| After the disappointing
end to the Oulton Round I was determined to
make up for lost ground at this meeting.
New pistons, rings, small end bearings etc were fitted during the run up to Mallory so the engine would be as sweet as we could make it. Power valves were stripped, lovingly cleaned, fitted and much attention spent on setting them correctly. We also obtained some replacement fibreglass from Scot Fibres (based in Scotland funny enough) Tel: 01324 610300 as Mallory has a infamous hairpin which can catch you out and we did not wish to be out of the running due to lack of spares. The bodywork was sprayed and sponsors stickers applied so it would be a simple bolt-on excercise, rather than a rush around the support trucks for numbers etc. We are now running low on funds and to get to the end of this year will be a struggle, especially as I have just purchased enough spares to last till the end of the year all it need now is a crash and we may be looking down the back of the sofa for extra penny's. We made it to Mallory at around 8.30pm on Thursday and were shocked to see the Paddock packed almost to capacity (apparently they were letting people in from 1.00pm). The trouble with the British Championship is, the more it moves up in the public eye, the larger the hospitality awnings etc become. It would appear at the moment that there is a 'Jones' next door' policy being adapted where if they have one, so have we.............................only it's got to be bigger and better. There are a few teams which take up more space than is really required for two bikes, still I guess image is everything. I'm only jealous because I can't afford one..............................Hmmmmmmm, maybe next year. Anyone know where I can get a hospitality awning with a swimming pool fitted? Friday 13 - First Free
Practice
Incidentally gearing was 15 front and 37 rear (one tooth less on the back than last year). This was not a guess based upon the fact that everywhere this year I have gone considerably faster, but the chain was too short to allow us to run a 40 tooth rear. As I had not been out on my bike for a month I just circulated round and round, slowly picking up the pace until the front started to patter and slide from bottoming out on the brakes into the hairpin (or Shaws Corner if you need to be precise). The gearing was working really well and I was just hitting 13,000rpm on Stebbe Straight before hitting the anchors for Lake Esses. After 37 laps I did my plug chop on the Stebbe Straight and glided back to the awning for strip down and inspection. I had posted my fastest lap of 0:50.992s which was 1.195s behind pole and 14th fastest (just ahead of Steve Sawford - 1996 British 250 Champion). Tim Levy set pole with a 0:49.797s. This was a laugh as he later quizzed the time and it appeared that the timekeepers had made an error, still if it was me that would be framed and hung on the wall of the office. All looked well on the strip down and if anything needed changing it was the front forks. I had a chat with a few riders and decided to re-build the front forks with 7.5 oil, rather than the standard 5 grade. 7.5 is a mixture of oils, just in case you have never heard of this grade. Clive at Racing Lines carried out the rebuild as I have not a clue when it comes to the building front forks. The compression, rebound and pre-load were backed off so we could dial them in during the next session. We were now one rider down as Lee Jackson highsided on the downhill section of Devils Elbow and rumour has it that he may have broken his ankle. Friday 13 - Second Free
Practice
The forks were much much better and my braking into the hairpin looked positively controlled compared to most. The rear never left the floor and the back never waved around under braking, plus although all the travel was being used it never bottomed out once. I completed another 30+ laps and set a faster lap of 0:50.743s, however I was slightly demoted to 15th fastest. It was Hilton Hincks who jumped up from 24th fastest to 12th that put me down a position. Pole was a little faster at 0:49.504s by Adrian Coates. We felt quietly confident for qualifying as I knew there was more to come once new tyres were fitted. Saturday 14 - First Qualifying
Session
Thankfully it was dry, although there were some damp patches (no pant jokes here) around the circuit, so I took it easy for the first couple of laps to identify where they were, unlike some who just went ballistic from the word go. I decided to do approx. 