Anglesey has always been a favourite track of mine. We’ve had success in endurance racing in 2009, and I’ve had some good results in 2010 there in Hottrax’s MG600 series, not to mention my first ever Thundersport meeting was at the Welsh coastal track in September ’10, in typically horrendous rainstorms for the duration. Needless to say this was the round I was looking forward to the most.
I had visited the track the week before for a catch up ride after not riding there since the previous September, and was surprised how rusty I was. It always brings me down to earth when I visit a track certain that I can lap good times, only to find out I’ve forgotten all those little details that string a good lap together. The markers, the bumps, the apexes. I had some decent notes from last year though, so over the day I got my act together, and sorted out my gearing for the bike, as like the tracks at the previous rounds, it was my first visit on the Yamaha R6. I also met TSGB Superstock rider Adam Robinson #17 at the same trackday, although to my disgust, his reasons were very different to mine – he was going to be in school on the official test day!
I was once again set up with Sam Ludgate for the weekend. We were in amongst the bigger awnings and caravans so hoped to get a little shelter from the notorious Anglesey winds if they materialised. Early on the weather seemed good, and the Thursday when we set everything up was a nice day. Usual antics prevailed, catching up with Knight racing crew, Josh Daley & family, and lots of usuals, then a ride/walk of the track to see where the oil was that the car racing had left for us to enjoy. Ryan Myler #99 and Claire Domoney former CB runner out with injury was stationed near by and thanks to Claire, we had nice full bellies that evening!
Friday Test day
Fresh from the previous weeks trackday I was keen to get out and set my mind to getting up to what could be considered a decent pace by Thundersports standards. My first round with TSGB last year was a try out, to see how I faired up against the grid and to decide if it was a suitable club to race with this year or if it was out of my league. Back then I qualified with my PB and was still 17th on the grid!
This year I wanted better. It does seem to be the case however that I don’t seem to ever be particularly fast on the test days. I think I know the implications of crashing the day before the race weekend and hold things back, so ‘stuck’ on 15’s I knew I was a mile off where I wanted to be, but I was happy enough as I was on old rubber too so I could afford some new Metzelers for the racing.
I made quite a big geometry change to the bike which I’d pondered over for much of the last round, which immediately helped me late in the corners, so I was happy I was making progress and trying things.
Saturday Quals & race 1
Saturday came and it was overcast. Friday night brought the winds that Anglesey is famous for and with the Awning door zips opening themselves with the weather, I awoke in the night certain I’d been burgled! I taped the zips shut and got some more sleep.
Qualifying was dry initially, and I immediately took a few seconds off from testing, with good rubber, but more importantly the mindset of being on the race weekend now, and confident that I knew the track well. Like I’ve said before, I learnt the hard way in Round 1 at Mallory how a bad grid spot can ruin a weekend, so I was keen to put in my best performance to date.
I pulled in as I saw a PB on my timer and wanted a rest. Ryan was in pit lane also, and when we pulled out together, I wanted to improve my time some more, but on the out lap I had spitting on my visor and decided not to risk it and took the lap time I’d already made.
I managed to secure 9th on the grid with a 1:12.464. My first top 10 qualifying, so I was well chuffed!
Race 1 came around in no time but by now, it was wetter than an otters pocket, although the rain had stopped. I rolled out to the grid on wets and we got underway. Excuse #1 now. When I swapped rear wheels, I took off my working rear warmer, and put it onto my wet wheel. I know some people don’t run them, but the only time I’ve not run them on my wets, I crashed on my first flying lap of test day at Snetterton National endurance round in 2010. I’ve run warmers before and since, so when Mex Paul told me my rear was stone cold as I rode out to the grid, I was a bit flustered! I put as much heat into the tyre as possible on the warm up lap, but that first couple of laps I was mugged a few spots by being a little too cautious I think.
Either way I stayed on and got into a rhythm. The thing I love about Thundersport races, and in particular the Saturday race, is the length of them. You have real time to plan your race, work on your pace and you can really get into a flow and chip away at anyone in front of you. Of course this can work against you in equal measure!
