2008
Päivärinta & Karttiala World Champions 2008
Päivärinta & Karttiala World Champions 2008
The “Sliding Finns” Pekka Päivärinta & Timo Karttiala won the FIM Sidecar World Championship on the 21st of September, 2008. Their goal was secured by a rational racing in the Le Mans final to the second position just 2,8 seconds after the earlier world champions Tim Reeves & Patrick Farrance. Päivärinta & Karttiala are the first ever Finnish World Champions in the Road Racing Sidecars and the next Finnish RR World Champions after the legendary Jarno Saarinen from 1972.
The scene was set for a mighty duel between the two top teams for the world championship title as the Finns Päivärinta & Karttiala did lead the championship series with only 7 points ahead of the reigning British world champions Reeves & Farrance. And it was still possible that the local French heros Sebastien Delannoy & Gregory Cluze could mix the order of the championship duel as they could achieve for themselves the third position in the championship ahead of the British Birchall brothers by winning the race.
Twenty sidecar pairs did start the race in a sunny and good weather at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit in front of about 46000 spectators. Päivärinta & Karttiala started the race in the second grid position after the pole position winners Tim Reeves & Patrick Farrance. The Birchall brothers Ben & Tom started the 18 laps’ race from the third and Delannoy & Cluze from the fourth grid position. Päivärinta & Karttiala succeeded well in the start and led the race during the first laps. After a few laps in the curve after the starting straight Reeves & Farrance did however manage to overtake Päivärinta & Karttiala. After that it appeared sometimes that Reeves & Farrance tried to break and slow-down the speed in order to facilitate the next after Päivärinta & Karttiala following Delannoy & Cluze, and the Birchall brothers, to reach nearer to fight to the tails of the leaders. But Päivärinta & Karttiala drove then bravely to Reeves & Farrances’ side and forced them to accelerate the speed. After that Päivärinta & Karttiala completed the race closely behind Reeves & Farrance and came into the chequered flag in the second position and took thus the championship ahead of Reeves & Farrance by a margin of just two points.
13 seconds after the winners did Sebastien Delannoy & Gregory Cluze achieve the third place of the race just two seconds before the attacking Birchall brothers fourth. Thus the Birchall brothers clinched the third position in the world championship. The fifth in the race was the Swiss pair Markus Schlosser & Adolf Hänni achieving also the fifth rank in the championship behind Delannoy & Cluze fourth in the championship. The eigth position in the race as well as in the championship was achieved by Allan Schofield together with his Finnish passenger Aki Aalto. The Finnish wild-cards Petri Makkula & Juha Nikkanen did achieve the fifteenth position and the last championship point in the race which was completed by nineteen pairs.
The World Championship results
POS DRIVERS POINTS, TOTAL
1. Päivärinta & Karttiala, FIN, 171
2. Reeves & Farrance, GBR, 169
3. Birchall & Birchall, GBR, 125
4. Delannoy & Cluze, F, 107
5. Schlosser & Hänni, CH, 76
6. Moser & Wäfler, AUT/CH, 76
7. Hegarty & Hegarty, GBR, 65
8. Schofield & Aalto, GBR/FI, 58
9. Norbury & Klapton, GBR, 50
10. Spendal & Hill, SLO/GBR, 36
Acknowledgement:
Our team will thank the almost hundred supporters and fans from Finland who came to the Le Mans Final on September 21st of 2008 to urge on Pekka Päivärinta & Timo Karttiala for the World Championship.
Especially we would like to thank all our good sponsors for the support and co-operation during the season which facilitated our fight for the world championship.
kjl/1.10.08
Päivärinta & Karttiala won the Sidecar World Champ
The SteamPro sponsored “Sliding Finns” Pekka Päivärinta & Timo Karttiala (Team Suzuki Finland) won the MotoGP round of the FIM Sidecar World Championship of the year 2008 on Sunday 13th of July at Sachsenring.
The Finns Päivärinta & Karttiala had won the pole position after the British Tim Reeves & Patrick Farrance had lost their brakes in the second qualification practise on Saturday. Reeves & Farrance ended up in the second and the Birchall brothers Ben & Tom in the third starting grid position of the race. The long Gold Race of 22 laps was shortened to 20 laps due to the tight Sunday morning programme of the MotoGP and the lacking warm-up laps of the FIM Sidecars were driven just before their race. The rain was still falling at the start of the race.
