Birthday weekend at wet wet Mallory!

Round 3 at Mallory was one for the ducks! After such a great first round for me at Donington, Mallory seemed to take an age to come round, but when it did it wasn't the glorious sunshine I'd seen up until then on the Fireblade. This was to be the first time I'd taken to a wet track with 1000cc to play with, and it was a very interesting round!


Test Day
Friday saw the usual test day before the race meeting. We rolled up on Thursday evening and set up with the usual suspects, Thundersort 500 racer Sam Ludgate and Sportsman elite racer Ryan Peters. After usual talking crap, spraying copious amounts of WD40 around the bikes and tinkering, we got some kip before the morning.

The test day was dry and for the most part it was a case of trying some lines and just getting used to the place some more on the bike. I rode a trackday the week before so had a ballpark setting and gear. With consistent 55's i was a little concerned, and knew I'd have to step it up if i wanted to be competitive. The afternoon saw a couple of sessions in the rain. My first ever time riding the bike in the rain, and first time on 1000cc in the rain too. I was careful and tried to find a setting, getting used to the power in the slippy conditions.

At the end of the day, the bike was stripped and prepped before scrutineering, and the orange Bates car & commercial fairings were put on ready to race.

Saturday Qualifying
I managed to get a little lie in on Saturday before Qualifying, but was soon up to get the warmers on and get prepared. After last year, i had learnt how important qualifying well was, and i had been looking at the data from the test day and trackday to see where i could improve. The sun was shining bright, and on dry tyres and settings it was out for qualifying. Within a few laps I had tried a couple of slight changes and with the right mentality i pushed and got down to the 53's, over a second faster than my previous PB of 55.1. I finished qualifying in third position in Superstock 1000's with a 53.938, less that 7 hundredths off first position, and on the second row behind Peter Baker, in 8th position. After trying to find 54's the previous day and not succeeding, i was made up with 53's and happy for my second row position, on the inside of the track. The morning also gave a nice surprise thanks to the guys at Thundersport when i opened the programme to see myself on the schedule as a double spread photo (photo credit to top 'tog Phil Gale!)

Race 1
Before the first race, the clouds came and it hammered down! After lapping in the 53's the day before, without actually feeling like i was pushing particularly hard, i was disappointed with the weather, but wet wheels on and out to the grid. I got a good start and found myself in 4th position into the first corner, Gerrards. On Peter Bakers back wheel around there i felt like there was grip, but Phil Crowe passed me on the exit towards Edwinas. As we got on the brakes i saw Chris Barnes come up on the inside of me, and released the brake slightly, tipping in on his wheel and closing the door. Before i was anywhere near full lean or the apex, my rear wheel came round on me. I was off the brakes and had a closed throttle, on the correct line, and it just felt like i was on oil. I promptly slid across the chicane and onto the grass, grateful nobody behind collected me. It was probably the most frustrating crash I've ever had, after such a good qualifying where i surprised myself, and a good start, this crash came from nowhere and was the first I've ever had, where I was literally clueless to what had happened.

The bike had little damage, other than fairings, footpeg, clock bracket and clip on, so after calming down for a while, we got things cleaned up and prepped the bike for the scrutes to clear for racing.

Sunday Races 2 & 3
It was decided that due to the temperature, the crash was no doubt caused by a cold rear tyre not working properly, being the wrong compound. With the bike ready, and me uninjured and good to go, i moved back to the Bridgestone wets i had successfully used last season on the Yamaha. I liked these tyres and liked how they rode on the 600cc bike in 2011.

Yet again the morning saw sunshine, but with rain over night, the warm up was mixed conditions for us, so i used it to make sure the bike was working OK. With all well, we just had to wait for the rain to return before our first race of the day!

It didn't disappoint, and with the new wets back on the bike, and unchanged grid positions from the Megalaps system, i was back onto the 8th position grid place. With another good start i was into the first corner a couple of spots up, and began to really learn how to ride the bike with these tyres, and generally just how to race the Fireblade in the wet. Over the laps i improved my lap times, but my competitiveness was not the same in the rain as in the dry. I was finding I had issues on corner entry and had substantial head shake which wasn't happening so much in the dry, and ended up racing to a 5th place finish. I wasn't too displeased with the result, although i was disappointed after qualifying 2nd in the dry.

