Melissa Foot and Justin Foot are a team in more ways than one. Aside from partnering up in life for well-over 25 years, they have been racing sidecars together since 2010, and will again be competing in this weekend’s 2016 Motul Pirelli Victorian Road Racing Championships in the F1 Sidecar class at Broadford’s State Motorcycle Sports Complex on April 9-10.
“After the first time I tried a sidecar I’ve never looked back. I have loved it and doing it with my wife makes it just that more pleasurable,” Justin said. “I love all the people inside the sport.
“Everyone is very friendly and helpful and everyone encourages everyone and it’s just a really good environment to be a part of,” he added.
The pair from Seaford are avid sidecar racers to say the least. Not only do they compete in the modern form of sidecar racing, but they also compete in the historic form with a Period 3 historic sidecar, and even moto-trials sidecar racing. “It’s all good fun,” Justin said.
They won the F1 Sidecar title at last year’s Victorian Interclub Road Race Series, third in the same class in the 2015 Hartwell Motorcycle Club Championships, and took out the Sidecar Racing Club of Victoria Championship also in 2015.
For Justin though, it’s not always about winning: “I don’t care much about winning as much as I care about having fun,” Justin added. “For me, it’s also not always about going fast it’s just about enjoying it and making sure the people you are out on the track with are enjoying it too,” he continued.
Justin and Melissa are looking forward to the new four round format of the VRRC this season: “We’re very happy with the format. We’ll try and compete in all the Victorian rounds this year,” he added. “Melissa and I love the Broadford track. It’s a lot of fun,” Justin added.
On making the top podium at the end of the season, Justin was bullish about their chances. “If we get there, we get there. If we have fun trying that’s more important,” he added.
Melissa likewise shares Justin’s sentiments: “The camaraderie of the sidecar family is unbelievable. Catching up with different people at different events is really enjoyable as is the racing. If we don’t win it’s not the end of the world.
“If we come last that’s OK as long as we’re having fun whilst we do it,” Melissa said.
She would love to encourage anyone who has thought about sidecar racing to give it a go: “It’s fantastic. It’s not as dangerous as it’s sometimes portrayed and it’s awesome going out there being on a bike and having a lot of trust as a passenger and having a lot of trust as a rider,” Melissa encouraged.
Melissa and Justin would like to thank the Sidecar Racing Club of Victoria and everyone who helps out behind the scenes to make the sport what it is. To find out more about sidecar racing please visit: scrcv.com.au.
The opening round of the 2016 Motul Pirelli Victorian Road Racing Championship takes place at Broadford’s State Motorcycle Sports Complex this weekend on April 9-10. For further information please visit: vrrc.com.au.