Race day for Round five of the 2025 FIM World Sidecarcross Championship in Belgium arrived with temperatures already rising, and a large crowd in place overnight.
Race Report by Barry Nutley – Images courtesy of WSC
This Lommel track is the last surviving top-class arena in Belgium and is very popular in a country which has seen four champions in the forty-five-year history of the sport at world title level. The most recent of course, being the current and defending champion, sadly not in physical condition to take part this weekend. Marvin Vanluchene was here trackside with his family to watch proceedings unfold as his title slips away. He is a worthy and proud champion who deserves to get well very soon so he can decide on the next steps in his career.
Warm Up – The track had already seen support class action before GP warm-up, so the ruts were forming before the session. Julian Veldman/Glenn Janssens were really on the pace with a stunning lap of 1.45.683 fractionally ahead of the Lielbardis twins, Justin Keuben/Dion Rietman and Hermans/van den Bogaart. Could this be the turning point in the young Latvians’ season? Well, given the track conditions and ambient temperature forecast to be in the “thirties”, it was anyone’s guess.
Tim Prummer and Brett Wilkinson both looked useful, and we know they are both fast teams in the sand. The Prunier brothers circulated in close company with Stephan Wijers/Han van Hal around eighth place, so that would also correspond with their qualifying pace. I suspected the French brothers would be happy to come away from Lommel with some reasonable points, thereby protecting their championship challenge.
The rider’s presentation was the first official item ahead of the racing, always a popular feature of a GP weekend here in Belgium or the Netherlands. As we were close to the border, we had the best of both worlds with numbers of spectators to match.
Race One – The heat was fierce as the teams came to the line for thirty minutes plus two laps. This would be energy sapping on the engines as well as the pilots and passengers. Down went the gate and thirty crews charged to the first turn.
Keuben got there first, but the wily Daniel Willemsen has not lost his starting ability, he stole the thunder and went around Keuben taking Etienne Bax with him. The Bax brothers stalked Willemsen for two laps before going ahead, with Keuben and Koen Hermans slotting behind the Leferink brothers. They in turn passed Willemsen and set after Bax. Hermans looked dangerous and made progress quickly, Then Tim and Sem Leferink took the lead after ten minutes as Bax faded slightly, with Hermans now closing in. The red plate was moving quickly, and then suddenly it wasn’t! Hermans/van den Bogaart hit some trouble which slowed them. Keuben was now in a solid third place which he was to hold to the flag. Meanwhile, Brett Wilkinson was also coming fast, as indeed were Julian Veldman/Glenn Janssens. Wilkinson/Millard caught and passed Hermans into fourth, keeping their challenge alive for a good championship finish. Keuben was a bit too far ahead for the British crew to catch, but theirs was an outstanding ride. As ever, tailenders became a real problem in the deep sand, and Hermans was eventually to slip to sixth place.
Bax then got second wind, and as the Lielbardis twins moved to seventh and Tim Prummer went eighth, the five-times champion retook the lead from the Leferink brothers to bring it home. The French Prunier boys, second in the title chase, earned valuable points for fourteenth place.
Result
Race Two – It was even hotter for this one, and the ruts were deeper, so for Bax to repeat his race one performance would be miraculous. Nonetheless he would try for sure. Away they went again into turn one. This time, Keuben hit the front and stayed there. Etienne Bax were right there too, but Brett Wilkinson and Joe Millard had an absolute flier. They stole second from Bax, but that was short-lived. It appeared the left-handed sidecar was disadvantaged in the early stages, as Wilkinson was under pressure from the word go by the Leferinks and Koen Hermans. Both these teams went by the British crew who then settled and found their rhythm.
At the front, Keuben/Rietman galloped into a commanding lead, with the Bax brothers fending off the Leferinks. This “sibling scrap” lasted all race, with Hermans/van den Bogaart joining in.
Behind, several teams were gaining ground as Tim Prummer and the Lielbardis boys were having their own race and gathering momentum.
Brett Wilkinson/Joe Millard meanwhile, were as consistent as ever, steadily holding their position. Nothing in this sport is a given, and Justin Keuben found that out the hard way when his engine expired with three laps remaining. It was cruel luck, considering he and Dion had led throughout. It was dead, and that was it. They could only watch as everyone moved up a place.
Even more dramatically, as Koen Hermans duelled with Tim and Sem Leferink, who had moved ahead of Bax two laps earlier only to be repassed,
The red plate holders broke down with what looked like chain trouble, and their race was also run. This was on the final lap, so Koen Hermans was credited with tenth place on count-back.
Even more dramatic, following the presentation announcing double victory for Etienne and Robbie Bax, a penalty for overtaking on a yellow flag was upheld, and Bax was demoted two places. This gave the overall win to the Leferinks, although they did not know it at the time of the podium.
Result
Overall Result
Standings
