Well, what an odd weekend. Turned up at Brands on thursday evening to set the marquee up and went back home again. Arrived friday as there was a test day, i wasnt booked for testing, i just went along to chill and sort some tyres out. My team mate was booked on though, and was going well, until he lobbed the bike at Druids and then got himself run over. We decided he should go out on mine to scrub some tyres, he came back in a few laps later complaining the bike felt odd. Sure enough, the front tyre only had 13.5psi in it. To top that off, i'd sent him out on a bike with no brake pad retaining pin clips in it, and the pins had dropped out somewhere on track. Nice one Daz, ensure your continued success in the team by 'offing' your team mate... Sorry Tim!
It was at this point that we also discovered that as a team, we actually have NO spare parts between us...
The 2 class A bikes and Matty's class B
As i'm new to the series, i haven't really gotten to be able to put names to faces/bikes, and i'm crap at recognising people anyway! i should just refer to peoples race numbers really...
Sunday AM. Qualifying.
58 bikes out on track, it wasn't going to be easy. Although i was expecting the faster laps to be set early in the session, my fastest lap was late in the session when i was amongst traffic. Odd.
I qualified 14th out of the 58 bikes, 12th in the class A bikes. Tim qualified a good 4th.
Race 1. ok, anyone remember how to do a grid start??
I lined up on the end of row 3. Directly ahead i could see Tim. due to the staggered grid formation. Once again, i waited for the lights to go out, something i hadn't done in a couple of years, as the endurance racing doesn't use a grid start. The lights went out and mayhem ensued...
Thanks to Steve 'Yeti' for the above pic. With Tim in 2nd at this point, and myself contesting 5th, things were looking good! My first race start in a while and it looks like i havent forgotton how!
Lots happened during the race. Some grip issues with the rear tyre sent me sliding at Clearways whilst trying to retake 5th place, this knocked the confidence a little and let a couple of guys slip through. Then i saw Tim ditch it at the same spot, and so i decided that i had to bring the bike home safe.
Finished race 1 in 8th place. Fairly happy with that, gave away a couple of places that i shouldn't have, but all in all, i good introduction to the series.
Stumpy following me through Paddock Hill. Cheeky git slipped inside me a few laps later... wont happen again though!
I decided to adjust the rear tyre pressure by a couple of psi, and alter the gearing, prior to race 2.
Race 2. Started on grid P12 again. I managed to get another decent start, but the gearing left me a little short for the run to Druids, and i was vicously gang raped as a swarm of bikes proceeded to mug me. Not good. It was already clear that my good decision to change gearing wasn't quite so good after all. In fact, it cost me a second per lap. Put together with both wheels sliding out at Clearways, i was not happy with this race and i struggled to hold on to the pack ahead of me. With a few laps left, i realised i couldn't catch them, and there was no one close enough behind to catch me, so i decided not to risk binning it and brought the #98 machine home in a safe 13th. Tim made a great comeback from his 1st race crash to bring #101 back in one piece and finish in 4th.
Shout outs!!
Quite a few novices out, breaking the race virginity! Well done to you all! Harriebird, Diggerman and the others.
Tim - despite crashing on test day, and in race 1, and despite being a moody git because of it!! managed to get his head together for a solid 2nd race.
Matty - entered Desmo class B and Sound of Thunder. Had some problems with the bike, but got it sorted and finished the last 2 races.
OD2racing - nice riding from Dom with 2 3rd places, and Lily!! she rode impressively! And Chass for not taking the piss too much about the brake pad pins and Louigi for bringing some along to the track!
Zimbo - for looking a bit like Troy Bayliss and getting a great 2nd place in the Class B race 2. Well done fella!
I am currently sat in 9th place in the championship, its early days yet and there are plenty of people behind who are eager to take points away from me, as i am eager to take points from those ahead of me. Roll on Mallory!
NOTE: there's still plenty of room on there for more sponsors! I could do with some tyre's, some suspension, some snappy breaky bits such as clip ons, rearsets etc.
