Fourteen-times Isle of Man sidecar TT winners Ben and Tom Birchall are the latest and much-deserved winners of the Royal Automobile Club’s Segrave Trophy, awarded for ‘outstanding skill, courage and initiative’.
“We are delighted to recognise the remarkable achievements of Ben and Tom,” says Club Chairman Duncan Wiltshire. “Racing at the Isle of Man TT is always a perilous adventure, the Birchall brothers’ efforts perfectly mirror the adventurous spirit of Sir Henry Segrave, after whom the trophy is named. They pushed both themselves and their machines to the limit in pursuit of speed.”
There are few motor sports quite like racing sidecars around the 37.73-mile mountain course – driver and passenger threading the eye of the needle between hedgerows and farmhouses – no room for error, just like the pioneers of motor racing a century and more ago.
The first races on the Isle of Man were organised by the Automobile Club of Great Britain, which later became the Royal Automobile Club, as the Gordon Bennett Eliminating Trials in 1904 and 1905. Later in 1905, the Club organised the first Isle of Man Tourist Trophy for racing automobiles, and the first Isle of Man TT for motorcycles was held in 1907. The latter was organised by the Auto-Cycle Club, later the Auto-Cycle Union, a branch of the then-Automobile Club of Great Britain.
Ben (47) and Tom (37) started racing together twenty years ago, with Ben working the handlebars and Tom working as passenger. A sidecar passenger is much more than the name suggests, as they have to position themselves through corners to stabilise the three-wheeled machine. Being moveable ballast at speeds of up to 170mph is not a job for the fainthearted!
The brothers took their first TT victory in 2013 and have since won thirteen, going unbeaten between 2015 and 2023. They have also won four sidecar world championships.
“Sidecar racing, especially around the Isle of Man, is also the epitome of teamwork,” adds Duncan Wiltshire. “Watching Ben and Tom around the TT course you see how they work together to extract the most out of their machine. It’s a spectacular show and I salute their skill and bravery.”
The Segrave Trophy has previously been won by some of Britain’s greatest motorcycles racers, from fellow sidecar racer Steve Webster and TT legend Joey Dunlop to Barry Sheene, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees and Geoff Duke.
Ben can hardly believe he now ranks alongside those greats. “To be put anywhere near those names – I’m so thrilled we’ve been chosen, it means so much,” he says.
“It’s absolutely mind-bending,” adds Tom. “Motorsport and the TT are such wonderful environments and to get an accolade like this is just bizarre.”
During the 2023 TT the Birchalls became the first sidecar pairing to lap the TT course at over 120mph, an incredible speed for a vehicle powered by a 600cc engine and carrying two people.
Following that landmark success younger brother Tom decided to retire from the sport, happy with his record and feeling that he had rolled the dice enough.
“I was always dead honest with myself,” says Tom. “Every year I’d ask myself, are you ready to commit to this? And I’d always said, yes. But after last year’s TT I asked myself and I couldn’t say it.”
Achieving the first 120mph sidecar lap was the perfect time to make the decision.
“The final two laps of that race were the most sublime, surreal experience I’ve ever had – doing that speed, getting cheered on in the sunshine,” adds Tom. “We pulled into the winner’s enclosure and I just thought, this is it, this is as good as it’ll ever get and it just felt like the right time. I’ve got good memories and I’m glad it happened, not sad that it’s stopped.”
At this year’s TT Tom was replaced by Frenchman Kevin Rousseau who helped Ben to a second-place finish in the second sidecar TT, when rider and passenger were still gelling with each other and their LCR Honda outfit.
About the Segrave Trophy
The Segrave Trophy is named after British pilot and pre-war racing driver Sir Henry Segrave – a man who pushed himself and his machines to the limit in the pursuit of ultimate speed. He was the first man to hold both land and water speed records, although the latter cost him his life in 1930. With such drive and determination in mind, the Trophy is awarded for ‘outstanding skill, courage and initiative on land, water and in the air – the Spirit of Adventure’.
The first recipient of the Segrave Trophy was Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, for his transatlantic and England to Australia flights in 1930. Previous holders of the trophy have included Amy Johnson CBE (1932), Sir Malcolm Campbell (1933 and 1939), Bruce McLaren (1969), Sir Jackie Stewart (1973 and 1999) and Sir Frank Williams (1992). The Trophy is awarded only if the Segrave Nominations Committee feels there is a suitable recipient that meets its criteria each year.
At this year’s TT Tom was replaced by Frenchman Kevin Rousseau who helped Ben to a second-place finish in the second sidecar TT, when rider and passenger were still gelling with each other and their LCR Honda outfit.
About the Segrave Trophy
The Segrave Trophy is named after British pilot and pre-war racing driver Sir Henry Segrave – a man who pushed himself and his machines to the limit in the pursuit of ultimate speed. He was the first man to hold both land and water speed records, although the latter cost him his life in 1930. With such drive and determination in mind, the Trophy is awarded for ‘outstanding skill, courage and initiative on land, water and in the air – the Spirit of Adventure’.
The first recipient of the Segrave Trophy was Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, for his transatlantic and England to Australia flights in 1930. Previous holders of the trophy have included Amy Johnson CBE (1932), Sir Malcolm Campbell (1933 and 1939), Bruce McLaren (1969), Sir Jackie Stewart (1973 and 1999) and Sir Frank Williams (1992). The Trophy is awarded only if the Segrave Nominations Committee feels there is a suitable recipient that meets its criteria each year.
The Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897 and its distinguished history mirrors that of motoring itself. In 1907 the Club was awarded its Royal title by King Edward VII, sealing its status as Britain’s oldest and most influential motoring organisation.
The Club’s early years were focused on promoting the motor car and its place in society, which developed into motoring events such as the 1000 Mile Trial, first held in 1900. In 1905, the Club held the first Tourist Trophy, which remains the oldest continuously competed-for motorsport event. The Club promoted the first pre-war and post-war Grands Prix at Brooklands in 1926 and Silverstone in 1948 respectively, while continuing to campaign for the rights of the motorist, including introducing the first driving licences.
Today, the Club continues to develop and support automobilism through representation on the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and RAC Foundation while promoting its own motoring events including London Motor Week each October, which culminates in the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
The Royal Automobile Club awards a series of historic trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements. These include the Segrave Trophy, the Tourist Trophy, the Dewar Trophy, the Simms Medal, the Torrens Trophy and the Diamond Jubilee Trophy.
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