monchaud back aboard the 1983 LCR chassis they used to finish third at that year’s Belgian Grand Prix, Steve Webster and Paul Woodhead on the ex-Jock Taylor Windle and Derek Jones and Brian Ayres on the Ireson Yamaha. Unfortunately Michel would not be putting in fast laps this time around as a con rod had punched a hole in the crankcases when owner Ralph Bohnhorst had last used the outfit.

On the row behind was Rolf Steinhausen on his 1970 Konig outfit with 16in wheels. He would be starting with his son in the chair before pitting for Kenny Arthur, his passenger in 1979 when they won on the newly shortened Spa circuit to take over. 1979 was the year that the 500cc riders went on strike due to the dangerous nature of the newly laid track and the crowd rioted. “Dunlop provided me with tyres for the race and then took them back to hand cut grooves in the rubber to provide some grip on the greasy oily track,” he recalled. It did the trick as Rolf and Kenny won by just under five seconds from Rolf Biland.

“Spa was always one of my favourite tracks and to come and ride it again was fantastic. I have always liked the old Windle chassis, that’s what I started World Championship races on, so to get back on one was exciting. I remember thinking on the fifth or sixth lap down past the start line and up Eau Rouge that it was about fast enough and to take it a bit steady,” enthused Steve Webster. Passenger Paul Woodhead was having his first ride at Spa, his first ride on a conventional outfit and his first time on a two-stroke and had a steep learning curve. “All the hand holds were in the wrong place but it was great fun. I’d never been up Eau Rouge that quick. Steve had really got the motor running well.”

Nick Cutmore was another passenger having a great time. Reunited with ex-European Champion Mick Barton they were running a 1000cc Vincent twin in a Windle chassis. “Mick started to mix it with a few BMW outfits and I had to pat him on the back to ease off a bit as the outfit hadn’t been run for a couple of years. I also haven’t passengered for about six years and promised my wife I wouldn’t do it again preferring to drive outfits instead,” he said later.

The biggest cheer went to Derek Jones and Brain Ayres. After a troubled couple of days trying to get the Yamaha to run, during which time they changed the carburettors, borrowed an ignition and coil, and lifted the cylinder heads, persistence paid off and they completed the parade.

“Once the motor is running it sounds good. It’s at the revs it wants to be,” explained Derek. “Unfortunately we were leaking a bit of fuel which made the sidecar platform a bit greasy for Brian but we both enjoyed it immensely.”

Everyone came in at the end of the session with huge grins on their faces and Brian Ayres summed it up perfectly by turning to Derek Jones, shaking his hand and saying, “Thanks mate.”

Gary James

Words: Malc Wheeler and Gary James
Photographs: Julie Wheeler, Gary James and Peter Walker PAW Photography