When it comes to driving motorcycles there are few that can match the skills of Jesse, so it would stand to reason that Sidecar racing would be a breeze. Well, that might be the case if there were only two wheels and one driver, but this kind of motorcycle racing ain’t very normal.

Sidecar racing is a combination of a motorcar racing and motorcycle racing with an element of team work that has to be precise, otherwise a crash will occur.

You know Jesse takes everything in stride. He has that confident attitude and that will to push the limit, but this time his number may be up, as he has to draw on skills he has not used. Ever. He is the master of the motorcycle, but Sidecar racing is a two-man game. He will have to draw on car driving skills, motorcycle skills, lightning quick reflexes, and match it up with his partner if expects to stay in the Sidecar. Crashes are frequent and due to the open cockpit, a road burn would be considered a gift by comparison to the danger they face.

The first Sidecar appeared around 1929 and became popular by the German army in World War II. Although the first formal racing began in 1949, it is likely that men were pairing up long before that to push the limits of speed. To date, the fastest Sidecar has run 187mph and designs, engines, and racing continues to evolve. Some 80 years after the first Sidecar was built, enter Jesse James and his quest to conquer the two-man three-wheeler. He will have to take a quick lesson to learn the ropes so that he can successfully pilot himself and teammate around a track against some of the best drivers in North America.

To ready Jesse for the race, he will take on two tasks to hone his skills. These aren’t ordinary tests; these are designed to help him drive like a Sidecar racer. He will learn the art of drifting a car as his three-wheeler will have to do that when burning around a turn in the race. He will also learn how to work with and use a second “driver” to avoid a crash, so to test that, he will attempt to drive a fire engine tiller truck!

 While drifting itself is a sport, the technique is used to help improve speed and maneuverability. When done wrong, drifting will cause you to have an impressive skid, but that is it. And that won’t cut it when racing. Jesse thinks it is a piece of cake, but can he master the art of drifting in time for his big race? Losing control of your vehicle while Sidecar Racing spells disaster, but worse, for Jesse, even if he does survive, it means failure.

On the other side, since Jesse is not racing alone, he needs to learn teamwork. The second man on the Sidecar is called the monkey because he bounces back and forth across the back of the bike to help with weight distribution in order to keep speed and control. His quick ability prevents the motorcycle from flipping and rolling. The monkey will get within inches of the ground while moving at speeds near 100mph. One wrong move by driver or monkey, and it is lights out. Crashes are frequent, many will break bones and cause serious injury, and some will cause death. To help him learn to drive, we give him a very large task. He has to drive a fire engine. Not your momma’s fire truck, but one with a second driver in the back. The truck, known as a Tiller Truck, or Hook and Ladder Truck, is big, and tough to control. It has an extendable ladder which was first introduced in the 1930s to reach the top of the new buildings that were first being built. The Tiller version of the fire truck came many years later as buildings became taller and streets narrower. It requires two drivers as it was designed to maneuver through those tight streets. But that same reason it was designed is its downfall. Without a competent team driving this massive truck, it is more likely to take out buildings and people then to save them. Similar to Sidecar Racing? Not exactly. Even the massive size difference cannot make up for the speed differential Jesse and his teammate will reach. But nonetheless, this is good task to see how Jesse works in tandem, which will be the key, if he expects to keep him and his teammate from crashing.

Sidecar Racing is not only one of the more difficult forms of motorcycle racing, it is arguably one of the most dangerous.  Reaching speeds in excess of 120mph and requiring precision teamwork and a mix of driving skills, makes this challenge as tough, if not tougher, then anything Jesse has tried so far. He will have to focus, listen, learn, and apply skills, if he is to survive this challenge and live to die another day.

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