Sidecar couple consider GB Championships after top three finish

Husband and wife sidecar racing team Giles and Jen Stainton secured third position in the 2016 Darley Moor Club Sidecar Championship.
Giles and Jen Stainton secured a top three championship finish EMN-161013-111605002Giles and Jen Stainton secured a top three championship finish EMN-161013-111605002
Giles and Jen Stainton secured a top three championship finish EMN-161013-111605002

The Lincolnshire duo recorded a sixth place in the final race to clinch the top three spot.

After extensive testing on Saturday, the bike was handling and performing well, giving driver Giles great confidence.

The pair posted a strong sixth place in timed practice from a grid of 16 outfits which included the current world F2 Cup champions Ben and Tom Birchall.

As the 15-lap race got underway on Sunday afternoon the nerves kicked in and they struggled with traction off the line.

But finally they found grip and set about chasing the outfit in front. The race was red-flagged after an incident at the hairpin and the teams regrouped to restart the reduced 12-lap race.

This time team SaS got away to a better start and began an exciting race-long battle with Bruce and Ashley Moore.

Jen said: “Every lap we were switching places and the race seemed to be over in a flash. Instead of Giles’ focus being on getting the perfect line it suddenly became about tactics, overtaking and survival.

“We were both pushed out of our comfort zones and the racing became less methodical and more natural.

“We were pipped to the post by Bruce and Ashley, but we both learnt so much from the battle and gained so much as a team.

“We were even more excited when we learnt we had achieved a personal best lap time of 1min 05secs.

“Thank you to our sponsors for supporting us this year; Interfuse, LR Hutchinson, Elite Signs, MMC, Andrew and Vanessa, Paul’s Auto Resprays. Thanks also to those that come and support us and to Sid Diggins for the fantastic photos.”

Despite completing only five of the eight rounds, the couple were delighted to finish third in the F2 championship and feel they now have the confidence to have a shot at the British Championship next season.

The final outing for 2016 will be at the Cadwell Bonanza later this month.

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