TT 2018: Birchalls re-write history for Sidecar double

The Birchall brothers re-wrote the history books in this morning’s second Locate.im Sidecar race, clocking the first ever sub-19 minute sidecar lap of the mountain course on their way to a fifth consecutive TT win.

It was John Holden and Lee Cain who took the early lead with near-perfect conditions on the opening lap but the dominant siblings were ahead by the Bungalow and didn’t look back.

The second of the three laps erased any doubts that the Birchalls wouldn’t be able to replicate their Monday pace, lapping the course with an average speed of 119.250mph to storm to a new lap record.

Holden and Cain would eventually cross the line a whopping 22 seconds behind their rivals with Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes completing the podium in third.

Alan Founds and Jake Lowther took fourth ahead of Lewis Blackstock and Patrick Rosney while Conrad Harrison and Andrew Winkle rounded out the top six.

Gary Bryan and Phillip Hyde were seventh ahead of Steve and Matty Ramsden with Estelle Leblond and Melanie Farnier and Gary and Daryl Gibson completing the top ten. 

Full results to follow.