2004 Results and Race Reports

NORA Round 9 - Cadwell Park - 24/25 October 2004

One of my favourite tracks coming up this weekend, I've been watching the weather everyday, but it doesnt really look too good for the weekend, oh well. I was going to travel up on Friday night, but Layth said he'd come up, if I went on Saturday, so, thats what we did. Work was kind enough to loan me a van, as I couldnt be bothered with taxing and MOTing the van, for one month. It was a sprinter, cruising at 95-100 mph up the motorway, lovely van, we got there in no time. I intended to get there before lunch, but we left late, and got there just after lunch, and it was raining, quite hard. Jim and Millsie had arrived just before, Jim having called me up asking where he was, as he was lost on his way to Skegness, hahaha. Layth did that last year, went straight past the turn, and off to skegness, pair of tits. Anyway After some mumbling about the rain, no one else wanted to go out, but I havent ridden the KTM since 3 Sisters, and if you check the report below, thats 8 weeks or something ago, ages. So I'm going out there, sod the rest of you, I'll go play by myself then, note : by, not with. haha. Since Millsie didnt want to go out, I took his practise pass, save him the money, and me the time.

Layth and me clear some space in the van, jack the bike up, and swop wheels quickly. Now I have cush drives on both rear wheels, sprocket changes are a doddle, ripp the cush out of the slicks, into the wets, axle, sliders, done. sorted. I decided to leave the hard rear on, and the soft front, I dont really want to destroy a soft rear just for practise. I get on my kit, stick some waterproofs on, and go sit by the pit entry waiting for the practise session. Its raining steadily....

Saturday Practise : Finally its the practise session, and I cruise down to the grid. I spend a while zipping back and forth warming up the front tyre untill we are ordered the get ready, and then we are released out row by row. The bike feels good, and even though I havent ridden it for so long, Im soon one of the quicker guys out there. After a few laps to learn the basic braking points, I started to push, for tomorrow. Every lap I went a bit harder, and deeper on the brakes into the chicanes, dirt, and hairpin, untill lap 4 where I had to run straight through a chicane, thats about maximum then. I found an excellent line into the bottom tighter chicane, after the dirt, where I drift the bike into the first part, and line it up mid corner, that way I can take the tight line in, but the bike is in the same position as if I took an wide entry, then flick it the other way and out. The only trouble I had was with rear grip, immediately after the dirt, and this seemed to be constant throughout the weekend for me. I couldnt get any drive off the dirty tarmac corners, I was either spinning up, or so gentle on the gas, I may as well push the thing. the layout of this section of track, after the dirt, is 1st gear right, into 2nd gear left, into 3rd/4th gear right, then the track is clean after that, and off to the tight tar chicane. After about 5 laps the session was red flagged by a t-bone at the hairpin, and I thought that was it for practise, and was pretty pissed off. But I led everyone back to the pitlane entry and we just kept hounding them, untill an announcement over the tannoy, that we could go back out as the last session of the day. cool. 15 minutes later, we were back on track, and we stayed out ther for about 25 minutes. I got loads of laps in, and I was taking the top tarmac corners pretty much flat out by the end. I love those corners, up a hill, left, into a blind apex double right, over a crest, 5th gear, flat out, begging that front tyre to hold, and down the other side, in the wet. hahaha, fricken A man. By the end of the session I had my lines figured out. I had nice slides into the hairpin, and those dirty corners, jeez, by the end I was comming out the the bottom right hander, broadside, in 4th gear holding the drift, trying not to let it bounce off the rev limited before it grips again. It felt great, and I'm sure it looked very cool, but wasnt very bloody fast at all, but it was faster than gentley opening the gas like a sunday riding power-ranger. The sesison ended and I was buzzing when I came in, the track was great, and I'm going to go and kick some arse tomorrow. you want some?

Sunday broke sunny would you believe, but the track was wet, very wet, just like yesterday, hahaha. I went and signed on, they'd got me in the bloody E group again. I've only done 3 Nora races this year, and one of them was non champ, so I have no points. I have a word, and the top groups are pretty full, so they squeeze me into the C group, oh well, better than E I suppose, still, I should be in A or, B at worst. Nearly the end of the season, then I can start clean and get back to the A's regular.

sunday Practise : Still got the hard rear in from yesterday, the track will dry through the day, maybe even a dry line by the first race, but not after the dirt section. Off we go, row at a time. By the time I get to the double right hander, its obvious there is a huge speed difference between some riders, as I pass a guy, round the outside, at about 30mph speed difference, that must have woke him up, haha. I normally take a session to wake up, so I wasnt expecting any blistering times, but front row probably. I soon caught the front guys, and we all ran at similar pace, so I doubt any of us got a clean lap in really. The tarmac was very gippy, and confidence inspiring, letting me push very hard over through the double right hander at the top of the hill, but after the dirt, the dirty tar was very slippy, and again I couldnt find any grip. More 4th gear 50mph drifts out of the bottom right hander, onto the clean tar. On reflection I should have probably tried to take a few psi out of the tyre, but hey....I passed a couple more riders over a few laps, and then just followed the top 5 around for the rest of the session. I qualified in 5th, so not quite front row, good enough I recon, to get a good start and fight for the lead. Fastest lap 58.0

Race 1 : There is now a dry line around the first bunch of corners, but the grid is still wet. The brain has woken up, now we've had practise, and I'm ready. I must get a good start, I do a nice burn out in 2nd gear to clean the track, and warm the tyre. The lights go out, and I get pure grip as the bike fires forward, I jink between the 2 riders who were on the front row in front of me, and fly up the hill, holeshot. I'm in 1st place, I throw the bike into the blind double right hander, down the hill, and on the brakes for the dirt. through the dirt chicane, then right, left, right, drift the back out, on the gas, onto the clean tarmac, down 2 gears, sideways into the deceptively tight chicane, let it line up in the middle, and flick left, try to stop it spinning on the exit, and off towards the hairpin. I put the bike sideways into the turn, and it lines up on the apex, and zoom back up hill. As I chuck the bike into the left hander, the back tyre steps out really quickly, I dont think I tapped off, I think I just picked the bike up a bit, and it came back. It was a serious moment tho, natural reactions saved that one. Back round the top of the course, and onto the dirt, but as I let the clutch out, its in the wrong gear, I need 1st, I'm in 2nd, crap, it stalls as I snap the gas open. aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggggg. No time for swearing, off the bike, hot start button, clutch, kick, kick, kick, broooom. haha. thank god. I jump back on, find 1st gear, and cut up the bastard about to go past. I'm still in 8th place. I must have left them for dead off the line. One of the bikes in front of me goes down on the exit of the dirt, too close to avoid, 1 bike in front of me goes round the outside of the crasher. I jump on the back brake, grab the clutch, and slide the bike sideways into the crashed bike, miss the rider, use his bike to turn mine, and took the guy who went round the outside. brilliant. I catch the next guy, but I cant find a way past. The top 5 are having a major war, and bikes are swerving all over the track trying to pass. I finish in 6th place. pretty dissapointing after getting the holeshot. Note to self, must not stall. I check the clutch fluid, and its nearly empty, that'll be why it missed a down change then. I fill it up, and am ready for next session. best time : 59.0, slower than practise, as I never even got going.....

Race 2 : Angered by the first race, I line up in 6th place on the grid. I do the burn out again, and then as the lights go out, I pin the gas, and dump the clutch. The front wheel hovers above the deck as I fly between the 2 rider in front of me. Into the left up the hill, I'm in 2nd place. The guy in front has about a second on me, I'm going as hard as I can, but I'm loosing out after the dirt, my bike has no grip on the slippy tar, his little CRF just crawls away, as it flicks through the tight stuff, till we get back to the clean tar, then the punch of my 660 eats him up out the turns. By the time we get back to the dirt, I can think about passing on to the dirt, but he is faster on it, and after it, and I cant pass. Every lap I'm trying to find something more to close the gap. I think I'm going to crash everytime I turn on to the dirt as I'm going to fast, and the bike is sideways, and I'm still on the brakes, but the bike stays up. faster next time.... we go over the line for lap 5, and I'm still about a second behind. He brakes hard for the hairpin, but WAY too late, maybe his bird was in the crowd, haha. I saw loads of smoke from the rear tyre, as it slid from side to side, and he missed the entry to the hairpin. I tipped into the turn on line, as he tried to close out the exit, but I have the punch up the hill, and take the tight line out of the hairpin. I'm on the outside for the left, but the inside for the double right, and I take the line, and the place easily. I hold a tight line, and brake really late for the dirt. I keep the bike drifting as we enter the dirt, this stops him from passing me back. there are 2 lines on the dirt though. I allways took the inside berm, and every lap for the next 7 laps I could see his shadow on the inside, as he tried to outbrake me onto the dirt, then I'd see his wheel as he'd carry a bit more speed onto the dirt, on the outside berm, but I kept sticking the bike on the tight line for the next right hander, and the corners are too close together to pass in. If I can keep him behind me on the dirt, and slippy tarmac, then I've got this. On the last lap I make the same mistake he did into the hairpin. the bike got a bit too sideways on the brakes, but unlike him, I turned it in anyway. I ran wide, but I still make the turn, on the exit we were side by side, me on the outside of the hairpin. I nailed the gas, and front popped up in the air, I climbed up the front, and rolled off the gas slightly till it began to drop, then I pinned it again. through the gears, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, through the left, I'm on the inside, 5th gear, keep it flat out, I have half a bike lead, as we reach the entry for the double right, but I'm on the outside of him. If I give him a wheel width, he'll put it there, and force me wide through the double, I would. I just throw the bike into the turn, across his nose, I feel a slight tap on the rear wheel as his front rubs my rear tyre, but it doesnt upset the bike. On the brakes for the dirt, a nice drift, taking up the inside line, no passing here, through the slippery stuff, down the hill, and over the line. Winner. Brilliant race. Layth said it looked well cool, with us fighting hard, allways within a second of eachother. Him trying to pass me all the time, and me drifting into all the tighter turns, and out of some of them. best time 55.0 the guy in second got a 54.9 on the last lap, neither of us gave up, just go faster, and faster, and faster.

