Isle of Man TT: Birchalls charge to victory with new sidecar lap record

Ben and Tom Birchall have now won 14 Sidecar TT races

Ben and Tom Birchall charged to victory in the second Isle of Man Sidecar TT race by smashing their own lap record for a second time in five days.

The brothers led from start to finish, setting a new record speed of 120.645mph on lap two.

It takes the Mansfield pairing's tally of wins on the 37.73-mile course to 14.

Peter Founds and Jevan Walmsley took their second podium of the week nine seconds back, with Manxmen Ryan and Callum Crowe in third.

The victory was the Birchall brothers' 11th consecutive victory in the three-wheeled class on the Mountain Course.

"What a great day, what a fantastic TT, thanks to everyone for coming, for being part of it and for helping us do this," Ben said afterwards.

"I'm so happy, the crowd out there's amazing."

He said in some way it was "more difficult" than Saturday's race because they knew Founds and Walmsley were "on a charge".

Driver Ben added: "Conditions were a little bit better, track seemed a little bit grippier, and the banks were just lined with people.

"And I've said it before but I mean, it just spurs you on. Fans make it here... it just gives you a bit of a lift and gives you something."

The Birchall brothers have now won 11 consecutive TT races

Ben, 46, and passenger Tom, 36, set the pace on the opening lap of the time trial event, building up a lead of 4.5 seconds on Founds and Walmsley in their Birchall Racing Honda.

The Crowe slotted into a comfortable third place a further 15 seconds back, with the John Holden and Maxime Vasseur combination 26 seconds behind them.

Lap two saw the Birchalls break the speed record they set in Saturday's first sidecar race, completing the course in 18 minutes and 45.85 seconds.

Founds and Walmsley also set their own fastest lap on the circuit with a speed of 119.887mph, while the Crowes remained in third.

The Birchalls continued to push on the final lap, finishing the race in 56 minutes, 41.815 seconds with a nine-second lead over their rivals - 11.9 seconds faster than the lap record they set in Saturday's opening sidecar race.

As a consolation, second-placed Founds and Walmsley also recorded their first ever 120mph lap of the 37.73-mile Mountain Course.

The Crowe brothers took third place on the podium coming in a further 47 seconds back, with the top three pairings all racing on Honda machinery.

Peter Founds and Jevan Walmsley in action

Tim Reaves and Mark Wilkes finished in fourth place more than 90 seconds behind, with the pairings of Steve and Matthew Ramsden, Gary Bryan and Philip Hyde, John Holden and Maxime Vasseur, and Greg Lambert and Andrew Haynes making up the top eight.

But the race saw more disappointment for 17-times TT winner Dave Molyneux when he and passenger Dan Sayle retired at Sulby on lap two.

The three-wheeled machines will next be out on the Mountain Course for a parade lap on Saturday to mark the centenary of sidecars in the TT races.