For race 3 i made a couple of changes, still trying to find a good setup in the wet, and with a similar start i was into Gerrards a couple of spots up. In a very similar race i tried to ride consistent lap times. Midway through he race Mike Dickinson passed me so i used him to try to tow me up to the next riders. I finished this race in 4th position and happy with the improvement in position and points.

I didn't improve the handling of the bike with the changes i made, and only afterwards realised that the issues i had were down to moving from the 190 Metzeler rear wet, to the 180 Bridgestone wet, which was lowering the back end and under weighting the front.

Summary
I learnt a lot from this wet round. Happy with my dry progress with the bike, i have a good setting that is working well. I know my weak points and aim on working on them. My wet pace needs to be improved and with the setting i had, and the geometry changes i need to test due to the Bridgestones, I'm looking forward to some wet time to see where we can be. Obviously i wanted to be on the podium and to take more points, but it wasn't to be this time! Donington changed everything. I wanted to be competitive, and it proved i was. Now i want to be competitive right at the front! Alex Heaton rode a faultless weekend, and if he was in a different class I'd be much happier!!!  Great riding from him, along with Chris Barnes and Ben Scranage. I can't wait for Oulton Park, where i know these guys are all on form!

Birthday weekend!
So this eventful weekend also just happened to be my 29th Birthday! After my Birthday eve crash, Sunday saw too many cakes to count, Birthday cards, a bit of alcohol (not consumed before the races!) and my family and some top mates all giving me a special and memorable day! Little did i know that I was about to be up on stage with Thundersport Syd and the Thundersport grid girls, looking like a right lemon as everyone sang Happy Birthday to me! I want to thank my Mum, Dad and Auntie Ali for being there and supporting me, and for giving me a brilliant birthday weekend, along with Sam, Rachael, Ryan, Stacy and Paul for taking me to an awesome Indian and having a really great night out on the Saturday night, even if i had to lie on the floor in the back of the van to get there and back!  Thanks guys it was a great one! Ryan and Stacy brought out a brilliant cake they'd lovingly made at midnight, a perfect replica of my 177 on my leathers, union jack an'all! Then on Sunday Ryan and Claire Myler came down on Sunday to have a watch and help out, and surprised me with a Birthday present in the card to take me to sky diving in one of those tunnel things with a fan in the floor! Sunday also saw Steve Balmforth and Phil Brunt show their support, and also bring a cake that didn't last long at all! Mega thanks to newlyweds Jason and Hannorah Markham for their cake too!  (These were all low fat racers cakes of course and didn't last long at all!)

Thank you!
This round was a tough one! I found out i was not legal to tow, and was forced to take ridiculously expensive lessons and a test to upgrade my driving licence. For this reason i need to send a massive thanks to Richie Gelder, Peter Dyer, and MadTeal. Without you guys, i wouldn't have been able to race. I am extremely grateful for your generous support, thanks a million fellas.

Along with these guys, there are countless people that i need to thank. As always my parents and Auntie Ali for their continued support and Paul Cooper for his help and perfect pit boarding as always.

Brian Bates @ www.batescarcommercialburnley.co.uk, Ryan @ www.moto-racespares.com, Tony @ www.Shorrocks.co.uk, Gennaro @ www.metaltechracing.com, Oxford Products, and Ian @ www.pipewerx.com. These guys have helped me a great deal and their continued support is greatly appreciated!

As always, I'm the racer on the bike, but so many people have a part in getting me there to give me the gear to be safe and the bike to get the results, thank you all so much for supporting me. Ryan M, Ryan P and Sam are the guys at the end of my voice over all these weekends racing. Thanks for your help whenever it's needed, putting up with me and making me laugh too much! Stacy and Rachael keep me fed and watered probably a bit too well too, thanks a million, top notch grub keeps me at my optimum weight (!)

If you would like to be a part of my racing and support in someway please get in touch! With advertising opportunities on the bike and leathers, on sponsorship boards in the paddock, together with online promotion on some of the UKs biggest motorbiking forums, Facebook and this website, your help could really make a difference. There is also tickets and hospitality available. Any help you could provide to help with costs would be greatly appreciated, from fuel for the bike or travel costs, to tyres or entry fees.

Also thanks to all the top guys and gals on www.Trackdayriders.co.uk and www.1000rr.co.uk for their support!

Oulton park round 3 real soon, i cannot wait!!!

Bongo