LRT Sidecar Racing

19/05/2026

We’re almost on our way to the famous Nürburgring! Look at the line-up. It’s simply amazing. 🇩🇪🏁🔥🥳 Northern Sidecar Cup | Rayfilm | Arai Helmet Europe | Sidecarshop

🔥🏁 THE NORTHERN SIDECAR CUP IS HEADING TO THE NÜRBURGRING! 🏁🔥

Counting down to Round 3 of the 2026 Northern Sidecar Cup, ready to burst into action at the legendary Nürburgring in Germany! 🇩🇪🔥

A spectacular field of 27 sidecar teams will battle it out on one of Europe’s most iconic circuits during a full weekend packed with speed, adrenaline and unforgettable racing action!

📅 PROGRAMME
🔹 Friday May 22 – Free Practice
🔹 Saturday May 23 – Qualification 1 & Qualification 2
🔹 Sunday May 24 – Race 1 & Race 2

After two incredible opening rounds, the championship fight is already heating up! 💥

Round 1 at Croix-en-Ternois delivered close battles from start to finish, daring overtakes, and thrilling podium fights that immediately showed how competitive this season will be.

Round 2 in Hengelo raised the intensity even higher with a packed grid, dramatic race moments and several teams proving they are serious title contenders for 2026. Fans witnessed spectacular wheel-to-wheel action and fearless racing that kept everyone on the edge of their seats! ⚡🔥

Now all eyes turn to the Nürburgring… a track where bravery, precision and teamwork between driver and passenger make the difference between victory and defeat.
With the championship standings tighter than ever after two rounds, every point will count this weekend! 🏆

Expect:
✅ Full grid
✅ Pure sidecar racing
✅ Elbow-to-elbow, wheel-to-wheel
✅ Teams from all over Europe
✅ Good atmosphere on and off track

This is sidecar racing at its absolute best — loud, fast, aggressive and spectacular! 💪🔥

📍 Nürburgring, Germany
🎟 Don’t miss the action trackside or follow the Northern Sidecar Cup online for updates, photos, videos and results all weekend long!

16/05/2026

🏁 What a Week! Two Countries, Two Championships, and Total Adrenaline 🏁

We’ve wrapped up an incredible (and exhausting!) racing marathon. From the road courses of the Netherlands to the technical turns of Croatia, it’s been a wild ride. Here’s the breakdown:
🇳🇱 Stop 1: Northern SideCar Cup - Hengelo

We kicked things off at the second round of the Northern SideCar Cup to defend our championship lead.

The Challenge: Getting back into the "road course" mindset during two very short practice sessions.

Race 1: We had a fantastic battle! We crossed the line as the 3rd F600 team, finishing right behind two World Champions. This result significantly strengthened our lead in the standings! 🏆

Race 2: Declared a wet race. With a massive trip to Croatia ahead, we chose to play it safe. The race was eventually red-flagged with no points awarded.

Shoutout: Huge thanks to Mark de Vink and the organization Hamove Hengelose auto en motorvereniging for a top-tier event!

🇭🇷 Stop 2: FIM World Championship - Grobnik, Croatia

Straight from the podium to the highway! Things got tense when our truck broke down, delaying us by a day, but we made it just in time for the private sessions.

Track Life: Grobnik is fast and technical. Those private sessions were vital for learning the lines.

The Rubber: A massive thank you to Hoosier and Albert for letting us test a new rear tire. The feedback was so good we've decided to use this tire for the races too!

The Sprint: A solid start led to some intense battles. We finished in 18th place—just outside the points, but we were right in the mix and the sidecar felt great. A little shifter problem but we hoped to fix this before the next day

The Main Race (Sunday): This was a tough one! Unfortunately, our shifter problem wasn't completely resolved, which made the race feel very long and required some seriously hard work behind the handlebars. However, we refused to give up, managed to hang in there, and finished in the points! 🏁🔥

It’s been a week of learning, grit, and great teamwork. Thank you to everyone who offered advice and support along the way. We’re exhausted, but proud of what we achieved! 🤘
Thanks to Hendrik Jan Lotterman en Sofrik Studio for the beautiful photography.

Rayfilm | Arai Helmet Europe | Sidecarshop | Northern Sidecar Cup | FIM Sidecar World Championship | Hamove Hengelose auto en motorvereniging | Automotodrom Grobnik

13/05/2026

Wanna see a great passenger at work on a great circuit? Start of race 2 of the FIM Sidecar World Championship @ Automotodrom Grobnik 2026! All super fast teams around us! 😅 Rayfilm | Sidecarshop | Content Junkies | Arai Helmet Europe

22/04/2026

🏁 FROM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GRIT TO A DOUBLE VICTORY! 🏆

What a bizarre, intense, and absolutely fantastic racing weekend! We went from the massive grandstands at Le Mans to the top step of the podium in Croix-en-Ternois.

