![]() ![]() ![]() “Dave Molyneux, he always brought a real level or professionalism to the TT and he’s been one of them guys to look up to,” Tom says when asked about how important their achievements in 2023 are in altering how the Sidecar class at the TT is viewed. ![]() Dispelling this myth and banishing this stereotype is something the Birchalls put front and centre. There is also a perception that Sidecar racers are “greasy and oily” individuals who rock up to the TT with a van and some beer and have a bit of a holiday. The Sidecar class has come in for a lot of stick over the years, while the tragedies of the 2022 TT – when four competitors from two outfits were killed in separate incidents – only served to further fuel this. ![]() It’s good for the class, definitely, that people are enjoying watching us go round there at ridiculous speeds. “It’s just so great to see people enjoying TT and so good that we can be a part of it. We’ve been unbeaten for 11 races in a row. That puts our tally to 14 and 11 in a row. But to get what we got this year has been incredible two wins, the 120 lap, 100 years of Sidecars at the same time. “So, you build up each other physically, mentally, the machine, the preparation that goes into it to try and get results. “You just come here doing your best, and you build up for a year, TT 24 starts now really,” Ben Birchall tells Autosport as we stand looking over their history making Steadplan/Hager LCR Honda outfight. Exceptionally, the Birchalls made history when they posted the first ever 120mph Sidecar lap at the TT in race one, clocking a 120.357mph, before overhauling their own lap record in the event’s second race at 120.645mph. That's second in the all-time class stakes, behind only TT legend Dave Molyneux’s 17. In 2023, they added two more victories to their total to take their tally to 14. Over the last few years at the TT, the Birchalls have become the pinnacle of the Sidecar class. ![]()
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