Well before I get totally out of order, I thought I’d better get my ass into gear. With a whole 10 days free before we race again, I have plenty of time to get up to date with the website. First things first, my report from the last minute entry into Hottrax’s popular Motogrande 600 meeting. Mallory Park was the venue for Round 2 of HMRC, and it was nice to be back in what still feels like my home paddock. It’s where I spent the first two years of my racing, and is full of friendly and familiar faces, along side lots of new ones too.
Friday testing
The weekend followed the usual script of having a test day on Friday, then qualifying Saturday morning, and a race in the afternoon, followed by 2 races on the Sunday. I did not ride the test day mainly because of money. I chose to spend the money on some good rubber, as I’d been to Mallory for the first round of Thundersport, so knew my way around already to a point. Instead, I used the day to prep and check over the for the weekend. I was set up next to JR Racing, the Junior 600 endurance team, so it was a nice relaxed day with them, as they came in and out from their test sessions over the day, with the sun cracking the flags.
Saturday – Qualifying & Race 1
Saturday came around all too soon, and I was forced up by my deafening alarm at an all too early hour. Scrutineering already dealt with the evening before, I was out for qualifying early on. The weather was once again getting on for perfect, so I set off for my first laps of the weekend. I was up to speed quick enough, and had an aim of matching my race pace from the month before with Thundersport. I ended up putting my Yamaha R6 'Houdini' on the front row of the grid, in 3rd place, along side Jake Kay in 2nd, with Shaun Champion taking pole.
Race 1 got underway, and I got into the first corner on the back wheel of Champion, in 2nd place. Mid way through Gerrard's, the first corner, Lee Weston came by both of us around the outside and took the lead. I was surprised to see him come by to be honest, but he clearly knew the place so I got on his tail! Champion ended up passing Weston ahead of me, and I remained in third for much of the race. He began to pull away from me mid race, and it was all too easy to relax in 3rd place and be content with a podium, but I wanted 2nd and so settled myself into a good rhythm and rode some good laps to pull back the gap, despite an excursion across the grass at Edwina's after an over excited set of gear changes put me into first gear and locked the back end up big time while on the brakes.
With only a couple of laps remaining, I’d clawed back a 3 or 4 second lead by Weston and was on his tail through the Esses. I wanted to get a good run on him through the hairpin, and bus stop chicane so that I could be right on his wheel through devils elbow and slipstream him, making the pass into Gerrard's. Unfortunately, this plan came to a head when my braking into the hairpin brought my back wheel up into the air, forcing me to release the brakes momentarily, which obviously then meant I couldn't make the corner. I wanted to keep left of Weston and run on without a problem, but his faster wide line prevented me from doing this. I let off the brakes completely hoping to run on his inside cleanly past him, before he turned into the chicane, but as I came along side him he turned in and we collided, both crashing out of the race. We were both OK and so were the bikes, it wasn’t good, but we’re both racers and after the obvious apologies we were all good, watching the end of the race chatting about the race we’d just had between ourselves. It transpired that he is triple F600 champion there so definitely knew his was around there. If you read this Lee, sorry mate!!
So Race one was a DNF, after crashing out of a certain 3rd position, doh!
Sunday races 2 & 3
The bike fixed up pretty quickly, and was scrutineered again no problem. Sunday’s races were again on dry tyres, in the 20+ degree sun. The first race of the day saw a similar start as on Saturday, although Shaun Champion started from the back of the grid as he was late to the track. Lee Weston took the lead in the first corner again and I tagged onto the back. 10 laps into the race, Sam Ludgate, friend and fellow racer from Superstock 600 in Thundersport, came past me after starting from the back of the grid! He didn’t qualify and just turned up for the day, and was flying. As he passed me, he went through a small puddle on the exit of the bus stop chicane. It wasn’t there the lap before and I backed off the throttle just slightly, thinking someone had dropped some water. Sam pulled about 1 second on me at this point, and as he went 100% throttle on devils elbow, I saw blue smoke from his bike, and with it being a Triumph (!), quickly realised that what I had seen was oil from his bike! All down the grid I watched his line as my visor was coated with his oil, and with my extremely cautious entry to Gerrard's, he left me for dead. I expected him not to make it round the corner, however on my exit I saw him still upright and heading towards Edwina's chicane. Mentally, my race was over, as I’d seen him put oil down on half of the lap. I sat up waving to the marshals to black flag him before he was injured, and as I was doing this I saw him almost highside as he tipped into Edwina's. He managed to stop it on the grass as the bike spat oil and water literally all over him and his bike.
I was now in second place once again, but knowing where the oil was, I knocked my lap times back by a few seconds. Unfortunately for me, Champion hadn’t seen the oil and came by me with a couple of laps to go. I expected him to crash but he stayed on. Mentally, I couldn’t push where I’d followed Sam, so his lead over me increased and with Weston taking the win, Champion took second with me finishing in 3rd.
Race 3 came around in the afternoon, and after a last minute top up of fuel as I was leaving for the grid, it became apparent that there was damage to the fuel tank, with fuel leaking down the side of the bike. Race over before it even began…
We managed to sort the bike with a spare fuel tank, and Hottrax kindly cleared me to race, obviously for no points or pots, from the back of the grid in the Motogrande 1000 race later in the day. So this one totally for fun, just to be out there and have a nice race. I came round to the grid after the warm up lap to have Skel and Nige on the grid with their radios, saying there were reports of flames from the bike on the warm up lap. We checked the bike over, but it proved to just be the last remnants of fuel on the exhaust, and with all well, the race began.
I managed a great start and carried lots of speed into the first corner, making 9 spots up just there. Over the race I found a good rhythm and with some free space between other racers, got some good laptimes and ended up racing to a new PB of 55.6. With a series of quite serious crashes, the last one causing a red flag late in the race, a result was called, and from last on the grid against a grid of 1000cc bikes, I came home in 12th position. I like to think I was on for a top 10 result had the race not been finished early!
Summary
So I guess it was quite an action packed weekend. A front row qualifying, followed by a crash, a podium, a missed race from a mechanical issue, then the bike catching fire (apparently!) and then a PB against the thou’s and a good result in that race.
I went here for fun. It’s all for fun obviously, but this weekend was to see lots of old mates in the Hottrax paddock, and have some good old battles. All of which I did. I didn’t plan on the crash, but these things happen!
As usual, I managed to get to this weekend, spend the weekend in comfort, ride on good rubber, and get the bike sorted etc because of everyone who’s helped me along the way. Many thanks to My parents and friends, Paul Cooper, Ryan Peters & Stacy Joyner, Ryan Myler & Claire Domoney, Rich & Signs Express, Pipewerxbikes.com, Bates Car & Commercials, Mike Chappell, Darren Ross, Ant & Carol Birchall, Chris Rustage, and everyone else who has helped in any way. JR Racing, obviously a big thanks to all of you lot for your help, and for some good times over the weekend.
There are too many people to talk about, but it was great to see everyone. Pit stop boys, Blujets, all the Michelin racer, Mike Dicko, everyone. It was great to be back in the paddock! Lastly, congrats to Nigel Maclean for great results on his first ever race weekend, and Jake Kay for some top racing.
More racing soon, love it!
Bongo
Excellent report! I tend to forget my details when I write.
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