🇫🇷 FIM Sidecar World Championship - Le Mans

Together with Océane in the chair, we lined up for the World Championship during the legendary 24 Heures du Mans. With the largest starting grid in three decades, the competition was fierce, but we improved in every single session:

Qualification: Pushed the new Hoosiers to a 1:54.294 (22nd place).

Race 1: A thrilling sprint! After a chaotic start in the Dunlop chicane, we fought our way to 16th place. Just outside the points, but exactly where we want to be at this stage of the season!

Race 2: In front of packed grandstands, we had a flyer of a start! Even with a red flag and a stressful restart—where we had to make an emergency stop to avoid a stalled sidecar and rejoin in dead last—we fought back to P17.

PB Alert: Most importantly, we found our flow! In Race 2, we clocked a 1:52.7, smashing our personal lap record on this circuit! ⏱️🔥

Chapeau to Océane! After a year of rehabilitation, she proved she is "out of this world." What a performance! 💪 And thanks to Félix Moussault and everbody who helped us out again!

🇫🇷 Northern Sidecar Cup - Croix-en-Ternois

No time to celebrate: pack up and go! While Océane took her well-deserved rest, Ray and Calvin were back at it on Sunday. Thanks to Mark de Vink and the patience of the other teams, we made it just in time.

Qualification: Our very first POLE POSITION on a drying track! Happy sunday morning!

Race 1: After a cautious start (and a little "fender-kiss" with Hilbert and Felix 😉), we overtook the 1000cc machine in front of us and cruised to victory!

Race 2: We learned our lesson—the door stayed shut in Turn 1! We set a consistent pace and could leave the rest of the field behind.

Result: The DOUBLE WIN is in the pocket! 🏆🏆
❤️ Thank You!

This weekend would have been impossible without the help of many:

Talens Racing: Thank you for the warm welcome and shelter when we arrived without setting up a tent! You're wonderfull.

Mark de Vink: For the incredible effort and having us around!

Our supporters and fans for your endless support. We love you.

Now, it’s time to get the sidecar back in the workshop and prep for the next rounds. We’ll keep you posted!

Arai Helmet Europe | FIM Sidecar World Championship |Northern Sidecar Cup | Sidecarshop | Rayfilm

Photo: Fabrice Guyon Motorsport, Marcel Schraal, Didier Loncou, Theo en Annemarie Motorsport Photography 🙏

12/04/2026

We will be leaving LeMans asap after the FIM Sidecar World Championship race. Because we’ve got an appointment at the Northern Sidecar Cup Sunday!! Are you ready, kids?
Aye aye, captain!! 😎

06/04/2026

Debut in the French Superbike Championship: From Rodeo Bull to P7!

Last weekend, we made our debut in the French Superbike Championship (FSBK). This prestigious series is used by many World Championship teams as a dress rehearsal, as both championships kick off at the iconic Le Mans circuit. It was extra exciting for us, as Océane was making her comeback at a competitive racing level!
We knew from last year that there was a fundamental problem with the handling, and after our test in Val de Vienne, we thought we had finally found a workable solution. However, once we hit the track at Le Mans, it became clear that nothing could have been further from the truth. The sidecar was incredibly unsettled and felt completely wrong for both of us.
More than a 19th place in the first qualifying session wasn't in the cards. That wasn't what we had hoped for, and honestly, we began to doubt whether we could even participate in the World Championship this way. We were still struggling with the same issues we'd felt before, but we simply lacked the technical expertise to pinpoint the exact cause.
Fortunately, Harry Payne and Kevin Rousseau use the same brand of shocks. When they heard we were in trouble, Harry immediately offered to take a look. It quickly became clear that the shocks were indeed set up completely wrong; we were essentially riding with zero damping. It turns out we’ve been racing like this since we started with our beloved LCR, but due to all the other problems last season, the root cause had never surfaced.
But it didn’t stop there. Upon a thorough inspection and measurement of our sidecar, it turned out that several other fundamental settings were completely off. We were absolutely flabbergasted; so many things we experienced over the past year suddenly made sense. Team Steinhausen was so supportive that they immediately gave the sidecar a proper base setup. And what a difference! We could finally "just" drive without the sidecar feeling like a bucking rodeo bull.

