Tim Reeves out the front of the Sidecars race at last year's Cemetery Circuit with stand-in passenger Robbie Shorter.
Tim Reeves out the front of the Sidecars race at last year's Cemetery Circuit with stand-in passenger Robbie Shorter.
It is now less than a week before multiple time world champion sidecar driver Tim Reeves returns to Whanganui's Cemetery Circuit for the third round of the Suzuki Series, and this time passenger Mark Wilkes will be right there with him.
Suzuki Series promoter Allan 'Flea' Willacy had confirmed initiallythat Reeves would be looking to defend his 2015 title when he raced in the full three-event series, but Reeves and Wilkes are now making the trip halfway around the world for the two Collegiate Quality Inn F1 Sidecars races in one place.
It will allow them to complete unfinished business as Reeves was unbeaten in F1 Sidecars over the three rounds of the 2015 series, however Wilkes was injured before the final round in Whanganui.
Tauranga's Robbie Shorter replaced the British competitor for Reeves' third win.
Reeves said he and Wilkes see this year's Whanganui racing as the completion of their previous campaign together.
"I'd like to thank Allan and Julie Willacy, Carl Cox, Gavin Sokolich, and all my loyal sponsors back home for making this trip possible."
Tim Reeves and Mark Wilkes want to complete unfinished business together in Whanganui on Boxing Day.
However, it won't be a Monday cruise for the British pair as they find themselves as potential spoilers in the battle for the 2016 F1 Sidecars title between Shorter's new rider in two-time Isle of Man TT sidecar winner John Holden and the Te Puke/Tauranga team of Barry Smith and Tracey Bryan.
Both those crews are deadlocked on 94 points after two rounds and will be just as eager as the British pair to stand on top of the podium.
Fellow Brit in Holden was seventh in this year's World Sidecar championship, as he and Shorter will be using his Barnes Racing LCR Honda 600 F2 'outfit'.
Smith and Bryan are on the Carl Cox Motorsport Suzuki F2 sidecar, while Reeves and Wilkes will use be riding the world title-winning Carl Cox Motorsport LCR F1 machine.
Reeves came second in this year's World Sidecar championship to fellow Briton's Ben and Tom Birchall.
He won the world title in 2005-7, 2012, and 2014-15, while also doing the double in 2014 with the World F2 sidecar Trophy.