Final :Up to the B group, a race later than planned, but that last race was so much fun, its go to be illegal. I left the wets on again, but the track is completely dry, maybe I shoudl have put slicks on, or at least a rear one. the hard rear should last 15 laps, but the soft front, over the hill...... hmmmm. I line up next to Les (the guy I was racing in race 2) in 27th palce. The lights go out, and another good start, but I get boxed in through the left hander, and have to hesitate for a moment, before I switch to the outside, and squeeze passed a couple more into the right. I avoid any first lap caos, and by the time I cross the line at the end of lap 1, I'm in 11th place. On lap 2 I enter the dirt, right behind another bike, and I see this red flash fly round the outside berm, its bloody Les, from race 2. He flies passed both us by using the outside berm while I'm stuck behind this bike on the inside. The bastard. I barge my way passed poor Mr innocent between us, and get right behind him. we come round for lap 3, and he tries to go round the outside on the blind, double right hander. I've thought about it, but its so easy to defend. All the other rider has to do, is lift up a bit, and it'll push him off the track, or at least wide, and on a double, blind, over the crest turn.....hmmmm. Well thats exactly what happens. the other rider, just goes a bit wide, putting Les, wider, and eventualy out of track. He went off at the top of the turn, at about 90mph, onto the wet grass. I didnt watch, but apparently he stayed on, and rejoined. I took a couple of laps to pass this guy, and then I caught the front bunch of 6 riders, including Millsie, who promptly then crashed at the hairpin on lap 10. I was up to 6th place, and running with the leaders, but we were all about the same speed, and I never got a chance to overtake anymore in the remaining 4 laps. 27th to 6th in the b group again. best time of 55.0 again, should have had a slick on. another great race, with lots of mad overtaking.

NORA Non Championship round - 3 Sisters - 5 September 2004

Another sun blest weekend has arrived, and I'm off up to Wigan to race at 3 Sisters. This is probably my favourite track, I really like the place, but I seem to have really bad luck here for some reason. I dont think I have ever had an incident free meeting here, but I allways feel like I rode really hard and confidently, and I allways pull some crazy overtaking manouvers here. Should be a interesting anyway. Its just a one day meeting this weekend, so I head up on Saturday evening and grab a spot for our group in paddock. Jim and a few others turned up in the evening, and after a barbi and a drink we all went off to our respective beds hoping for bright sunshine in the morning. The gods had been kind to us, and we got a nice warm morning to heat up the tarmac for us. I still had my slicks on that I used at Rowrah, even thought the front was fairly chewed up in middle, but I figured it would clean up a little, and this place is more about corners anyway. NORA had got me down in the D group again, but I asked to to move me up to the B group, but it was too full, so they stuck me in the C's. Oh well, still should make the A group by the end of the day. Pole in c, win c, win b, into A. Yeah that'll work. hahahaha. oh god......

Qualifying : I wasnt feeling too great this morning, maybe I felt a bit of nerves for some reason or something, but my stomach felt horrible, but I pushed my way to the front of the grid, got away with the front bunch of guys, and tried to find my lines and gears for the corners. Something is a bit odd, all my gears are wrong, and I havent chaged the gearing since we were here last. I guess I must be carrying more corner speed now because at certain corners where I would drop 2 gears before, now, the bike really screamed, and snapped sideways a bit too much, so I could now only drop down one gear, hmmm. I learnt all the new gear changes after a couple of laps and picked up the pace throughout the session passing a lot of bikes, without anyone comming passed me. I wasnt feeling 100% confident in my tyres, but I think that was lack of riding recently, adn I expect it would get better after more laps. I was pretty quick still, so I figured I would be on the front row (top 3) for the first race, if not on pole. I was a bit dissapointed to find I was in 3rd, but front is what I needed. Stage 1 of the plan complete.

Race 1 :I have to get a good start, but I made a terrible mistake as I got to the grid. I told myself I needed top 3, when I shouold have gone for the win... We all line up on the grid, and watch the starter. The flag drops, and I get a perfect start, perfect, not good, or great, perfect. As soon as the flag starts to move, I nail it, the front hovers about a foot off the deck, from the time I started to release the clutch, till the time I hooked the next gear. The guy on pole, also got a good start, and we go into turn 1 side by side. He stays next to me through the turn, on the outside so he has the line for the next left hander on to the dirt, and takes the place as we go through it. Over the hill, and I'm still not feeling too confident in the tyres, and I'm thinking about that too. After a lap the guy in 3rd place comes past me up the inside into turn 1 after the straight, crap. I need more confidence to throw the bike into the turn harder, once I'm in its fine, and I can push harder, but I'm loosing out just on that initial confidence, on the brakes, into the turn. About half way through the race, I had a feeling that someone was right behind me, every now and then I heard that engine noise. After a few laps he tried to make a pass, on the brakes at the end of the straight, into turn 1. Luckily I decided not to fight him, and try to take him a couple of corners later as we come off the hill. As we get side by side, and start to tip into the turn, he looses the front, and goes sliding down the track in front of me. His head is about an inch from my front wheel, as I'm hard on the brakes. I cant trail the brake and turn in as I would normally do, I just have to brake as hard as I can, and if I tip it in, I will just join him on the floor. I manage to avoid hitting him, somehow, and the tyres, but I didnt manage to change down the gearbox, and I stalled the motor. A few frantic kicks later and the beast fires back into life, I find a gear, and go hunting. The adrenalin is flowing like mad, I've just lost about 15 places because of that bloke, and the crazy overtaking moves start to come out. One guy tried to block me as we went into the 180 degree turn after the pits, I flicked the bike to the outside at the last minute, left the braking till after him and squeezed him against the inside curb all the way through the turn. His tyre is right next to my head, and for a moment I wonder what would happen if it slipped out, and have a little giggle as I dive on the brakes, on the inside line, for the next hairpin (where I did my shoulder in at the begginnig of the year), another place taken back. As hard as I try, I cant make up all the time I've lost, and I finish the race in a lowly 11th place, pretty angry, but glad I didn't crash too. Plan gone to pot.

Race 2 :Starting from 11th wasnt my plan, I'm in the middle of the grid, and bound to get boxed in somewhere through the first 2-3 turns, but I know I have the speed, and the confidence in my tyres is now comming back. The flag drops and I get another good start. I manage to find a little gap, and and fly past another bike, nearly clipping his bars as we head down the straight towards turn 1. I pick up about 6 places through turns 1 and 2, and then into turn 3 it happens again. The bike in front goes down about 10cm in front of me on the dirt. I have no where to go at all, and I hit the seat of his bike, as he is no longer in it. Needless to say I go down in a cloud of dust. I never let go of the clutch as I went down, so the bike was still running. The guy in front is looking at me for some reason, but I got no time for whatever he wanted. I pick up my bike and look over my shoulder to see mass caos, as most of the field have all piled up behind me. I push one poor guy out of my way, jump back on the bike, and start chasing after the 5 guys who werent involved in the crash, and the 6 guys that managed to somehow avoid it. I probably lost about 15 seconds to the leaders, but the other 6 guys were just ahead. More adrenalin and I forgot all about my tyre concerns from earlier. I pass the next bunch of guys no problem. I was so much quicker on the exit of lunar that I had to tap off to avoid hitting the rear wheel of one of them, then I chased them down the straight, and blasted passed on the brakes. The top 4 were pretty spread out, being the only people not to get caught up in the crash, but 1 by 1 I could see them ahead. I must have been taking more than a second a lap, because gaps that looked too big 2 laps ago, suddenly seemed really small. I managed to hunt most of the other guys down, and I finished the race in 2nd place, another lap and I'd have caught the leader, but the caos at the start just lost me too much time. oh well, B final next. Trophy time?