The Races
We started Race 1 from P19 with renewed confidence. The start was decent, despite a small missed shift and the sheer chaos of the back of the pack. The sidecar felt great and the engine was running like a dream, allowing us to fight our way through the field. After some great battles, we finished in P10! We are thrilled with this result and incredibly proud of Océane. To come back from such a grueling injury and deliver a result like this in such a competitive field is simply fantastic. After the race, Harry and his team stopped by again to fine-tune the final settings.
Sunday morning at 8:00 AM (!) we had to qualify for the second race. It was barely light and freezing cold. We didn’t quite manage a perfect lap and decided to save our energy for the race: P15.
By the time the second race started, the sun was out and the grandstands were packed. The start was a bit easier since we were slightly further up the grid. The sidecar felt even better than before, allowing us to maintain a strong pace and move forward again. It was a joy to race without the machine doing unpredictable things. We were over the moon to finish in a beautiful 7th place, gapping our direct competitors by 1.5 seconds.

Confidence for the World Championship
It was a wonderful conclusion to an emotional weekend. We’ve regained the confidence we need to start the first round of the World Championship during the 24H of Le Mans in two weeks!

Special Thanks
We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped us. Specifically Félix Moussault and Amadine, who stood by us tirelessly all weekend. Tim Reeves Paul Kirby and Bas Emmens who acted as our "supermarket" and technical oracle once again. Philippe LeBail for balancing our rain wheels, and Team Laidlow for sharing the pit box.

But most of all, we want to thank Harry Payne and Team #45 - Steinhausen Racing. When Harry realized we were at our wits' end, he took immediate action. He and his team spent a tremendous amount of time completely resetting our sidecar, even though they had plenty of their own work to do. Without their time, knowledge, and shared information, we could never have achieved these results. FSBK Le Mans was a success for us. On to the first round of the FIM Sidecar World Championship!

📷 Rémi LANDAIS

Rayfilm | Content Junkies | Sidecarshop | Arai Helmet Europe

30/03/2026

Testing Update: Challenges, Changes, and Consistency at Val de Vienne.

Last week’s test at Val de Vienne was a true test of the team's patience and hard work. It wasn't all smooth sailing—we faced a few hurdles with our initial setup, some technical glitches with the quickshifter, and we had to work hard to find the right feel with the brake balance and the shock configuration. Océane was back in the sidecar after an extensive recovery period.

However, the breakthrough came on Thursday afternoon! 📈

We found the pace we were looking for and carried that momentum right through Friday. The bike is feeling dialed in, and we are working more in sync. We can’t wait for the real work to begin.

Next stop: Le Mans for the first round of the FSBK championship next weekend! 🇫🇷✨

Huge thanks to Tim Reeves, Team Christie Racing, Team Streuer and Frank Remmé for their ongoing support. And Pierre Hfotos for the wonderfull pictures!

And the Eckarts Trainingslager-crew for a fantastic week and making this possible for all of us.

Rayfilm | FIM Sidecar World Championship | Northern Sidecar Cup | Content Junkies | Arai Helmet Europe | Sidecarshop

21/03/2026

#56: FULL ATTACK FOR 2026! 🏁
The calendar is set. And new colors! We are beyond excited to announce that LRT Sidecar Racing is stepping up to the world stage again this year. We will be competing in the entire FIM Sidecar World Championship AND the Northern Sidecar Cup (NSC)! 🌍🏆
The Team
We have a strategic new lineup in the "chair":
* 🇫🇷 Océane Bataille returns for the full FIM World Championship campaign after a very lengthy recovery.
* 🇳🇱 Calvin Leijdekkers takes on the Northern Sidecar Cup.
🗓️ OUR 2026 RACE CALENDAR
It all starts next week! We are heading to France for intensive testing to dial in our LCR-Yamaha before the first green flag drops.
March 23-27 | 🇫🇷 Val de Vienne | Pre-Season Test (Eckarts-Trainingslager) |
April 3-5 | 🇫🇷 Le Mans | FSBK (French Superbike) |
April 17-18 | 🇫🇷 Le Mans | FIM World Championship (24H Motos) |
April 19 | 🇫🇷 Croix-en-Ternois | Northern Sidecar Cup |
May 2-3 | 🇳🇱 Hengelo | Northern Sidecar Cup |
May 9-10 | 🇭🇷 Rijeka | FIM World Championship |
May 23-24 | 🇩🇪 Nürburgring | Northern Sidecar Cup |
June 20-21 | 🇫🇷 Pau-Arnos | FIM World Championship |
July 4-5 | 🇬🇧 Brands Hatch | Northern Sidecar Cup |
July 25-26 | 🇧🇪 Chimay | Northern Sidecar Cup |
August 8-9 | 🇮🇹 Cremona | FIM World Championship |
Sept 19-20 | 🇳🇱 Assen | FIM World Championship |
Oct 3-4 | 🇩🇪 Oschersleben | FIM World Championship |
We have a massive year ahead of us, and we couldn't do it without our amazing partners and fans. Stay tuned for behind-the-scenes updates from Val de Vienne next week! 🛠️🔥
Are you ready for some three-wheeled action? Let us know which race you'll be attending! 👇
Sidecar Cup Sidecar World Championship Helmet Europe

