The most successful sidecar driver at Whanganui’s Cemetery Circuit might be in the twilight of his career but he is not done yet.
Adam Unsworth and passenger Bryce Rose - the Aprilia F1 team - claimed the Suzuki Series F1 title for the third time in a row after two wins in Whanganui on Boxing Day.
Unsworth, born and raised in the River City, now has 16 victories on his hometown track.
“To put that in perspective, Robert Holden [solo], who is no longer with us, had 47 wins and Tony Rees (solo) has 26 wins,” he said.
“There are some big names on the list. I’m happy to be up there somewhere.”
Holden was killed in an accident racing at the Isle of Man in 1996.
The feature race at Cemetery Circuit is named in his honour - the Robert Holden Memorial.
Suzuki Series rounds take place at Taupō, Manfeild and Whanganui.
Unsworth and Rose won all but two races during the season, finishing second in two at Manfeild.
Because of costs, Aprilia F1 will not be competing at the New Zealand Superbike Championship, due to start next month.
They won that championship in 2023.
“Rear tyres are upwards of $760 now and when you’ve got a couple hundred horsepower it smokes them out pretty fast,” Unsworth said.
“It’s been a challenging few years but we are just really enjoying our racing.
“We’ve punched above our weight and taken on the big teams.”
They race on a modified Swiss LCR sidecar chassis with an Aprilia V4 engine, the only one of its kind.
The pair recorded a lap record at Taupō during the 2024 Suzuki series.
“We went at least half a second faster during qualification but to get the record, you have to do it during a race,” Unsworth said.
“Lots of things come into it - the time of day, conditions, track temperature.”
Rose said he had been racing since he was 19, always as a passenger.
“I actually started in speedway sidecars with my brother and only gave that up last year,” he said.
“It’s just the ultimate team, with the ultimate trust. It’s the best friendship you can have.”
He said once passengers got to a certain level, dieting and fitness were essential.
Physically, the role was “very, very demanding”.
“You have to keep the weight down - the lighter you are, the faster you are,” Rose said.
“When you’re doing 230km/h and then you’re hard on the breaks, you’ve also got to have a bit of strength to hang on.”
Unsworth and Rose are backed by a support crew of Richard Cameron, Vince Steur, Wayne Dawson, Carl Costin, Alan Doran and Jason White
The crew was just as committed as the riders, Unsworth said.
“They are doing it all for love and only get a few free beers out of it.
“It’s not like we shout them steak meals at the Ritz or anything like that. It’s burgers and patties at the track.”
Unsworth said he promised his wife he would retire when he hit 60.
He first raced at the Cemetery Circuit in his early 20s.
“I’ll be 57 next month so that means I’ve three years left.
“If you can keep well and keep your fitness up, why would you stop?”
Rose said he would race alongside Unsworth until the driver exited the sport.
“Who knows what’s for me after that, I may hang up the helmet as well.
“I would have done 20 years of it by then.”
