Michael Alexander speaks to 21-year-old Cupar sidecar racer Lewis Nicol who, along with 19-year-old passenger Rhys Gibbons, is competing in the Scottish Championship and select British Championship races for 2022.
By day, Lewis Nicol can be found working on cars at the family body shop business in Cupar.
But on the weekends, the 21-year-old former Castlehill Primary and Bell Baxter High School pupil can be found living life in the fast lane as a sidecar racer.
As a third generation racer, Lewis was barely at school when he developed his love of bikes and “learnt the basics”.
However, it’s three wheels rather than two that now drive Lewis’ racing passion.
Together with his team mate, Rhys Gibbons, they race sidecars and are looking for sponsorship to help progress their racing careers.
“Sidecar racing is one of the most visually spectacular and exciting motorsports with competitions that start at club level and progress through Scottish and British to World Championships,” says Lewis, who drives the machine while Rhys rides the sidecar.
“Having only three wheels, it is reliant on teamwork to navigate the circuit as fast as possible.
“Rhys has to move himself from side to side and hang off the bike to make it turn round the corners.
“But if we aren’t in harmony it won’t work and the bike won’t want to steer.”
Lifetime love of racing
Lewis has been around racing all his life.
He grew up watching his dad Colin and his uncle Bryan racing over the years at different levels.
When they raced sidecars his dad was the driver and his uncle Bryan was the passenger. His grandad also raced sidecars for a short stint in the 1980s.
Lewis leading the way after just 1 lap from starting 13th on the grid @KTM_UK @OfficialBSB pic.twitter.com/XeK5jI5FC3
— Lewis Nicol Racing #88 (Thistle Racing) (@thistleracing88) May 3, 2016
However, it was the shot he got of a dirt bike as a five-year-old that led to him becoming hooked on bikes himself.
“I had this wee dirt bike and me and my dad had a shot of it outside the front of the house, riding it around,” he recalls.
“We used to ride it around the fields at an old farm. That’s how I got into it. That’s how I became hooked.”
Lewis was 14 when he started racing bikes in 2015.
He laughs that he was “probably classed as a bit of a late starter”.
He started to race in Scotland on an Aprilia RS125.
He did that for two years. In his second year, he competed in a couple of British Championship “wild card” races, which saw him emerge as a front runner. By this time, he knew racing was what he wanted to do.
Then in 2017 – the same year he left school to start work as an apprentice vehicle paint technician – he moved on to Super Twins in Scotland where he competed for three seasons.
“We went all over the country really,” he says.
“We raced all over Scotland, England, Ireland and had wins all over – just picked and chose what we wanted to do. It was good.”
Why move into sidecar racing?
The Covid-19 pandemic brought disruption, not just to racing, but to Lewis’ ability to finish his apprenticeship through Perth College UHI.
While work wasn’t too bad – he was only off for about six weeks at the start of the pandemic – he ended up having to complete the rest of his studies online.
The biggest challenge was completing his portfolio which involved a huge practical element and normally involved assessors coming out to do observations.
He persevered, however, and, as well as finishing his apprenticeship in 2021, it was also the year he decided to make the switch from motor bikes to sidecar racing.
So what inspired the change?
“I’d been doing the bikes and kind of hit the point where I wasn’t too sure what to do next,” he says.
“We wanted to go to the British Championships with the bikes but it was getting the budget to go and do it.
“My dad used to do sidecars and we had the sidecar sitting there. It was a better option to go and get to that level at the time.
“So decided to make the switch last year to try and further myself.”
‘It’s my life’!
Today Lewis is a vehicle paint technician at BN Designs Bodyshop – the family business his uncle runs on Cupar’s Trading Estate.
However, he spends most evenings with his dad maintaining, checking and cleaning his sidecar, while at weekends he races with his passenger, Rhys, who is from the Wirral and is studying design at Manchester University.
Both are “third generation sidecar racers” coming from families with a wealth of experience that spans more than 40 years.
The two race an LCR chassis with an R6 engine.
Lewis explains the partnership came about after he put a post on Facebook looking for a passenger.
“I was looking for a passenger for my first race in sidecar,” he says.
“It was him who asked me if he could go on.
“We decided to give him a shot for the one weekend to see how he was. We just got on really well from the start and decided to stick with it.
“We’ve just built from there.”
With Rhys studying in Manchester, they see each other every race weekend and see each other a “few times in-between”.
Like Lewis, Rhys also comes from a family of sidecar racers. His grandad and both his uncles were British champions.
Lewis is the driver and Rhys the passenger. But having once tried being a passenger, Lewis is adamant it’s not something he’d want to try again!
“I had a shot on the back once with my dad driving but that was enough for me!” he says.
“I’d rather be in control!
“Rhys had done it a couple of times with his uncles out on the back just to have a shot and he quite enjoyed it. So it’s not something we’ll be changing!”
Wow! A year ago today myself & Rhys joined forces and what a journey it’s been! We’ve achieved so much including being Melville Club winners, 2nd in Scottish championship, SACU rookies of the year, win at the Cadwell Revival, BSB wildcard and multiple podiums along the way too! pic.twitter.com/bJLlIZh0e0
— Lewis Nicol Racing #88 (Thistle Racing) (@thistleracing88) May 7, 2022
All about trust
Lewis says that ultimately the racing relationship is all about trust.
“It’s about knowing what each other is going to do, about building up that bond,” he says.
“When we are out on the track you know when we are going to pass someone.
“When you get used to each other you know what each other is going to do. Me and him get on really well.”
Last year the newly forged team saw them win four races across the country as well as places in the top 10 at their BSB debut.
They finished second in the Scottish Championship and became the first sidecar team to win the SACU novice trophy.
This year they are taking part in the Scottish Championships. The season started in April and runs through to September. They are taking part in a couple of British Championship rounds as well.
They’ve got the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Knockill from June 17-19 and then they are going to race at Donington Park in October as well.
“This is just to really dip our feet in the water and try and get out there to the next level,” says Lewis.
Meanwhile, Lewis’ sister, who was also around the race paddock from a young age, helps out with mechanics and she does a lot of pit boarding for him during races, further ensuring it’s a real family affair.
There’s no doubt Lewis continues being enthralled by the speed, the smell and the competitive nature of the sport.
Getting up to speeds of 140mph, it’s a “weird sensation”, he says, being so close to the ground compared with standard bike racing. “It makes you feel like you are going a lot faster,” he adds.
But the reality is that everything costs money and they are still looking for financial support.
Search for financial support
They mainly race in Scotland to keep the budget down.
But when they do travel south, they spend a lot of money on fuel.
The biggest racing cost is the tyres.
Lewis explains that the last set of tyres, which tend to last one race, was £885.
They can easily go through two or three sets of tyres per weekend.
While they might only use six litres of fuel in a race, when they go to the British Championships, 25 litres of control fuel might cost them £100.
As their experience and appetite for success grows, however, they hope it will attract support from sponsors keen to benefit from their success.
Lewis adds: “We are seeking help to ensure we race against the best in the world.”
Lewis covers the main funds – including owning and maintaining the sidecar – but there are significant extras, not least of all when it comes to competing.
To be competitive at British Championship level, they require additional help.
Sponsorship will help them fund not only the controlled tyres and fuel they use but also the entry fees.”
Each race weekend costs around £2,500 – and there are 10 across the season.
To find out more or get in touch, go to https://www.facebook.com/lewisnicol88/
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