Final : Starting 32nd on the grid, it looks like there is a hell of a lot of bikes ahead of you, now I do need a good start. The flag drops, and again I manage to find a gap as we zoom down the straight. I must have made up at least 10 places through the first 3 turns, and then I started to pick the other guys off 1 at a time. I managed to get up to about 12th place, when I came accross 2 guys having a bit of a battle. By the time I was close enough to pass they were about to brake for turn 1, but as they were fighting I thought I'd wait till I was a bit closer before I passed them, but as they turned into the turn, the guy on the inside went lost the front, and went down, the guy next to him got hit by the sliding bike, and he went down right in front of me, now I had 2 guys, and 2 bikes sliding down the track just in front of my front tyre. Again I'm so hard on the front brakes, that I darent try to turn in as well. I managed to turn slightly so I wasn't aiming for a rider, and then releaed the brake just as I hit the rear mudgaurd of the sliding bike. Again I get through the tyres, and I didnt even stall it either. I flicked down the gearbox to find 1st, and then got back on the track, having lost about 7 places in the detour. I mist came down again as I tried to make up the lost time. I came over the hill chasing a bike, I was close enough to try a pass into the turn where I had my first ever highside, and destroyed Nori Haga's crash helmet. As I moved to the middle to pass him, so did he! I was already leaning to get the tighter line, but I managed to flick it accross a bit more, just enough not to clip handlebars. That made me miss my braking point, and then as I was doing an emergency stop, I missed my down change, so I ran a bit wide mid turn. I think I felt a little tap on my rear tyre mid turn (just like biaggi did in motogp this weekend). As I exited the turn, and slipped the clutch a bit to get the RPM up I looked over my shoulder, and I think I saw him go down, and slide into the tyres (just like biaggi did in motogp this weekend haha), oops sorry mate, stick to your line in future. I finished in about 10th place. What a busy race meeting, I wonder how many overtakes I did today, I recon it was a conspiracy.

Pro Supermoto Round 5 - Lydd - 7/8 August 2004

Since just before my holiday, I feel like I've ben racing every other weekend, its great, if not a bit busy. So this weekend I'm off up the Rowray in Cumbria for the first supermoto endurnce race in the UK, on Saturday, as well as the usual days racing on Sunday. It should be really good, and will probably knakker me out well and truely. One of my Buddies decided to come along, so after work on Friday we jumped in the van, and trundled up the motorway for 4 hours. We got there pretty late, and just make some room in the van, and kipped.

Saturday - Endurance:When we woke up it was lovely and sunny, looks like its going to be a really nice day. I get some coffee in me, and wonder around the pits looking for either Jim, or the other bloke we have hooked up with for the endurance race. I recognise the guy, I'm sure I had a few battles with him in NORA, when he was riding a KX500. Now though, he is riding on a vertimati. Jim eventually arrives, after spending the week lounging around a caravan park with the family, and we all get ready to sign on. just then, another guy comes up, and is looking to join a team as his mates have abandoned him. A bit of a group hug, then yeah sure, he can join us. He was riding a CRF450 and this guy was quick.

It was decided that we would all do 15 minute sessions, and that I would start, as my bike is the easiest to start, seeing as there is a lemans type start. We get a session practise each, and then the race gets ready to start. I've warmed the bike up, and put it on the grid, with Layth holding it, then I wonder over to the other side of the grass, and get ready to start running. The flag drops, and we have to run accross the grass, over 2 tyre walls, accross the track to our bikes, then start them, and off. I get to the bike easily enough, long legs and all that, but would the bugger start? not a chance. After about 30 seconds kicking she fires up, but we are already half a lap down on the leaders, and second last off the line, goddamnit. Basically I spend all session trying to make up for the start. It never took too long before I was starting to catch a few of the slower guys, and push my way past. Seeing as it an endurance race, I'm not really pushing the overtaking too much. As the race is 4 hours, I dont need to go mad and pull the banzai moves out, untill I get behind a guy cant pass. After a lap following, I feel like I'm wasting time, and inevitabley some close shaving goes on as I try to pass him.
Sunday : Another great looking day. I got up ready to head to the track after a coffee. I like to get to the track asap, so there is plenty of time to mess around. Well, Jim and the missus, and kids all got loaded up, and we finaly left the caravan park to go back to the track. Flying down the country lanes, scaring the oncomming car drivers as Jim and I use all the road to keep the speed up.... We got there about 5 minutes before the breifing. Nothing quite like leaving enough time. I sign on, and take the bike to get scrutineered, as the breifing is starting. Oh well. At least I've got the right tyres on.

Practise :After spending all of yesterday zooming round the track, I think I know where it goes now, so I just take it easy, warming the bike, tyres, and myself up. After a few laps I starting pushing a little, and diving up the inside of the slower bikes as they present themselves. I certainly feel like I'm one of the faster guys on track right now, so its looking good for the rest of the day. I've taken a few more clicks of rebound out to try to get round my never ending chatter problems too.

Qualifying Race : The order for the qualifying race start is just pulled from a hat and we all line up on the grid.

Sorry, I know its not finished, got busy after the race, and now I'm trying to remember what happened.

NORA Round 7 - Lydd - 24/25 July 2004

Back from a brilliant holiday, thanks again Shayne, and another race suddenly jumps out in front of me. I got back tuesday morning, after a night flight, so, to be fair, didn't do a hell of a lot that day. I had a look at the bike, still covered in oil at the back, where one of my overflow pipes had snapped at Blyton, and generally covered in dirt. the rear tyre is dead, and I need to pick up my new pair of wheels, to give me a 5" rim to put my wets on. At the mo, I use a 4.25" rim for my wet rear tyre. Another light came on the dash of the van a while back, the battery light. It died on the way to a race meet, so I figured I may as well carry on and try to get there, its ok if I break down on the way back, I mean, at least I get to the race. Well, its just kept going so far. The battery is new, so it could be the alternator. I might as well check it now, kent again, is a long way, at 60mph, and even longer if you are stopped. I borrowed a battery/alternator tester, and stuck it on, hmmm, everything's fine. I tested it a few times, lights and everything on, and off, everything kept coming up green. Good enough for me. I'll put it down to another electrical fault, just the the other 2..... While I was pratting about, I found that the exhaust was pretty much hanging off, so I tightened that up, a lot, jeeeez, how much quieter???? that bloody rattle stopped too. Oh, and the alternator belt was a bit loose, but tightening it never made any difference to the dash light. Oh well, racing, oh yeah, its coming. I serviced the bike, packed, and mosied down the motorway to Lydd after I finished work on Friday night. I got there about 00:30, and just climbed in the back and slept.

Saturday - Practise :I went and found where Jim and Millsie were, moved the van round to where they were, and unpacked. The sun was out, and it looked like it was going to be a warm day. Excellent, just what I wanted after a holiday riding an XT600, on a squared off knobblie tyre, around Corfu. I got on the bike for the first session, and it felt wierd. After a few laps I started to get back into the swing of things though, and Jim and I were soon having our own private little battles. That spindley little 580 flicking through the tight twisty tarmac, then my 660 punching its way down the straight. Luckily for me my gearing seemed to suit the dirt a bit more, and I got really good drive across the little double jumps, back onto the tar. Jim needed to change gear in his 6 speed box, whereas I could just rev out. After a few attempts I manage to get good enough drive to pass him onto the tar, and park the 660 into the hairpin. Saturday was really good fun I was really getting into it, but the practise sessions just seemed to be too sort. Just as I was getting into it, and finding some space, the session was over. Jim and I had some really good fun battling each other, and I got back into the feel of the KTM again. I even liked the dirt, 2 big berms, a big table top, and a couple of smaller jumps. The berms helped a lot, although I did manage to pass a couple of guys, by cutting in and taking the really tight line, but I prefered the berm.