6 laps and then come into Pit Lane for a breather before going out again. This has worked in the past and I have always gone faster with every outing. I think it just gives you enough of a break to take a fresh look at things on the next outing. I managed to stay behind Jamie Robinson for two laps who was chasing John McGuiness and Paul Jones was behind but could not quite get on the back of my bike for a pass. Eventually I too got past John McGuiness on the entry into the Esses, but Jamie had managed to pull a gap on us, so after a few more laps I pulled in. It was during this that I realised the limitations of a standard bike (these guys are running TSR chassis) as the standard RS gearbox has a very tall first gear, however the top boys are running lower 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears with a taller 6th so they can drive out of the hairpin and maintain drive through the Bus Stop Chicane where my bike hesitates before the power rushes in, sending the front skywards just before you have to brake for the Chicane. Every lap behind Jamie he would pull approx 30yds on me by the time we exited the Chicane, however I managed to reel him in through Gerrards and was right on his rear again by the time we turned in for the hairpin. The top teams are also running 15/38 gearing so they can pull the taller gearing on the back straight. Basically I recon it all adds up to over 0.5s on a lap at least. My bike was 16th fastest through the speed trap which was positioned on the start/finish line. This is only a third along the straight and I was pulling 110.6mph here, against 113.4mph of Paul Jones 'A' Kitted Honda. Imagine the difference in top speed by the end of the straight!! Still I was ahead of Dean Johnson who finished 4th at Mallory last year and was using Nigel Bosworth's gear box settings. I ended the session in 12th place with a time of 0:50.267s which was 0:01.130s behind Provisional Pole, set by Adrian Coates on the Toby Hurst Racing Honda. Steve Sawford was 0:00.2s in front of me in 11th place. Gary May was out on a D&B Honda this weekend and was putting in a good show considering he is more accustomed to riding an Aprilia. Paddock rumour is his Aprilia was melting pistons at Knockhill due to the ignition unit he purchased from Harada for £ 9,500.00 being difficult to set up correctly. I never got to plug chop the bike as Graham English chopped his bike up ahead of me and as I went to go past to carry out my chop the stupid tosser wandered 30yds across the track onto the race line and I nearly rammed him up the arse. Much braking was used here!!! In Park Ferme I think he realised something was wrong. When we got the bike back from Park Ferme we saw the front tyre was falling apart so we quickly changed it from a soft compound to a medium hard. We decided to check the bike anyway although we would not know if the jetting was too rich and would have to consult the notes book and make an educated guess. Currently we were running 182/185 jets, although Tim Levy has an identical set up and is running 170's. Saturday 14 - Second Qualifying
Session
Just before we were due out it started to rain (Thank You God!)............................and than it stopped! There was much hesitation in Pit Lane and I guess we missed 10 minutes of the session just waiting to see if the rain would start again as spits of rain were starting again. It never materialised into a downpour, so with slicks fitted we went out again. Thi session was unfortunate for me as I never had the opportunity to race with anyone or get a tow, hence I went just under 1 tenth of a second slower, although most went 4 tenths slower. As always there were a few people who managed to find that extra couple of tenths, or hundredths and I was demoted to the fourth row in 15th place. Still my best ever grid position. I was only 0:0.831s behind the fastest time in this session. Pole was set by Adrian Coates on his first session time of 0:49.137s. I had missed the chequered flag in this session and spent my time on slowing down for the Paddock entrance, rather than a plug chop, which was a pain, but at least we had a warm up session tomorrow to make a final decision on jetting. While we were all discussing our efforts in Park Ferme Jamie Robinson went over to George Wakefield and started to have a word which was basically, "When you are on your out lap, could you please try to stay off the racing line. I was on a hot lap and you caused me to shut off at a critical point on the circuit. I know you are still learning, but please could you remember in the future". That was so funny, "Still Learning", what a fantastic way to politely patronise someone who has been racing for a number of years. Sunday 15 - Warm-Up
The warm-up session basically allows you the opportunity to try different bike settings or experiment with carburation in an aim to make the package more competitive. This session also allows you some essential running in time if your bike had seized in the second qualifying, thus you are not running the risk of fresh pistons straight into a race. Personally I am amazed that the omission of the warm up has been allowed to continue, although the diesel racers (Superbikes) always have a warm-up. I guess it is because we are the 2nd class citizens of the Championship. Anyway, enough politics............................I bloody well went slower in this 10minute session. Not just a little, but almost a half second. I blame the pub for not cleaning out the Guiness pipes on a regular basis! I was 18th fastest with a time of 0:50.869s. Fastest was set by Jamie Robinson on a 0:49.546s. The wind was gusting during this session and most people went slower so it was not as bad as it seems, plus I nearly always go faster in the race.....................nearly always. Sunday 15 - Race (28 Laps)