Päivärinta & Karttiala did not fully succeed in the start and Reeves & Farrance led the race during the first six laps. They were followed by their competitors Päivärinta & Karttiala and the Birchall brothers. Päivärinta & Karttiala overtook at the first time the British pair Reeves & Farrance at the seventh lap. But the British pair attacked then back to the leading position at the ninth lap and remained at the front for two laps. Then again the Finns did take their place at the front ahead of the Brits at the lap 11.
During the 13th lap the Brits Reeves & Farrance did spin off but returned to the race. After that Päivärinta & Karttiala did have a sufficient gap to their competitors Reeves & Farrance. The Finns drove efficiently to the chequered flag thirteen seconds before the Brits. 31 seconds after the winners did the British Birchall brothers achieve the third place of the race just before the on the tail attacking French pair Sebastien Delannoy & Gregory Cluze. The Swiss pair Markus Schlosser & Adolf Hänni did achieve the fifth position 47 seconds after the winners. The eight best pairs did complete the 20 laps of the Gold Race, the remaining eight pairs were overlapped.
The Finnish pair Päivärinta & Karttiala did increase their lead in the FIM Sidecar World Championship. They have now 111 points, and the reigning World Champions Reeves & Farrance have now 103 points in total. The next World Championship races are driven at the Automotodrom Grobnik by Rijeka at Croatia on 15th - 17th August, 2008.
Päivärinta & Karttiala second in the Sidecar World
Pekka Päivärinta & Timo Karttiala were second in the MotoGP round of the FIM Sidecar World Championship of the year 2008 on Saturday 28th of June at Assen. The race was won by 2,3 seconds by Tim Reeves & Patrick Farrance.
The British pair Reeves & Farrance had won the pole position and the French pair Sebastien Delannoy & Gregory Cluze started the race from the second grid position. The difference of Päivärinta & Karttiala in the qualifying practises to Reeves & Farrance was over one second. Päivärinta & Karttiala started the race from the third grid position. The race weather was cloudy (18 oC) but it was not raining.
Reeves & Farrance had a good start and were leading the race until lap five, when Päivärinta & Karttiala overtook them and were leading during three following laps. But Reeves & Farrance then reconquered the lead during the eighth lap. At the middle of the race the hopes of Päivärinta & Karttiala to overtake did go on the rocks as the tyres did overheat and became slippery. The British pair Reeves & Farrance remained at the front until the chequered flag after eighteen laps. Second became the Finnish pair Päivärinta & Karttiala 2,3 seconds behind, and the third was the French pair Sebastien Delannoy & Gregory Cluze 17,2 seconds behind the winners.
About 24 seconds after the winners did the British Birchall brothers achieve the fourth place of the race just before the Swiss pair Markus Schlosser & Adolf Hänni as the fifth. 11 pairs did complete the 18 laps of the race, the remaining four pairs were overlapped, two pairs did break the race.
Päivärinta & Karttiala are still the FIM Sidecar World Championship leaders. They have now 86 points, and the reigning World Champions Reeves & Farrance have now 83 points in total. The third in the championship are Delannoy & Cluze with 65 points. The next World Championship race is driven at Sachsenring on 13th of July, 2008.
Sachsenring 21st and 22nd of June, 2008
Päivärinta & Karttiala first and third in the Sidecar World Championship races at Sachsenring 21st and 22nd of June, 2008
Pekka Päivärinta & Timo Karttiala were first in the rainy Sprint Race on Saturday 21st of June 24,5 seconds ahead of Sebastien Delannoy & Gregory Cluze second. Päivärinta & Karttiala were third in the hot weather Gold Race on Sunday 22nd of June. The Gold Race was won by 1,3 seconds by Tim Reeves & Patrick Farrance before Delannoy & Cluze second. These FIM Sidecar World Championship races of the year 2008 were driven in connection to the IDM (Internationale Deutsche Motorradmeisterschaft) at Sachsenring.
The British pair Reeves & Farrance had won the pole position and the French pair Delannoy & Cluze started the race from the second grid position. The difference of Päivärinta & Karttiala in the qualifying practises to Reeves & Farrance was about half a second. Päivärinta & Karttiala started the race from the third grid position.
