Ricky Stevens and Ryan Charlwood were unable to race in the last round of the Hyundai Heavy Industries British Sidecar Championship but still managed to finish the season in third place overall. 

Driver Ricky, from Portsmouth, and passenger Ryan, from Dover, have had a challenging championship marred by technical difficulties. The pair was forced to relinquish their second place following a major crash in the penultimate round at Assen, which saw Ryan come away with multiple fractures in his foot.

But despite a difficult season, the team was jubilant when it was announced on Saturday that they had come third overall in the rankings.

Ricky said: “It is testament to our skills and determination that despite everything that’s happened this year, we have still managed to come away with a third place.

“I’m not going to lie, this year has been really hard and incredibly frustrating. We tried a new, more powerful engine and ultimately, that gamble did not pay off. But it has given us a new focus and ambition for next year.”

The duo was unable to race this weekend as Ryan had to undergo reconstructive surgery on his foot at the end of last week following their accident in Assen.

Ryan said: “I clearly took the brunt of that crash and I’m now faced with a long and difficult recovery. But I remain optimistic and determined to get better ahead of next year’s championship.

“The goal is to get well enough to start working on my fitness levels in January and be ready for testing in March.”

Ricky said: “We want to thank everyone who has helped and supported us throughout this year, we couldn’t have done it without the help of our fabulous team and our families and friends.

“Special thanks should also go to Pete Extance and the Bournemouth Kawasaki team, all our sponsors, Roger Body for organising the championship and Stuart Higgs of MSV for hosting it.”

Ryan said: “I also want to thank the marshalls and medical staff for their assistance when it all went wrong. These guys do a fantastic job.”

Ricky and Ryan are currently still in negotiation with various partners regarding the 2018 season. They are also seriously considering racing on a 600CC outfit next year.

Ryan said: “We’ve struggled all year with our engine and it has taught us that more powerful engines are not necessarily the way to go with sidecars. We tried a 600CC recently and it made us realise that it might be better suited for us. It works well with our weight and Ricky’s driving style.

“It does mean we’d have to learn a whole new set of skills but we’re really excited by the idea.”

Ricky said: “Going over to a 600CC would open many doors. It would give us the opportunity to race in the world championship if we decided to do so.

“Our primary focus is still the British championship; it’s the best sidecar championship in the world and gets really good media coverage. But let’s face it every team’s aspiration is to hold a world title and moving over to a 600CC outfit would open up that opportunity for us.

Ends

Notes to editors:

• Ricky and Ryan are the reigning Hyundai Heavy Industries British F1 Sidecars champions.
• They raced to victory in 2015 with Ricky Stevens, from Portsmouth, as driver and Ryan Charlwood, from Dover, as co-rider.
• In 2016, they successfully defended their title after joining the Bournemouth Kawasaki team with Quattro Plant and Cool Milk as headline sponsors.
• Ricky and Ryan have rejoined the Bournemouth Kawasaki team in 2017 under the banner of JG Speedfit Kawasaki. They will be in the company of BSB riders Leon Haslam and Luke Mossey, road racer James Hillier and fellow sidecar team Costello/Hauxwell.
• For more information and updates, go to www.teamrickyandryan.com

For media information contact:
Sarah-Jane Freni
Account Director
Shooting Star
0117 4038200
sarahjane@weareshootingstar.co.uk