Sunday - Practise :Another nice day, if I can just stay on the bike all day, I think it will be a great day for racing. The dirt section of the track has been drowned, in the NORA way. I swear they create more accidents than they save, but as with NORA, thats the way it is, was, and allways shall be. This means that the dirt now gets dragged onto the track and through the 2 very tight hairpins, highside anyone? Anyway, my session went out, and I soon pushed my way through all the guys around me, and found myself zooming round the track by myself, with just the odd backmarker to pass. I felt I got some good laps in, but the faster I went into the turns, the more chatter I was getting. 2 corners in particular were causing some trouble, the front and rear of the bike was bouncing around like mad. Not only was this killing my confidence to push harder, but it was also making me tired. Trying to force the bike into the turn, while its juddering around was possible, but it was killing my forearms, and by the end of the session I was getting serious arm pump. Noone passed me during this session, but I flew passed loads of people, so I figured I would be on the front row, at least. I got 4th place, with a 1:24 lap

Race 1 : I was fourth on the grid, front row, but I thought I would be higher. The flag drops, and I get a useless start. hello? bike? are you a 125 now? bloody move it. Out of the dirt section for the first time, and I'm in 8th place. For the first couple of laps, I'm desparate to get passed as many people as possible, to get up to the lead group before they get too much of a lead. After 3 laps I'm up to 2nd place. My gearing is just perfect in some places of the track, allowing me to rev out and make a pass, while they had to change gear. Unfortunately that ment it was bad in other places, but I could just park the bike on the racing line, and there is nothing they could do. Up to 2nd then, and the 1st place guy is about 3 seconds ahead. Damn, thats a lot to get back in 7 laps. But, well you gotta try. I pushed as hard as I could, every corner the bike now started chattering, front and rear, its getting tough to just keep the bike on the track. I swear the wheels are litterally bouncing completely off the tar now. I'm getting closer though, every lap, 0.5 seconds. At the start of each lap he looked over his shoulder, yup, I'm still here, yip, I'm coming, then head down again for another lap. I got right onto his tail. With 2 laps to go I was close enough to think about a pass, so I tried a move into a 2nd gear right/left chicane, and nearly, oh so nearly clipped his back wheel as he tipped in front of me. On the last lap I missed a gear coming out of a hairpin, and he got a bit of a gap. bastard. I'm getting tired, this chatter is killing me now, maybe I'll twiddle with suspension setings. I've never, ever, done that before. I finished up in 2nd place, 1.5 seconds behind Mr 245, on a 1:18.8.

Race 2 :Jim tells me rebound is my savour from chatter, so I take 2 clicks out ot the front, and head to the grid. Myself and No 245 line up side by side, 24th and 25th on the grid. God this start is going to be a bit rough. The flag drops, and I nail it, after my bad start in the first race, I'm determined not to loose out this time. As we tip into the first corner, a left on tar into a right onto dirt, it all starts bunching up. BUT, a small, tniy little gap appears in front of me, as some bikes touch. I want that gap, I accelerate for it, while everyone else is braking, and I get the front half of the bike in there. Now there are 2 bikes on the inside and one on the outside closing me in. Get the elbows up, and I start to really lean on the guy on the outside. I can feel him trying to push me back, but he is running out of road. He slams on the brakes again, to make the turn and I get the tight inside line onto the dirt. If I can get enough speed over the smaler double jump, then I get to the berm first, and the whole rest of the dirt comes with it. At the end of the first lap I'm in 9th place, everytime there was a possibillity of taking the line from someone, I just stuck the bike infront of them. Three laps later, and two more great passes, both in the same place. The end of the dirt section has a berm running into 2 small jumps, then over a very broken up surface, onto the tar, with a very dirty right hander, into a right hand hairpin. As we come off the dirt, my gearing is pefect, I just lean way back, and pin the throttle, the bike almost wheelies over the ruts, and dont run out of revs. Othe guys seemed to need to change gear before the tar, and I managed to get next to them, and carry more speed round the outside of the right hander, and then park the bike, sideways infront of them on the apex of the hairpin. I heard a few screams occasionally, but noone clipped me, that I know of. The next guy infront was Jim, fighting with another bloke. Jim was way quicker, but just couldn't make the pass. By this stage I couldnt see anyone infront of us, so I figure the lead pack must be a long way ahead, I think we can chill on the banzai approach, for now...But their tussle give me a gap, and I slip passed Jim, and then Mr mobile chicane. I think Jim used my move to mug him too, as when I checked behind me, Jimbo was there chasing me. The lead group were nearly half a lap ahead, and going quick. I just tried to keep Jim far enough away, and not have any moments. After a couple of laps, a check over my shoulder showed me jim was still right there. I'm really struggling with the chatter now, and running wide a few times, its better than it was at the front, the rear is not helping, I dont think. Its so much more hard work to get the bike where you want it. And, bloody Jim is all over my arse. I put a few little bursts where I think I'm quicker, and get a little gap, but the chatter has knackered me, so I chill for the last 2 laps, Jim finishes less than a second behind me. I finished in 5th, on a 1:19.8, they watered, flooded the dirt sections, again...

Final : Starting in 5th is not too bad, inside line, aslong as the pole guy, Millsie, crasher extrodinare, and another mate, gets a good start. Jim is next to me, so I'm protected there... Flag drops, and Jim goes flying straight past me. What the.....? Bastard. I get swollowed up in the dust, and am lucky to come out of the dirt in 6th. I get passed one guy real quick, into one of my really chattery corners. Sure enough its there, but its no where near as bad, and the bike hooks up as it should. fricken A. I made a suspension change, and it worked, and I could tell. -4 on the front and -2 on the back rebound. Anyway, who should I see a couple of places ahead, no 245, the bloke I couldnt pass in race 1, fight coming up... As we go round the back section, mid turn, his front washes out, spark, spark, slide, tata old chat. hahaha. Free place. BAck up to 5th now, and we go over the line for lap 1. There is a guy a little ahead of me, going pretty quick. We come up to Jim, and he cruises passed on the dirt, but straight away Jims flicky 580 is all over him on the twisty tar. Jim makes a small mistake out of a chicane, and I get enough drive to pass him into another one. Back after the, wait for it, MUZ. He has got a little gap on me after my pass on Jim. He comes up to Millsie, who just puts his bike in the right places, and I close right up on them before he manages to get passed, on the dirt. I pass Millsie into the chicane again a couple of laps later, and chase after that damn MUZ agian for the last 3. He was just a couple of tenths quicker, but I couldn't catch him, and he eventually finished 3 seconds ahead. I finished in 3rd place, on a 1:19.0, got a trophy, and had an excellent days racing. Even stayed on the bike the whole weekend..... Oh god, what have I said....

Prosupermoto at Rowrah, cumbria next.

Pro Supermoto Round 4 - Blyton - 4 July 2004

Suddenly its a race weekend again, wow, where did that come from. The Supa 7 round was cancelled, so I entered my first race with Prosupermoto, they are supposed to be the most relaxed race club for motards, and they are at a track I know. Sent them an e-mail asking them to enter me, and did the rest in the morning of the race. It looked like it was going to be a nice fine day, but the rain was on the way. I signed on, got scrutineered, and went to the briefing. They do one practise session, then a qualifying race, then a group race, a final, and a supercup (top 450/650 mix). After a few coffees to kick start the brain, I tried to keep note of who was out on track, so I didn'tmiss my session. First session out, I think I'll go with a wet front for now, it will get destroyed, but better for my confidence on dirt. Slick rear obviously.

Practise : Pro supermoto run a wierd layout here, we start in the same place as NORA, but we go the opposite way, so off the grid, then into a left. Yeah sure the crashes will be slower, but there will be more of them I recon. Oh well, better get those elbow pads ready to push people around in those first few turns, should be fun. In practise though, we all leave the line one by one. I quite like the track layout, especially the faster, back section. You can hold quite a few nice drifts into the turns, and I even started to pick up the pace on the dirt towards the end of the session. I came in buzzing, I'm feeling really flipping good out there. If I get a decent qualifying race, I think I'll go really well here.

Qualifying Race :So....Is our race next? No? the One after huh? ok. Off we go for our race, hmmm, we dont race quads, what are they doing on the grid? The open class is already on track you say.......Bugger. And thats that race done then. Back of the grid we go, haha, should be a good next race though. If I get there....

Race 2 :The flag drops, I get a good start, a few people go wide, onto dirt, and I make up a load of places through the first few turns. I'm running in about 10th place after the first lap. Fly down the back straight, kill the guy infornt of me on the brakes, flick the bike sideways into the 4th gear chicane. The bike hooks up perfectly, I flick it to the left, and pin the gas. I have to pick the bike up a bit so it doesn't spin out too far, and fly onto the shale. I just love 4th gear drifts. This dusty, crappy tar at Bylton is great for this stuff. I pass another guy into the chicane at the end of the front straight. Neil, from the Maxis Tyre truck, who I've known since I started racing, was out playing today. He was in a right battle with another rider, and just knew they would run each other wide somewhere. I let them fight it out for 2 laps, and then they touched mid turn, and both ran off the track for a moment. Enough for me to wave as I passed them both. Looking ahead, I could only see 3 guys. I caught the first, and he nearly highsided infront of me, on the slippy left hander after the grid. I nearly did that in the first session, but I figured out a better way through, was to create the slide into the turn, and hook it up early. It squared off the turn, and let me get on the gas harder and earlier. I other guys would get a slide coming out, and I'd just drive round the outside, putting me on the inside for the chicane, then just brake after, or at the same time as them, you have the line. It worked a treat. 2nd last lap, I caught the guy in first place round the back/shale section. I had already decided to pass him there before I caught him. I followed him round for the rest of the lap, just sticking a wheel around the sides, making lots fo noise, etc. Off the back straight, throught the right, I'm on him. He slips a bit on the exit of the left hander, I get my wheel just next to him, on the outside, and pin it. I get good drive, but his bike is quick, we drag down the front straight, and he trys to squeeze me a bit. I just move towards him, and he chickens out and brakes. The squeeze worked though, I was too busy, and braked a bit too late, ran wide, and over a bit of shaley tarmac, as I straight lined the chicane. I let him passed, and tagged onto him again. Same place, next lap. Round we go again, I go wide and get a good drift on into the left hander. I pin the gas as I pick up the bike, and it just fires out the turn, the other guy is still squirming around, and I'm already next to him, candy, baby. yeah man. I pick my braking point, close the line off, round to the flag. Fricken A. Last to first, and done him on the last lap.

