Sidecar cross team chase championship dream (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Sidecar cross team chase championship dream

12:00pm Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Sport By Dan Cooper

A Basingstoke sidecar rider is appealing for sponsorship to help him achieve his dream of competing in the British Championships.

Simon Gale, who lives in South Warnborough, and his passenger, cousin Darran Hancock, have been practising together for the past three years to work towards their immediate aim.

They hope the money raised from sponsorship will enable them to buy a better bike, as well as helping towards paying entry fees for races, which can be up to £50 a time and fuel costs, which they estimate at between £2,000 and £3,000 a year.

The pair started up their own sidecar cross team and currently compete in Clubman races, which features 32 sidecars, with the top five moving into the British round - including 34 sidecars and prize money of up to £2,500.

Those finishing in the top five of the British round then have the opportunity to compete in the World Championships, with winners earning 10,000 euros.

Sidecar cross, although currently not a well known sport, is growing in popularity and is attracting more supporters from across the globe thanks to coverage on the MotorTV channel, which is shown on Sky.

Gale and Hancock have already managed to secure kit sponsorship from Wulfsport, the UK’s leading supplier of off-road racewear.