Thursday After leaving work a little early to get on the road to Snetterton, I arrived at Victoria train station to find no trains were leaving due to a lighting strike at Clapham. My normal 50 minute door to doorjourney home took over 2.5 hours! Luckily the bike was already loaded onto the trailer and waiting to be collected and the car was all loaded up. Another 2.5 hours later I was at Snetterton. After a few brief hellos, the bike and some tools were dropped off at the garage and I found my way to the B+B. I was wet, exhausted, and went to sleep praying the rain would hold off the next day
Friday
Arrived at Snetterton to find damp tarmac, but after a couple of sessions the track was drying nicely. I was happy to follow people around, and wasn't trying to pick up speed whilst I was still learning the track. I'd previously only managed about three sessions on a rain soaked track so although I knew which way the track went, I had no idea on how fast I should be through various sections. Getting breaking points, gear change rhythm, turn in points etc on a 3 mile circuit takes some doing!!
By lunch I felt a little more confident, but had no idea what time I was lapping in. The afternoon sessions brought mixed weather, and after a slightly damp session and then a full on hail storm, I called it a day. What I did find out is that in the wet I was doing 3:15 laps, compared to the class lap record (in the dry) of around 2:22. Pretty poor, but it was a wet time...
Saturday Race day 1!
We were out early, with qualifying at 9.30am. Again, we were lucky with the weather so had a dry/cloudy session. I posted a best of 2:49.5 which I was reasonably happy with given i had a sub-3min target, although still left me last on the grid. However, there were a couple of guys within 1-2 seconds in front of me so at least I had someone to chase (they were less than 0.5mph faster across the lap so were surely within my reach?) Throughout the morning the clouds began to form and the weather started to look a bit grim. Our one and only race on the Saturday was just before lunch, and luckily the weather held out.
Out onto the grid, round once for a warmup lap, then back to form under the lights. Red right on, revs up, red light off, drop the clutch… and we were off! I got a good start and passed a couple on the row ahead, before a silver bullet flashed past me on the right! It looked like Matt Lawson, but surely he was on the front row? What was going on!?! Confused wasn’t the word but I didn’t have time to worry about it. Turns out he missed the warm up lap while having a coffee, and had to start from the back rather than the front row! Doh!! (note: Lawson finished 2nd, so not a bad result considering and certainly showed me how to move off the back row!!).
I held a couple behind me for around half a lap, but was soon bringing up the rear again. I latched onto Allesandra Vespa in front and tailed him for a few laps. I felt comfortable, and decided to have a go at passing. I was trying to carry a little extra speed around the right hander, corams, before the flick left onto the bottom of the start/finish straight where I was going to out run him… “hold the line, hold the line, now flick left… ****”, I missed the apex and went wide onto the grass. Still on the grass, I gave it some throttle in anger and was transported from sitting on a bike to a bucking bronco!! Amazingly, I managed to hang on whilst it squirmed in the mud and I came off the gas, and back onto the tarmac to give chase. I now had muddy tires and so little confidence in their grip. I tip-toed around for half a lap to clean them off, but by that time he was gone. I finished the race, after almost 20 minutes, 6 seconds behind Mr Vespa. Last again, but I had knocked 4 seconds off my best lap time to 2:45.5 and almost made a pass, so was pretty happy overall.
Chasing Mr. Vespa...
Sunday
Weather again was forecast to be pretty crappy in the afternoon after a bright, dry start. Desmodue class was due out first thing, 9am, for warmup but due to races being postponed because of torrential weather the day before the schedule was reshuffled. We got out for 4 laps instead of 8, about 9.30 and then played the waiting game with the weather. Allesandra hadn't managed to get out as he had some major engine problems and couldn't start his bike so there was one less back marker for me to chase.
Our race came, 10 laps this time instead of the 8 laps on Saturday. Another good start, followed by giving up the places won over the next couple of corners, left me at the back chasing Mark Shore. He gradually pulled away over the course of the first few laps, and I gave chase. Approaching the hairpin at Agostini, to furiously waved yellow flags, I saw Mark on the apex, trying to pick his bike up! Shit! I made it round him but the race was red flagged and we went to reform on the grid for a restart. New race, with 6 laps.
All was going well, and was now chasing the bikes I usually didn't get to see as Allesandra and Mark were back in the paddock. I went into a right hander at Oggies too hot, panicked and stood the bike up to run over the grass (twice in two races, pretty embarrassing). I got it under control, and went to turn back right to roll back onto the track when the front wheel tucked under and went down. Gutted. Broken handlebar, rear brake lever, petrol spilling out into the mud, and wounded pride. Yellow flags came out but the marshals managed to rescue the bike and the race continued... For another lap.
Mr Shore, before he lay his bike down on the apex at Agostini (my head just in view on the right)...
While chatting to the marshals I heard on the radio there was another "incident" with two bikes, which didn't sound good. The race was stopped again and the ambulance was dispatched. The recovery van came to collect my bike, and then to collect another bike. As the doors opened, and I saw Paul Pullen's bike, I didn't was a bit concerned. He had been really encouraging, and had been the one to tell me to stop being soft when I considered not going back for the second day ago Brands. Paul had been taken away but wasn't too bad I was told. I rode back in the recovery van alone with out two bikes. Turns out he had a badly sprained ankle. Could have been worse... Get well soon mate.
Mr Pullen before his off, when I shared a van back with his bike
Damage to my bike amounted to a broken clip on bar, broken rear brake level, leaking brake fluid, potentially split brake hose... And the addition of a couple of kilos of mud. After some borrowing of parts I was almost back with a working bike. Within 10 mins I had a bag full of rear sets, brake hoses, fluids, and a team of DDers trying to help! I had some spare, but not everything I needed. In true DD spirit, help was on hand. Thanks to everyone who offered help, spares, advice etc
Just a slightly spongy front brake so we tied it up to try and force the last few air bubbles and I went to get something to eat. I wasn't sure whether to go out for the third race an hour or so later, but felt like I should given the fact so many people had showed concern and pitched in to help fix the bike. The decision was taken out of my hands when I walked back into the garage to find 4 or 5 people surrounding my bike and finishing off the repairs, completely off their own backs! I had to go out now! One guy had even had a go at cleaning it up, something I admit I have been a little slack with!
I spent most of the third race on my own at the back (again) but was glad I went back out as I took another 3 seconds off my best lap times, down to 2:42.5! Not that impressive compared to the best lap of about 2:18, but a full 7 seconds better than my qualifying on Saturday morning so I was happy.
So, to sum up, a pretty eventful weekend, two last places and a spill into the grass, but reasonable progress throughout the weekend. The weather was kind to DD racers but not so for others. Next meeting for DD is Anglesey although I will be out of the country, then Oulton Park although the next few weeks will be a whirlwind as I'm moving house, going to the IoM for the TT, going to two weddings (one in Italy) and going on holiday, phew! Oulton might be a stretch for me, but, I'd like to make some improvements to the bike before then. I know most of the improvements needed are in my head and to boost my talent rather than horsepower or weight reduction, but that will hopefully come in time. Anyway, a more powerful, lighter, bike can't hurt can it?
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