29/01/2026

We would like to congratulate Team Christie Racing. The 2025 FIM World Sidecar Champions. Well done!!

18/10/2025

So the season is done. Last meeting in Oschersleben we had quite a task at hand. Both the Northern Sidecar Cup and the FIM Sidecar World Championship was on our list, so lots of tracktime.
Friday was a complete day of free practices. We threw an old set of tires on and the feeling with the sidecar and between us two was immediately good and we set some decent times. In the Northern we were fast enough to be third with only team Streuer and team Reeves to lap faster than us, so we were looking forward to Saturday for qualifing!
As the forecasts turned out to be correct, it was raining all day. So we had to learn the Hoosier rain tires for the very first time.
It was hard to get the right feeling, the difference with the avons we used up until now is very big and the track was very wet and slippery. As the session progressed in the morning we got faster and faster, step by step. Not to bad, until our luck changed a little, unfortunately. We had a big slide in turn 2 during Q1 of the World Championship and the sidecar flipped upside down. Luckily we were both unhurt, and our beloved LCR undamaged. Only the enigne kept running for a short period of time while upside down. So after being towed back to our pitbox we had to change engines to make sure no extra damage wil occur. Tim Reeves offered us his second engine (amazing, thanks!) Big thing to swap engines because it’s not something we are very experienced with. We found a guardian angel in Perillat Simon who offered his help to make us be able to make it to the grid. So much thanks to him! And to Claude Vinet for the oil filter! After lots of hard work by Simon, Océane, Bas and a lot of people who spontaneously volunteered to get everything done, we made it to the grid for the World sprint race!
The sidecar was running ok, but ok was all it was. It wouldn’t shift correctly, the clutch was very difficult to handle and the electronics not working well. So we are glad to say we struggled big time but we finished the race and scored some valuable points.
We tried to get everything sorted in the evening but during the warm-up on Sunday the sidecar was still not very happy as far as the electronics were concerned. Still problems shifting, the clutch and the electronics.
We decided to get on grid anyway for the northern, a race we had to start from the very last place at the back of the grid. Green light and we just blasted forward, problems or not, just give it all you got. We overtook a lot of other teams during the 15 min race and fought our way to the front of the grid. Finally ending up in P3 and making the podium! Very grateful to everyone making this possible.
But after the celebrations we still had two races to go. Especially the World race of 21 (!) laps. We got out of our pitbox, hoping for the best. But we knew it was going to be a very hard race with our sidecar in this condition. We decided to hold a steady pace, making no trouble or mechanical problems and finish the race if possible. In the end, we made it! Hardest race we have very done. Hard on the body because of a sidecar that is not working properly and hard on the mind, not being able to fight for positions. But another bundle of points scored, so mission accomplished. To finish of the season properly we had one more race in the Northern to go. Unfortunately, the sidecar thought it was enough already and stalled completely at the start. No second podium for us, a podium we were aiming for but it turned out to be a DNF.
Thanks to Tim Reeves for all the support, Perillat Simon for stepping in when we needed it the most! And to Océane, our wonderful passenger who is still giving it all she’s got for the team!

So we have learned a lot this season with big lows and a few highs. We finished third in the NSC and 18th in the FIM Sidecar World Championship. But we enjoyed it all and we are coming back stronger next year. We plan to be in the complete World Championship and the Northern as well!

We would like to thank Mark de Vink and Content Junkies for making it all happen, Team van Soest en Talens Racing for their help, knowledge and support. Aly for her lovely (and sometimes painfull) treatments. Arai Helmet Europe for keeping us safe!
And Sidecarshop for providing us with the best materials around.
And of course everyone who has been rooting for us, in the paddock and in the stands... we love you!