2009 Sidecarcross World Championship

The 2009 FIM Sidecarcross world championship, the 30th edition of the competition, started on 29 March and finished after thirteen race weekends on 13 September 2009.

After six championships in a row for Daniël Willemsen, the 2009 edition was won by Joris Hendrickx from Belgium.

[1] Parallel to the riders competition, a manufacturers championship was also held[2] and won by Vruwink MotorCycles - VMC.

He started the season with a new passenger, having parted with the Swiss Reto Grütter, whom he won the 2007 and 2008 title with.

[4] Another former world champion to retire from the competition was Marcel Willemsen, but he did still take part in one more Grand Prix during the season.

The thirteen races of the season were held in eleven countries, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Ukraine, Netherlands, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Denmark, Poland and Germany.

Russia was on the calendar only for the second time, the previous race having been scheduled to be held in Moscow in 2004 but being cancelled because of heavy rain.

[2] The FIM stipulates that all drivers must be of a minimum age of 18 while passengers have to be at least 16 years old to compete, but no older than 50.

In the 2009 season for example, every team received Euro 500 as a travel indemnity per race weekend qualified for.

With the prize money gradually dropping off from there, the teams placed twelfth to twentieth still received €50 each.

The multiple champion Daniël Willemsen in action