Final: from the back of the grid again, but A group this time, the flag drops, and more busyness through the first two turns. I come out ok, in about 15th, and just get my head down. Down the back straight, a guy trys to cover his line. I've already decided, its too late to stop now. I click the bike to the outside just before I clip his back wheel, click down a gear, and tip the bike in sideways, round the outside into the fast chicane. We fly off the shale, and into the long right hander back onto the straight. ITs very wide, and lots of guys cant/dont hold a tight line through there. I allways kept it as tight as I could, for as long as I could then picked it up only when I needed to open the gas really hard. Keep it tight, then pin it, instead of slowly inc the throttle round the whole turn. This gave me chance to pull next to and even pass guys through there, and onto the back straight. I think the fact that the surface in that turn has many lines, fixed potholes, dirty bits, etc, help me too. I have crashed there many times finding the limits on the brakes, and maybe I knew where some grip was, and had confidence in it. I finished this race in 9th place. Shame I didnt get to qualify, I recon top 5 might have been up for grabs. I made it to the supercup race though... extra tracktime, woohoo.

Supercup ::

Supa7 Round 2 - Lydden Hill - 12/13 June 2004

Back into the van again for another weekend on the track. It looks like its going to be a hot, sunny weekend. I didn't manage to bunk off work early on Friday, had some work to do damnit... haha. Anyway, so I packed the van after work, had some chow, and headed down to Lydden. I was making pretty good time, and as I left the M40 to join the M25, the battery light came on, on the dash. Crap, I know the battery is fine because I put a new one in over winter. Alternator? Well I'm about half way, so I might as well keep going and when it stops I'll work something out, god knows what, haha. As I got near to Lydden, I turned off the A2, as it looked like a good plan on the map. stupid tit I am, half an hour I'm back on the bloody A2, going back towards where I left it, after driving around stupidly small country lanes at 1am, like a nutter. turned out I should have stayed on the A2 1 more junction. Oh well I know now, for next time.

Satruday : I hooked up with Chris when I arrived, and when I clambered out of the van, him and his brother were twiddling with their bikes as usual. I checked out the track from the side, I never walked it, but I could see where it all went, more or less. It was really sunny at first, but got a bit darker as practise arrived. I got scrutineered, much more faffing about this time, checking lables, fitment of helmet, etc. I suppose its a good thing, but they did seem to get very indecisive when the slightest, little thing was odd. But hey I got through fine. I put the cut slicks of both the front and rear wheels, and then cut the front up quite heavily, as the dirt was very loose shale. Looking forward to a good day today, lets go.

Practise :I shot off from the line, around the hairpin, onto the dirt, and started down the hill. I gave it a bit too much gas, and this thing wont slow down for the turn, Bugga, I run straight off the track, by about a foot. I quickly nail it back on track, and over the jump. As I turn into the dirt chicane, the front tucks, whoops, pick the bike up a bit and nail it again. Man I got no grip here at all, spin, slide, wobble, spin. get back onto the tar, back tyre spinning like mad in 4th gear, it hooks up and give me some drive into the left hander. Nice sideways moment here, pining the throttle when it lines up again, then down 2, into 2nd gear, backing it on to the dirt bus stop. I pop up the side of the burm, which is very bumpy, and sends the bike bouncing like mad. Back onto the tar, into a long 2nd gear 180, and down the straight. On the tar I was feeling great, sliding into everywhere, but the dirt sucked man. I couldnt find any grip anywhere. After the straight, I clicked down 2 gears, into 3rd, and slid onto the fast dirt section. Pin the throttle, hook 4th gear, and, in my case hang on like mad. Flat out in 4th gear, turning slightly, and aiming for a kink, while the bike is bouncing, and kicking around, wow. About lap 4 I think, I stopped going down to 2 gears there, and only dropped into 4th, pinned the gas again, and the front must have hit a pothole, or bump or something, but the bike kicked me up, and headshook in a big way, somehow I stayed on, and made it between the tyres in the kink back onto the tar, but it shit me up. Back onto the tar agian, down the straight, round the hairpin, and back onto the dirt. I went down that damn little hill again, and again I ran off the track. I just couldnt get the 660 to slow and turn. After a couple of laps i got it right, but I pretty much had to park it mid turn, and pin it out, that killed my speed onto the jump, so I only just managed to clear it, the back wheel ocasionally clipping the top. By the end of the session I had sped up everywhere, but I was loosing it all again on that fast dirt section. I'm just not confident enough of what the bike is like at those sorts fo speeds, on dirt, it feels out of control after that scare.

Qaulifying :We all zoomed off, a row at a time, and I managed to keep the bike on the track the whole session this time. I even managed to pick up some speed again on the fast section. It still felt pretty horrible, but I manage to close my eyes, so to speak, and hang on. As I was getting more confident, the bike was starting to feel a real struggle to get round the twisty dirt section. It just didnt want to turn, and brake. If I carried just a bit too much speed, it wouldn't scrub off, the front just tried to tuck. Then when I get on the gas, the back just steps out, oh for some grip. The really annoying thing though, was that other people seemed to be able to find some, so I decided to change the front to a wet after this session. Off the twisty dirt, the back spinning as I scrabble back onto the tar. Into the left hander, backing it in nicely, but a bit too fast, and I have to kepp the brake on harder and longer than I would have liked. The bike strats to chatter quite heavily, but I managed to hold the line to the middle of the turn, get back on the throttle, and up the rise to the dirt bus stop. I slide the back wheel round the tyres, as I enter it, and bounce up the burm, but the front slick hit a whole bunch of torn up dirt, from the burm, but it was like a power consistancy, and the front just tucked straight away, with the back wheel still up the burm, zip...on my arse. Lowside. The bike is still running, so I grab the clutch and pick it up. The marshal is faffing about, and nearly knocks me over. Just piss off and let me get on the bike. Tit. I jump on and zoom off again, roosting him in a lot of that dust, haha. I did a few more "quick" laps, with the chatter getting worse, as I'm now braking that hard, and long all the time. I got a nice slide onto the fast dirt, with lots of chatter under braking again. I kept a tight line, nailed the gas again, and then got another scare when the front whacked something, and the back jumped up, stepped out, and kicked the bike around, more bar wiggling as it all calmed down. I dont like that bit.My best time was a dismal 1:17. I was loosing 3 seconds through that dirt. I need a little dirt bike to practise on, and learn this dirt stuff properly

Race 1: I qualified in 8th place for the B race. Not as good as I was hoping. I pretty much wanted to make the A race today, but ho hey, kick some B group arse then. Racing is racing when the lights change. I got a good start, and ended up about 8th after the bottle neck onto the dirt. Into that bloody downhill corner, I managed to hold the line tight, using the park and pin it method, but lost a few bike lengths over the jump, No one got passed though. BAck onto the tar, and head down, to catch up those lost bike lengths. I'm way later on the brakes into the left hander, and slide sideways, up the inside to take 7th. Through the bus stop, trying not to use too much of that bumpy burm, avoid the dusty powder, and zoom out. I chase down the pack ahead, even manage to hold on through the fast dirt section, then round the hairpin agian, and I run a bit wide on that bloody down hill left, on the dirt. I stay on track, but get into the loose stuff, spining up going nowhere, up the jump. The guy I passed last lap, takes his place back, and roosts me as he lands. cheers. I get right behind him, and dive up the inside again into the left hander. I fly up towards to bus stop, as I jump on the brakes I see Yellow flags. 1 guy dropped it. I manage to jump up the burm, and get round him. nail it into the 180, and the back gets a bit slippy on the entry as its still a bit dirty. Back down the straight, sliding onto the dirt again. For the rest of the race I hold station in 6th. The guys ahead are just too far, and I cant close in on 5th place. By the last lap I'm getting a bit of arm pump from all the high speed kicks on the dirt, and chatter on the tar. I tap off for the last lap, and crusie round to finish in 6th. Best time was a 1:15, but still not fast enough.

after the race trouble : I got back to the pits, and bike sounded pretty rough. I jumped off, and noticed oil weeping from the rocker cover. crap. The noise sounds like the bottom end again. The motor will be cracked open this week, I'll let you know what the score is when I do. Pass a hat round for collection.... After that I noticed there was no one else in our pit area. Where's Chris? As I wonder off, I see his Mom, who lets me know that he has gone to hospital for Xrays on his ankle. great stuff.