Two thirds distance I began to get some serious issues with the rear tyre. It was the first time I’d used this type of tyre and I wasn’t impressed! Stuck with what I had, I had to use a soft wet, and with the by then slightly drying conditions, it was just tearing to pieces and overheating, causing a lot of movement, with my laptimes dropping off significantly. I managed to hold on and came across the line in 9th place. Again, like qualifying this was my first top 10 finish, and a result I was really happy with.
These were two targets I had set for myself at the beginning of the year, and with them achieved, the goal posts were instantly and automatically moved in my head. I instantly wanted more of the same, and better, and more consistently from then on. I was happy but didn’t want to go backwards!
Obviously with the racing over it was out of the wet leathers, and off for a stone cold horrible shower (the shower only went cold when I was head to toe in soap, grrr!!!). I only found out after the race that the winner was none other than Sam ‘Ludwig Van Bethoven’ Ludgate on his Triumph, after a spill in Qualifying, so a big congrats to him on his maiden victory,a nd by all accounts an awesome chequered flag wheelie!
My evening was spent stripping the bike after finding an issue with the fuel tank again. This was resolved after the much appreciated help of Ryan & Claire, Paul Owen and Mex Paul.
Sunday race 2 & 3
Sunday was a glorious day. The coastal track is in a league of it’s own when it comes to weather change. In it’s own micro climate it was be sunny, snowy, windy and rainy all in the space of an hour, but today it was set for sun right through.
Due to a complicated rule that I’m still not 100% clear on, despite starting from 9th and finishing 9th in the superpole race, because of certain finishers and certain crashers ahead of me, I started from 11th today.
The first race of the day saw me make 3 spots from 11th in the first lap. I was much happier in the dry and made some progress over the next couple of laps, before finding myself neither gaining or losing time with the gaggle of riders ahead of me. It was one of those races where you feel on your own for much of the time, and after the first 3 laps, I was in 7th position, is where I ended up finishing. With a few moments, I was made up with consistent 1:12’s and 13’s, and another top 10 result. My best result to date.
For the final race of the day, I decided to make a change to the bike. I was happy with my weekend so far, and with this confidence, I wanted to progress some more and made the move, despite having made my best qualifying place, results, and a new PB, to try running the bike with a different wheelbase and slightly different gear, to address a couple of issues I could feel on track.
This didn’t prove fruitful, and with my best laptime in this race 0.8 sec slower than previous, it was one of those changes that didn’t make the bike feel wrong, or slower, but the laptimer just didn’t agree with the feel.
I rode much of the race in 10th spot, before McHale passed me into Rocket on the brakes with little I could do. Rounding out the last race where I started, 11th, I ended my weekend upright, healthy, with a bike that was still shiny, several firsts for me and my worst result an 11th.
I was glad I made the change, I learnt something important about what the bike likes, which I can keep in mind in the future.
Once again, this weekend was made possible by the help and support shown by an ever increasing amount of people. Firstly my biggest supporters, my Parents, and my Aunty Ali, who once again were there for the whole time watching the whole thing. Mexico Paul, for his tireless spannering, put downs if I ever feel good about myself, and pit board work, Rich Howes @ Signs Express for sending me a last minute package actually to the track on Saturday so I could have the best looking bike since time began, and Pipewerxbikes.com for providing me with the exhaust that gave out the best tones of the weekend!! Ryan @ Moto-racespares.com for all my SiS hydration products, oils/filters/pads etc, and Claire Domonoey for some amazing meals! Bates Car & Commercials and Mike Chappell also for their help with my new Surfturf Gazebo for the weekend, without which I would’ve looked like a drowned rat and would definitely not have enjoyed the time there! Also everyone who has shown any support, no matter how small. Thank you!!
It goes without saying that I wouldn’t enjoy the weekend anywhere near as much with best buddies Ryan and Sam.
More soon,
Bongo
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