My right leg was already aching from Gerrards where you are hanging off the right hand side for an eternity and the prospect of a 28 lap race was a little daunting, however I have been going to the gym almost every day for the last few weeks and so far I have managed 37 laps without too much trouble. The only thing that happens after this many laps is small drops of sweat hit the inside of the visor under braking..........Yeeuck! As I circulated it was obvious that there was a big crowd for the racing. Much bigger tahn last year, even though the prospect of rain must have put a lot of people off. Should find out the official numbers in MCN this week, but it is good news for the sponsors. We had two warm up laps which again filled me full of confidence for the race as my pace was fast but relaxed. Being on the fourth row was fantastic as you look behind and see loads of other bikes, plus I even heard a mention of myself on the commentary. I felt like waving to the crowd like in athletics. The man with the red flag moves off the grid and the red lights go on................and on...........................and on.......................GREEN! I had a good start, although at one point I clashed elbows with another rider trying to get through from behind. I kept the throttle nailed and the danger disappeared. Into Gerrards for the first time I realised I had braked way too early so I had to ride around the outside of a few people to get back to a reasonable position. So far so good and into the hairpin there were no major dramas. On lap three the yellow flags went out and it was Shane Norval who bit the dust on the exit of the hairpin. Thi caused a little panic, but normal service was resumed very quickly. I caught Tim Levy and chased him round for a number of laps, however every lap his closer ratio lower gears helped him to just pull enough of a gap that I could not pass him at the end of the straight on the brakes. This was a little frustrating. I was eventually passed on the brakes by Stephen Thompson into the hairpin and although he went wide I just did not have the drive out of the hairpin to get past. Gearbox again! Stephen eventually did the same to Tim, although I did think they were both going to hit the floor as Stephens bike was way out of control with the back end up high and waving from side to side like a rattle snake. Tim moved over off the kamikaze line and we both gave chase to Stephen. I now had time to think of my position and the race and was content to sit behind these two as we were all gaining on the next group of riders from 5th place down to 10th. While this was going on I managed to sneak past Steve Sawford out of the hairpin as his Aprilia had spluttered on the exit and cost him a valuable position. Over the next few laps I saw his front wheel on a few occasions but he could not execute the pass, that is until I had a rear wheel slide exiting the Esses, which although nothing too dramatic was enough to put me off line and cost me a little speed on the approach to the hairpin. He came through on the inside and although I could have chopped his nose off we may have both gone down, so I played safe. With 5 laps to go we were now right on the tail pipes of this next bunch and as Stephen made a move past towards the hairpin, Tim followed alongside Alex Hutchinson and as Alex tipped into the hairpin he went down on his arse. As I was next in line I had no option but to grind to a complete halt and them try to manoeuvre around Alex and his bike. During these few seconds I lost a place to Adrian Clarke who must have passed me under a yellow flag, but I forgot to protest it after the race and now it's too late. I was in 14th place and could have finished anywhere between 7th and 14th, however I had now lost 14th position to Adrian and also lost the tow of Stephen and Tim. For a while I tried to close back the 4 seconds lost but I was passed on the entry into Gerrards by Frank Swain and put back into 16th place. This pass was clean but so unexpected I went wide and lost ground on Frank which over the next few laps was enough to ensure I remained in 16th spot. I finished 0.7s behind Frank but was gutted that my result was screwed through bad luck. I have secured £ 120.00 prize money but no points which is what I really wanted. Jamie Robinson took the win from Adrian Coates and John McGuiness with Adrian leading most of the race until the final corner. I bet he is gutted! Adrian also took the fastest lap at 0:49.162s and I improved my lap time to a 0:50.150s. I think we have now demonstrated that we are on the pace and as the next round at Cadwell Park was my best finish last year at 16th, who knows what this year will reward us with. Cadwell is on 28/29/30 August (Bank Holiday Weekend) SEE YOU THERE!
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