So, for the rest of the weekend, I sat in the sun and got a tan, or at least redened up a bit anyway.

NORA Round 5 - Angelsey - 5/6 June 2004

Aaaaaaah, here we go, the season starts now, I feel like I can race properly now. My shoulder feels good, and I'm not worried about a silly slip causing any serious problem. Although I think I'll try to put off testing it for as long as I can.... Needless to say I'm really looking forward to this race meeting, after a pretty tough last 9 months through injury, I'm craving some "real" track time. The weather looked promising for the weekend, so what could be better?

I did a bunk early from work on friday, packed the van, and cruised up the motorway to the track in the early evening. Note to self, must get that spare tyre fixed.... anyway, the sun was shining, and as I arrived I could see the track had alerady been set up. Cool, I'll take a quick walk round the dirt section, to see if the layout is the same as last year. Still the same, but they've put a 2 extra chinaces in the main straight, 1 at the start, and one at the entry to turn 1. But, we dont use the chicane at the start of the race, and use turn 1 as usual off the grid. After the wonder around, I unpacked the genny, and pulled my back. Crap, that was sore, but nothing mega, just a bit of a muscle twinge.then I met up with Jim and Millsie in the Pit bar, typical.

Saturday :I woke up farily early on Sat morning, my back was still a little sore, but nothing really. I signed on, got scruiteneered, and got myself changed from the F group. I have not raced this year, so I have no points remember, but they move me to sunday's racing. So I sign up for the practise, and go get ready for my first proper session in months. After a few groups for 450's we are called out for our first session. I cruise around for the first lap, scrubbing in the tyre that ejected me off at 3 sisters, I left on cut slick front and rear. After that, someone passed me, and I used them as a gauge for another 2 laps. He was too slow now, so I passed him onto the dirt, shot over the concrete, up the hill, and hit the table top in 4th gear, I cleared it easily, but as I landed my arse hit the seat, and it hurt, really jarring my back, I nearly let go of the bars to grab my back it was so painfull, crap, crap. I finished the session, but I couldnt clear the table top, or even jump it now, the pain was too much. After the session I rode back to the pits, but couldnt get off the bike. If I tried to lift my leg over the seat the pain hit even worse. I just lay there for 5 minutes, then managed to clamber off. I just lay in the van for the next 3 hours, on my back, in my leathers, it was too sore to get them off. Then I managed to get them off, and ly down for another hour or so. Obviously I never went out for another session, so practise was wasted. I managed to stagger around in the late afternoon, but was thinking about packing up. I could harldy walk, and standing up from sitting down was a real struggle, so racing??? I got some pain killers from the medical centre, and thery really helped. I went to bed really early, and had a good nights sleep.

Sunday : I woke up feeling pretty good. My back was about as sore as when I woke on saturday, so if I just never clear the tabletop, I should be able to still race the rest of the track, and get some good tracktime at least. So I bit the bullet, and signed on. I'm racing next weekend again, and the weekend after that, so I was a bit concerned about stuffing the whole lot up through injury, again.... I'm put in the E group, which males makes everyone giggle. I changed the front slick to a soft wet, the very fast 1st turn is not used except off the line, so there is only 1 corner that really pushes the front now, and I figure I'll make up for that through the dirt/concrete.

Qualifying:I waddled out, first session of the day on track, and took it quite easy. The track was freshly watered before we went out, and I was just feeling how my back was taking the bumps. I slowly picked up the pace, but never even tried to clear the jump, so I was loosing 2/3 seconds there every lap, it didn't matter much in the end though to be honest. Other than the jump, the bike felt brilliant. Onto the dirt section, and throught off camber concrete, everywhere, the front tyre felt great. No one passed me all session so I was suprised to find myself in 7th place on a 1:19.8. I thought I'd have been quickest. Oh well.

Race 1: Still feeling sore, I went and bought a kidney belt to wrap round my waist, which made it feel a bit better, and then we all lined up for the race. The lights change, and I got a pretty good start. I flipped to the inside and just as I was about to tip in to the first turn, everyone braked. WHAT!!! I never break for that turn, and it really took me by suprise. I grabbed as much brake as I could, the brake was weaving, I'm trying to turn in with the bike in front of me, as my wheel is just inside his wheel. I somehow managed to slow "just" enough, and I saw a puff os smoke as my front trye rubbed his rear for a moment. It was gentle, so I doubt he even knew about it, but it was bloody close. Back on the gas, up the other side, and round onto the dirt. I'm in 6th place after the first lap, and get mugged over the tabletop, damn my back. I chase after the offender for 2 laps, and with his help, manage to stuff the bike in front of both of us, on the brakes, onto the dirt section. I found a really good line there, dont tell anyone, but there is a tiny, thin piece of concrete on the inside, and if you get your rear tyre on there, it fires you out of the turn way faster than the guys on the dirt. I stuff another bike through the really fast up hill right hander, and then just chase my mugee for the remainder of the race. On the last lap, I lost the rear for a moment onto the finish straight, and got mugged again, on the line by 0.1 seconds. grrrrrr. I ended up in 6th at end, on a 1:14.8, and the top 7 were 20 seconds ahead of the rest. good little battle there. More please.

Race 2: I lined up 6th again, now, remember turn 1, dont get caught out again by these pansies. The lights change, I'm holding the gas 3 quarters open, drop the clutch, nail the gas, and the bike fires forward, like a damn rocket. Front wheel is hovering 0.5 inch off the deck. I flick to the outside, and get my front wheel in front of everyone else, as I hit turn 1. Flat out 5th gear, I just tip the bike in, in front of them, thankfully noone hit me, and I got the holeshot, apparently I had a 50m lead after first, 3, fast, tar corners. I kept my head down, and went as fast as I dared. Everytime I got to the jump, I nailed the brakes, into 3rd, pop up, pop off the top, hook 4th in the air, and pin it. The rear spins up huge, and when I reach the tar, it hooks up and fires the bike forward, it felt very nice, but I could feel the time ebbing away. 2 laps from the end, as I went over the jump, I heard a bike, come next to me, and pass me on the jump. bugger. I go a bit faster, and manage to make up on the tar, what I loose on the jump, but I cant pass him again. I finish 1 second behind him, and 1 second in front of the next guy. Us 3 are 25 seconds clear of the rest, hahaha. top fun, shame I didnt win it, but I'm moving the bike around a bit again, only good things so far. time: 1:14.1. Up to the D group. woooooo.

Final: On the back of the grid, it looks a long way to the lights, but looking at my laptimes, I should be good. I just need another good start to help get through some of the field, then the rest of the race I can pick some off. I hope. The lights flick, and I get another good start. Onto the dirt, I hook the inside, and fire passed another bunch onto the dirt, and round the next turn, this is what I need. Up to the jump, brake.... then nail it again. The dirt is freshly wet, and the tar after it, gets slippy. I spin up a bit, but manage to hold it tight, and pass another guy in the double left into the chicane. end of lap 1, I'm in 10th place. I pass 2 more in the next lap, 1 one I stuff up in the inside on the 3rd gear, tar, off camber, right hander, love it. The other guy I got close to before the jump, pin ot off the end of the tabletop, and get up the inside, on the brakes into the right hander, dirt, onto tar, shaley, wet. The bikes are drifting a bit, but I push him wide and take the place. I repeat the same moves again in the next lap, on another 2 bikes, and get 1 more a lap later. After that busy start, I look in front of me, and can only see 2 bikes, huh. I cant be in 3rd, I was in 27 on the grid. But I keep pinning it, and close the gap over the next 8 laps. 2 laps to go, I'm right behind 2nd place, out of the chicane, onto the start straight, the back steps out on some dust, and spins up. "Not again" flashes through my mind, feet off the pegs, the bike flicks the other way, and I managed to hold on to it. I nail it again, but I've lost 50m agian, 2 laps left. Still I havent given up, I claw him back into range, but cant do a pass in the time left, and I finish in 3rd, 1 second behind 2nd. grrrrr. nearly had him. I ended with a best time in this race of 1:15.2 (dirt/shale watered remember), again us 3 were 25 seconds ahead of the rest. shame I couldnt hunt them down in time. next time tho. :)

I ended up with a trophy, first of this year, and had a brilliant day, with some excellent racing and no crashing, just what I needed to get back into the swing of it. a few more races, then I should be back up to speed proper. I have 2 pictures to scan in, so check the gallery later in the week for an update.