The Sprint Race on Saturday was started by slicks tyres and the rain began to drop at once at the start. When the race was stopped after five laps Päivärinta & Karttiala were 14 seconds ahead of Delannoy & Cluze, who were second. The tyres were replaced by rain tyres and the new start of Päivärinta & Karttiala succeeded very well. At the second part of the Sprint Race did Päivärinta & Karttiala build a gap of about seven seconds to Sean & Mark Hegarty then second. The results of the two parts of the race were summed. Thus Päivärinta & Karttiala were winners 24,5 seconds ahead of Sebastien Delannoy & Gregory Cluze, who were second. The British Birchall brothers achieved the third place and the reigning World Champions Reeves & Farrance were left to the fourth position about 28 seconds after the winners.
The 22 laps long Gold Race on Sunday was driven in hot (over 30 oC) and dry weather conditions. Due to the two earlier race wins did Päivärinta & Karttiala have 20 kg extra weights in their racing sidecar. Päivärinta & Karttiala admitted to remain after the start after Reeves & Farrance and did not drive aggressively at the beginning of the race in order to save the tyres. At the middle of the race, the temperatures of the engine raised to over 90 oC. In a curve to right, an operation disturbance of the engine occurred and Päivärinta & Karttiala were overlapped by two pairs and dropped at the seventeenth lap to the fifth position. A similar engine operation disturbance reoccurred during two additional laps. After that Päivärinta drove to the same right curve with a quarter gas and it helped and Päivärinta & Karttiala did manage to overtake Steve Norbury & Paul Knapton and the Birchall brothers and achieve the third position at the chequered flag. The Gold Race was won by Tim Reeves & Patrick Farrance 1,3 seconds before Sebastien Delannoy & Gregory Cluze, who were second 3,6 seconds ahead of Päivärinta & Karttiala.
About 12 seconds after the winners did the Birchall brothers achieve the fourth place of the race 5,5 seconds before the Swiss pair Markus Schlosser & Adolf Hänni as the fifth.
In the goal could Päivärinta & Karttiala notice that the back tyre was completely finished and the gasoline was boiling in the tank. 10 pairs did complete the 22 laps of the race, three pairs were overlapped by one lap, and three pairs did break the race.
Päivärinta & Karttiala are leading the FIM Sidecar World Championship. They have now 66 points, and the reigning World Champions Reeves & Farrance have now 58 points in total. The third in the championship are Delannoy & Cluze with 49 points and the fourth are the Birchall brothers with 42 points in total. The next World Championship race is driven at Assen on 28th of June, 2008.
Donington Park on 25th of June 2008
The first FIM Sidecar World Championship race of 20 laps was driven in difficult weather conditions. The rain beat the windy racetrack the whole Sunday. Pekka Päivärinta & Timo Karttiala (Team Suzuki Finland) did get a rather good start from the third grid position in the first row and were the fourth in the first curve. The pole setter Sebastien Delannoy & Gregory Cluze had then in the second curve a collision from behind with Reeves and the passenger Cluze did fall off. The both pairs managed to continue Reeves being at the lead and Delannoy & Cluze among the last. The IDM champions Markus Schlosser & Adolf Hänni experienced an engine damage and had to retire during the first lap.
Päivärinta & Karttiala succeeded to advance during the first lap to the second position by overtaking the British pair Richard Gatt & Paul Randall and drove at Reeves behind about one second. It was difficult to reach Reeves while the visibility of the driver was almost zero due to the water jets from Reeves’ wheel spraying on the visors of the helmet of Päivärinta. And the water prevented the passenger Karttialas’ visibility so much that he had just to anticipate his movements in the sidecar to the upcoming steering or overtaking actions of the driver Päivärinta. Päivärinta & Karttiala tried to overtake Reeves side by side a couple of times at the over part of the circuit but did not manage to pass. Päivärinta & Karttiala did however succeed to move to the side of the leading Reeves & Farrance after the curve at the rising straight at the 16th lap and managed to overtake them through the inside of the next curve as Reeves braked wide.
Pekka Päivärinta & Timo Karttiala did straightly manage to drive an about two seconds’ gap to Reeves & Farrance and advance the gap with about four more seconds during the last three laps driving the best lap time during the last twentieth lap.
