BY the time most of us reach the age of 57, we will probably be spending much of our weekends sitting in an armchair in front of the television.

Dave Aungier is that age and he also spends his time sitting at weekends not in front of the box but aboard a vintage motorcycle taking part in sidecar racing.

But don't be fooled into thinking this is a barmy old racing-bike enthusiast merely jaunting around one track or another just for fun. This is the fiercely-competitive world of vintage sidecar racing when around two-dozen teams take to the circuits of the biggest and most well-known tracks in the country.

Dave, who lives in West Wickham, is making a big bid to win this season's Vintage Champion-ship and is currently in second place behind Pete Harpen after three of the eight-round series, but ahead of reigning champion Nick Weston.

Dave said: “The term vintage racing probably conjures up the wrong image to those who don't follow it.

“They may think it is old bikes coasting around a track. But, in fact, we race flat out and reach speeds of 120mph with races at the biggest tracks in the country, like Snetterton, Lydden Hill and Mallory Park.

“Just ask any racing sidecar passenger and he will tell you how nerve-wracking it is when we take a corner doing 100mph with him hanging out the side!”

Dave first became involved in sidecar racing back in the early Sixties on grass tracks when he was part-sponsored by oil-manufacturer Duckhams and when prize-money was sufficient to cover running costs.

In 1969, he won the South-East England Championship and went on to win countless races before, in 1976, he decided to ride solo for the next eight years until he quit the racing saddle.

Then, two years ago, Dave was offered the chance to ride a “period” road-racing sidecar in vintage events from a rider who had been forced to quit because of injuries. It was a chance too good for Dave to miss.

He said: “Len Diggins, who owned the bike, was involved in two serious crashes in consecutive seasons. Both times he was leading the championship standings, but after the second accident, doctors advised him to stop riding.

“He said the bike was there to be ridden, so I jumped at the chance. I suppose, looking back, road-racing was always something I wanted to become involved with but was happy at the time to continue on grass.”

Last year Dave, who is a self-employed kitchen and bedroom fitter, entered the Vintage Champ-ionship for the first time and competed in four rounds.

The racing regulations of things like wheel

diameter, maximum tyre-width and fork geometry creates machines which are fun to ride . and watch.

“Wherever we race, fans are thrilled by spectacle of vintage sidecar racing. Of course, it is also thrilling to compete and, so far, I have avoided

serious accidents and injuries,” added Dave.

“Considering I was not able to compete in the other four rounds, I was very pleased to finish in seventh place in the championship.

“It was also great fun to line-up on the grid with guest entries, including other classic bikes and Formula One and Two machines.

“The starter lets the newer and classic bikes go off first, but often we would catch up and pass them. Seeing the red-faces of their teams was quite something, especially as they would refer to our racing machines as being 'sit up and beg' or 'bone-shakers'.

“However, I have to say that my passengers found it pretty hair-raising as I adapted to the faster and tougher road-tracks, and I had five

different ones in just seven races before Mark Jay came on board with me towards the end of last season.

“But it was by chance that he and I teamed up.

“I had gone to a meeting and, perhaps not surpisingly given what had happened before,

I found myself without a passenger. So I put out an appeal over the tannoy.

“Mark, who had twice been TZR 250cc champ-ion when riding solo, was planning on switching to sidecars and he responded to my call, and we have got on very well.”

The dynamic duo also compete in club and open meetings, but running costs are always an ongoing problem.

Dave added: “We may be forced to miss the next round of the Vintage series at Anglesey, in Wales, near the end of June.

“Entry fees, transportation and the methanol fuel we use, which guzzles up gallons at five pounds-a-time, maintenance and spare parts, put a big hole in your pocket if you are not financially backed in any way.

“The trip to Anglesey would be very costly and we might have to give it a miss, especially as our present 750cc engine is nearing the end of its life and we are now building a new 920cc one to

replace it.

“Our title hopes will suffer, but we only have so much cash, although we will race at a non-championship meeting at Mallory Park this weekend.

“Take tyres for example. Earlier this season at Mallory Park, we wore out a front tyre during practice and two races.

“But I would like to thank Dave Angiolini, the proprietor of Discount Body Repairs in Bromley, who has made his workshop and storage facilities available to us.

“Meanwhile, I would be delighted to hear from anybody, professional or otherwise, who might like to sponsor us, or who could help towards supplying of tyres, Norton engine parts, gearboxes, etc.

“In return, we would offer advertising space on our machine and leathers, as well as any publicity our involvement might generate in trade magazines and at the tracks on racedays.”

If you would like to sponsor Dave Aungier, call him on 020 8777 5858.