Supa 7 Round 1 - Snetterton - 3 May 2004

The broken bones in my shoulder now all healed up again, I headed off to the 1st round of the Supa 7 championship, all the way across in Snetterton. One of my mates from work was racing his MZ there on the Sunday (we race on bank holiday Monday), so I went up eariler than normal to try and catch his last race of the day. The weather was excellent, probably the first hot weekend of the year, and this helped pick up my confidence. My bones may have knitted together, but the dislocation does cause longer term damage to the joint, and the healed bones certainly couldn't take another crash, of any kind, yet, but I needed to get back on track. I arrived just in time to see my mates race start, watched it, and then went to find out about scutineering and such, as I have never raced with Bemsee before, and being an ACU club, they should be a lot stricter than NORA, and I was a bit concerned that they might fail it for something stupid. After faffing about for a while I went and asked the scrutineers if they could check my stuff over incase I had to do something extra. They kindly agreed, and I went off to get the bike. One the way in the guys at the entrance to the paddock wouldnt let me in, saying the paddock was too full, and I should wait till the end of the day when the current racers have left. I explained to them why I wanted to get in now, but they were having none of it. Thanks guys, they wouldnt contact the scrutineers and check, just acted blind and stupid, I chatted with them for over an hour. So after a while I got in my van and snuck in the rear entrance to the paddock. Typical ACU club not knowing left hand from right, and I've already had some stupid politics or some shit. I got to say, that pissed me off. It seems if you go and ask them for help, they tell you to fuck off, if you go around like a sneaky, slimey, deviant, you can get whatever you want. well fine I can do that too. Anyway I got it sorted in the end, parked up, and got sorted, cut my slicks, etc.

I woke up at at about 5am to the sound of torrential rain on the roof, not spits or drizzle, huge flipping raindrops. great.

I eventually surfaced from the van, and went to race control to sign in, the weather was dire. There is no briefing or anything at ACU rounds, so it was back to the van to start changing tyres again. I swopped the wet front wheel, but my rear was quite worn. I got a new hard wet put on the 5" rim, and by the time I had fitted the wheel, my first session was being called. Rush, rush, rush. get to the track, CRAP, I forgot my track pass. Back to the van like a looney through the pits, then back to the track again, this weekend's going great aint it?. I just made it back before they closed the gate.

Practise: I was in 650 group 1, and to be honest, with my shoulder, the lack of riding, low confidence, and now the damn rain, I would have been pretty shocked to make the championship final, but I still gave it as much as I dared. I had the bike try to spit me off twice in this session, both times I caught it without much problem, there wasn't as much grip as I thought on the tar. The dirt was mud (like baby crap), it didnt take long to get really cut up. The table top had a CLAY (yes, flipping clay, we all know how that reacts in the wet) back slope (where you land!!!) and it got really groovy baby, making jumping and landing quite a challenge. The turns after the jump had huge potholes in it, sometimes half a wheel deep by the end of the day, and the huge 660, was quite a struggle to get through there. After a few laps though, I manage to find a bit of a rythme to the dirt sections, ok, maybe it was a fairly slow one, but there were some poor guys, who just couldn't find a smooth route through, and they really struggled. People were falling off all over the place in the mud, it was almost comical. I had to take avoiding action a couple of times, to miss a fallen rider or bike, one time I nearly hit a hey bale trying to miss the rider and bike pile in front of me, that would have sucked. I managed to stay out of trouble, got a bit more comfortable through the session, and by the end I was passing 3 or 4 people at a time round the back tarmac section, which is my favourite section on this track, it would be even better in the dry, fast.

Qualifying: I was feeling a bit happier with one session under my belt, but the amount of crashers, and the state the dirt was getting, was a bit concerning, it would be horrible to get taken out by a crasher, and re-break my shoulder, so lets cross our fingers huh. By the end of the session I had got some ok laps in though, but I still struggled on the dirt. Not willing to risk a lowside, at all, made me relatively slow through there. Picking up the pace through the session caused me to have a few little moments. I went into the "bomb hole" a bit too fast a few times, and the rear felt very wierd, like it "just" drifting out slightly as I tipped into the very cambered right hander, that made me hesitant on the exit a bit, but in the end I just started gassing it earlier, it seemed to push the tyre into the deck a bit, and generate some sort of grip. On the second last lap I went round the back section (flat out in 5th gear, round a long curve, cranked over, in the rain, then brake hard, while still leaning, to slow for a 2nd gear chicane), 3 of the fastest riders were right behind me, but I like this kind of section, so they never got passed till the exit of the chicane, where I had a HUGE slide. I flicked the bike to the right on the exit, nailed the gas, and it just spun up, didnt even try to grip. I managed to roll off the gas a bit, and keep it from spinning out too far, the other riders came passed, 2 were shaking thier heads, like "how the hell did you stay on that!!!!". I pulled in after that, thinking I'd gone as quick as I was going to go in that session, and I was starting to push my luck where I felt confident. Just before I pulled in though, I came out of a turn, hard on the gas, and the bike spluttered for a moment, it felt almost like the chain slipped a tooth, or something, then it was fine again, and I went to the pits so it never happened again. Odd tho. As I got back to the pits I remembered I hadn't check the rear tyre pressure after the new tyre was fitted, I was in a rush remember. I checked it 45psi, oooops, what was that I normally use? oh yeah 24psi, hahaha. that would explain the lack of grip then. So I was quite surprised to find I had only missed the Championship final by 0.5 seconds. not bad for panzie riding, but since its only 0.5 seconds, I'm a bit annoyed I didnt made make it. oh well, it shouldn't be too bad once I'm healed up properly (again) then.

Race 1: Having "just" missed the "A" final, I started from the front row of the "B" race, which to be honest, I was now expecting to win. We all lined up, the marshal then stood in front with his flag, and we all got ready. The flag dropped, and we all nailed it away. I just hung behind the first 2 guys till after the dirt section, then I was going to do them round the back, make a break before we got to the dirt again, and then hopefully manage the race...uhuh, ok. We came round to the grid again, flat out, about 6 of us in the first group, to see marshals flaggings us down like mad. Oh yeah, they do a warmup lap here dont they. hahaha. We all line up again, and the flag drops for the second time, and off we zoom again. into the bomb hole the guy in front of me is a chicken, I stick my wheel inside, and scare him wide, I get on the gas hard, hold a tight line through the back, fast tarmac section, through the chincane in 3rd place, and then as I brake for the hairpin before the dirt, the bike starts spluttering big time, so much so that I dont even try to make the turn, I just run off the track there is obviously a problem. I check the overflow bottle, fuel, etc, and eventually the bike fires up again, but I'm a lap down now. I tag onto the back of the group till the back section then, I passed 3 guys round the outside around that long curve. As I braked again, the bike spluttered. I ran straight off the track (on purpose, I had just passed 3 guys, who were now right behind me, and could hit me), and sat with the marshalls till the recovery van came and got me. End of my day.

I decided to call it a day, the bike is playing up, the weather is terrible, and there are so many crashers that its just a matter of time before I hit one and crash. I shall remain in one piece to race next time.

I after stripped the bike, I found that the crankcase breather had become kinked somehow, and caused pressure to build up in the engine casing. In an extreme situation this could really damage to engine, but I stopped straight away, and I've fired up the bike since to check it. Of course with the dirt being so badly rutted, I've blown both fork seals too, but nothing mega. I've re-routed all the breathers now and tied them down, they aint going no where now. As I'm writing this on 27May, my shoulder is well healed up now. I think the dislocation is as good as its going to get now, and the bones are pretty much 100%. I may do a hill climb in wales this weekend (if my suspension comes back from Dyno Torque), just to get some practise, then I'm racing at Angelsey next weekend (the 5th/6th), and then on the 12th/13th at Lydden Hill. So pretty busy period, but I should be back up to speed by the end of that lot, if I dont crash again. haha, check ya at a track sometime.

NORA Round 1 - 3 Sisters - 21 March 2004

The first round of the championship proper, and the weather knew it. I went up on Saturday afternoon, and the wind was blowing gales, I saw a few over turned trucks on the motorway up to the track, and one of the racers, off The Visordown Supermoto Forum, had his caravan blow over, on his way up. Not good stuff. Over night I could hear the wind, and occasional shower on the van. It wasnt that cold, but I got up nice and early to make sure no one robber the spaces I had reserved for Millsie and Jimbo. As I was sitting there this hail storm went over, pea sized hail stones were bouncing off the windows, I couldnt help but laugh. Fortunately that seemed to signal the end of most of the bad weather for the morning, as the track started to dry out quite quickly. By the time my qualifying session came up the track was mostly dry, but for some very damp patches around the track.

Qualifying: We all left the pits in the usual thundery noise, and I started to get a feel for the track, and the tyres again. Even on my first warmup lap there were too many people in my way, and the whole session I was overtaking, or about to overtake, or just overtaken someone. It was pretty rediculas, I didnt know how many bikes were on the track, but it seemed like a trackday. I never got one clear lap the whole session, but I was encouraged by the fact that so many bikes were in my way. By the time the session ended, the rear tyre was begging for forgivness on lunar, the long right hander before the straight. As we came in I decided it was time to put a slick on the rear, as that wet wasnt going to last another 5 laps, nevermind 10, and the track was now dry almost everywhere. Debbie, went and checked all our times for us, and I was pretty chuffed to find I had qualified 7th with a 1:17 lap. not bad, for scrappy traffic filled laps.

Race 1: The track was getting better, and I just put a brand new cut slick in the rear, so I was looking forward to getting into the top 5 for the first time. As we all lined up in the pit lane there was a crash going into the hairpin, where 2 bikes collided and ended up in the tyre wall. One guy must have been fairly injured, as the ambulance guys were taking their time with him, and eventually carted him away to hospital. We must have been sitting in the pit lane for a good 15 minutes, as they saw to this poor guy. When they finally let us out on to the track, I started trying to get some heat into the tyres, especially the new unscrubbed rear. The flag went up, and I didnt get a very good start, the front came up a bit too high, and I had to feather the clutch a bit to get it down. By the time we came out of the first dirt section I was in about 10th place. Over the hill, and I'm much faster than this lot, I get one guy comming off the hill onto the pit straight. Gotta push hard. I slide the bike into the hairpin, get it pointing more or less in the right direction, and I nailed the gas. The still cold, left side of the rear tyre couldnt give me the grip I needed and it spun up really quickly. I had no choice but to fly over the bars and land on my head and right shoulder again. As I landed I just buried my head in the dirt and waiting for the roaring of all the bikes to fly past my ears on either side, then I got up, and hobbled over to the side of the track. My shoulder was pretty sore. I waved to the marshal, and sat on the side of the track while they moved my bike. I knew it wasnt serious, I thought my collar bone might have broken again, but it seems I have dislocated my shoulder....off to the hospital again, where they knocked me out with morphine, and put the shoulder back in. Its still pretty sore, and to be honest it feels best when I'm on the bike, but I'm going to take it easy for 3 weeks, and hopefully the pain will have gone, and it'll be strong enough to race on, just no more crashing.....for a while.

So my day ended in the first lap, of the first race, not brilliant to say the least. Sometimes, racing a bitch, but I still cant wait for the next round. nutter? maybe a little.

Here are a couple of pics, on of me passed out after they put the shoulder back in, and one of me sitting in the ambulance, with a dislocated shoulder. oooooooh the pain.

UPDATE: I went to the hospital today, for a check up on my shoulder, and now that the swelling has gone down I can tell the collar bone is in fact broken. The doctor pushed down on it, and that old pogo effect was pretty clear. Also, I can feel the bone settling as the swelling is going down, that horrible clicking feeling as the 2 bones rub. It looks like its broken where the 2 bones cross over, from the previous break. Sorry for swearing but, goddamnit. I'm still planning on racing on the 10/11th April though, the bones only broken in 1 place, so its nothing like the pain of before, and as long as I dont crash, I think I should be able to ride pretty well still, I hope. there is only 2 weeks left till the next race, so I'll just have to play it by ear, as to how hard I push on the day.....then again, once you get on the track, strange things tend to happen in my brain, and there is only one thing in there, get past that bitch in front..

Warmup Round - Blyton - 14 March 2004

Well, the season has finally, begun. Thank god for that, I feel like I've been sitting on my arse for a year, and my riding on the road has, on occasion, got a bit leary. But lets not incriminate myself today.

The weather forcast was pretty dire, so I bought a new set of Bridgestone wets for the race, I tried them once last year, when I rode Millsies Vert in a race, and I was pretty quick, even though I'd never ridden the bike, or tried those tyres before. I left everything pretty late for the start of the season, and typically I forgot to pick up something. Midway through Saturday I realized that I hadnt picked up my genny, and now the place would be cloased. damnit, no tyre wamers this race, it doeant matter really, the wets arent too bad before they've heated up, and there are no points this race meeting. Anyway, we got there in the dark on Saturday evening, and couldnt see any of the regulars we hung out with, I guess they are too lazy to come to the warmup round. We just parked up, got organized, had some chow, and chilled.

I woke up in the morning, to a fairly bright view, but I knew the rain was comming, so I went and picked my tyres up, got them changed onto wheels by Neil, and his Maxxis tyre truck. Then I signed on, in the A group again, kewl, and got the bike scrutineered. Just after the riders briefing, during which they said we were doing 3 longer races today, instead of the usual 4) it started to spit on and off, but not enough to wet the track yet. I got my leathers on and watched the other groups go out for their practise.

Practise: Eventually my group was called, and I lined up mid field for practise. I took it fairly easy the first lap, to get back into the bike, and warm up the tyres a bit. After about 3 laps I started to get my head down and try a few quick laps, to figure out some braking points. Only 1 or 2 guys passed me during the session, so I knew my times werent too bad, for the first proper seasion out on track, since my collar bone. By lap 7 I'd got things figured and done a few decent times, the fastest of which was 1:20.7, qualifying me in 16th place. not too bad. The tyres did feel a bit wierd the first few corners, but I soon forgot about that, and to be honest, they felt pretty much the same as the Michelins I used all of last year, but it was still dry.

Race 1: I was quite happy with 16th place, so I lined up feeling pretty good. I got a good start, and as usual I was pretty late on the brakes into turn 1, but as I tipped the bike over more, the tyres had that wierd feeling again, and as I was in the middle of the pack, I didnt want push it, crash, and get ridden over by 10 bikes, not in my first race back anyway. I had no option but to stop pushing in the rest of turn 1,2, and 3, by this stage I'd lost 10 places. I got a couple back before the end of the lap, as the tyres warmed up, but I crossed the line in 21st place at the end of lap 1. Not only that, but my goggles had been covered in mud, from the bikes in front of me over the shale, which was very muddy from all the wind and rain, and I'm sure a bit of hail too) over night. I didnt have any tearoffs, as my roll ran out, and I dearnt touch them, or else they would just smear. I opted to just leave them, and look through the little holes in the splatter. My depth perseption went a bit wierd at times, as I could only see through one eye, but I got my head down, and passed at least 1 person every lap for the next 7 laps. Most of them were into turn 1. The bike felt damn fast today. I was hitting the straight and it was just straight into top gear in 2 very quick changes, and it nearly revved out in top before I nailed the brakes. A few times I waited for the guy in front to brake, slipped to the inside, braked next to him, and forced him onto the bumps on the outside. Another time I was stuck behind someone for a moment and I got mugged. The mugger got straight past the bike I was fighting with, but forced him wide, allowing me past too. I wasnt up to being mugged though, so I chased him down the straight, right behind him, he swopped to the inside and braked for turn 1. I just sat up, went straight round him, and stole the apex from turn 2. he had to pick the bike up, or clip me as I tipped in right in front of him. I finished, covered in mud, from head to toe, but I came in 14th place, with a best time of 1:19.0. I was also getting very nice slides into the right hander before the straight, nicely leant over, with the rear drifting round. They felt pretty cool, I could hear the tyre chirping for grip as I turned into the corner.

Race 2: The rain came down. Starting from 14th place, the flag went up, and I got a brilliant start. I was about 8th into turn 1 as everyone braked, then the tyres had their weird cold feeling as I tipped the bike in. I was in too good a position to panzy about now though, so I ignored it, and just tipped the bike over more. I recon it was pretty close to just washing out in the middle of the pack. The bike would walk outward over the bumps, but I came through the shale and towards the table top in the same place. As we hit the, now slighty rutty, muddy jump, the bike in front of me just started to fall and rotate to its right in the air. I knew he was going to crash, but there was nothing I could do to avoid the incident, as my wheels were just off the ground. I had to tip the bike into the deck or hit him head on. He managed to roll away by the time my bike plouged into his. we got up, untangled the bikes, I never even looked at him (just get the bike man) , and starting kicking them over, and over. Then I used the hot start button, and it fire up first time. I gotta remember that damn lever in future. I looked behind me to see a bunch of other bikes crashing trying to avoid us 2. haha. I was last one to get going, but I only got 2 laps in anyway before there was a very long red flag period for some bloke who ended up in a field. There were a fair few crashes, it got more and more slippy as the rain got harder and harder. The bike was ok from the crash, but because I crashed on the muddy dirt, the handlebar guard must have dug in, and got ripped out of the side of the bar. Nothing mega, but not having any hand protection, especially when this lot are going down like flies, and the fact that the rain was getting worse, we decided to call it a day. I never got my times from here, as we only did 2 or 3 laps, in ever increasing rain, and I know I was last or second last, as I was the last to leave the crash scene. I felt quite comfortable all day, even in the mud, and blindness or the first race.

3 sisters is next weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. There will be no gentle practising, or taking it easy over the bumps. I'm going flat out for a top 10 here. come check it.

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