The ups and downs of racing in Hottrax MG1000!

Every season, i try to get back to my first race paddock. Thundersport is now home, but the Hottrax paddock is still special, with so many great friends there, it's always nice to go there, even if I'm not riding! With the Oulton Park round the previous weekend, this was a last minute entry, and although i didn't want bad weather, the rain was just about perfect for me to have chance to set the bike up in the wet and get used to it in the slippery conditions, away from Thundersport, where it basically didn't matter how i did.

Friday testing
I actually only decided to go to Anglesey at 4am Friday morning! Umming and arring all week, i'd decided against racing, choosing to save the money for other racing, but then with the forecast being terrible, i thought last minute it would be a good chance to get wet time, something i wished I'd had more of when i raced at Mallory in the rain in April.

I rolled up at 11am and Karen booked me on last minute for the racing. Kindly, Mark Roxborough (Aka Roxy) said i could jump in the garage with him so in gorgeous sunshine and with help from him and his Megan, i got set up. I only got out for 10 laps on the Friday, but got down to some sort of pace, knowing most of the track pretty well already.

This time, unusually, we were using the International layout which is nowhere near as good as the coastal in my opinion, and misses out the brilliant and unique corkscrew complex, choosing to continue left on the entry and up to a simple hairpin, then back to the last, extremely off camber corner. Last time i rode this layout was July 2010, instructing for Hottrax, where in comedy fashion, whilst leading the sighting laps in the morning, my sump split and pissed oil everywhere. I crashed into the last bend on the brakes when the rear got covered in oil. As i came to a halt in the grass, i picked the bike up not knowing about the oil, which then ignited, setting fire to the bike, my gloves, arms and instructors bib!!  Not the ideal way to start any day, and not the best experience at the track!!!

Anyway, it was a decent ten laps, and should have been longer only for red flags, but what can you do...

Saturday Qualifying & Races 1 & 2
We got away with a dry qualifying in the morning which was nice! As much as i needed the rain, i wanted the dry, so we at least got some of both. I got about 7 laps in qualifying, and came away with a 1:32.5 and a few more 32s, which i was happy enough with as it still felt very safe and i was still learning the two new corners of the track that lead onto and off the extended section. This put me on the front row, in 3rd position. Happy days.

You know where i said in the title about the ups and downs? Well this next bit was the down! It was nice and sunny for race 1, and with the lights out, i headed into turn 1 in 3rd spot still, but lost a couple of spots into turn two. I quickly made a place back, and on the first lap felt good for the race, knowing my pb of 1:32.5 was a safe time and i was only going to go faster. Unfortunately on the first flying lap, i hit the kink on the back straight at over 140mph where i braked and dropped a gear to 4th. As i dropped again to third, it felt like i actually sped up as i found myself between gears in a false neutral. I quickly found third properly, but in that split second i had moved offline by a couple of feet and found myself a little too fast on the approach. I did all i could to brake and shed speed, and managed to turn into the corner as much as possible, to the point of being inches from the grass on the apex curb. I did all this because i quickly knew that Rhalf Lo Turco in 2nd place was going to be in my firing line and i wanted to do all i could to either miss him, or minimise damage. Unfortunately i did make contact with him. I came off the bike with amazing style if i do say so myself, sliding break dancer fashion on my bonce, and as i stopped, was happy to see the collision wasn't big enough to knock Rhalf off. Happy days.

Feeling sorry for myself, i trounced off to the tyres as the great marshalls got everything clear. The bike was basically undamaged and i got a chance to sit in the sun and watch a good race. Every cloud...!

Little did i know, Rhalfs bike wasn't too healthy. It seemed I'd damaged his gear shift rod, and 5 laps later, he pulled off track with no gears. I obviously felt terrible. It's bad enough crashing, but you never want to have your crash affect anybody else's race. We had a natter and he was cool about it. He's a top guy and great racer who's been at it a long time and knows the score, all of which i was grateful for. It was just one of those things. Got him a little prezzie for Oulton next week anyway ;) !

So that was race 1! Eventful! Race 2 was also a dry race, and i felt really good. Rhalf was ahead of me in 2nd again, with Julian Hughes on pole, and it was these two guys i wanted to beat! On the grid me and Rhalf had a bit of a cheeky smirk at each other as he turned to me which was nice. All was good and it was nice to know he was OK with what happened! I got a good start into second place, and after being on Julians tale for a lap, Rhalf came past on the brakes. The first flying lap gave me another .3 off my PB and i was feeling good to get comfortably into the 31's and start to really push. Unfortunately for Dave Evans he brought the red flags out with a massive crash at Church. I heard he wasn't too serious and now hope he's healing up nicely at home. The race was not restarted due to time constraints to get the endurance race out in time, so it was canned and rescheduled for the next day.

Sunday Race 2 rescheduled, Qualifying 2 & Races 3 & 4
The weather came down in the night. It meant 3 wet races, which was actually better for me than if race 2 happened on the Saturday. I had more chance to play with the bike and get it working in the wet. Like i said in my Mallory report, the Fireblade is a totally different thing to ride in the wet than the R6 and time in the rain was important to me!

For race 2 i had put some settings in the bike that I'd planned on trying since Mallory. There is no doubt that the biggest single factor in my wet pace is me, but at the same time as knowing that, i know when the bike is working for me and not against me. What i did to the bike helped in some areas but made it difficult in others. The horrendous side winds made things difficult as well, but that was the same for everyone. I came through this race with thoughts on what to do to the bike, and some more experience on the bike which was good. i went across the line in 6th, Disappointingly dropping 2 spots on the last lap due to almost complete fogging of my visor after putting my spare on and not preparing the visor properly for the weather. Big lesson learnt!

We then had to qualify for Sundays races, in the wet. I went out with new settings in the bike again, and felt slightly better with it, but i didn't get a front row this time, with a 6th place on the grid for the following two races.

Race 3 next, and it was one of those nightmare times where everyone looked at each other with a 'what tyres do we run' expression on our faces! On the first call for our race, and with wet in the bike, i threw a dry rear in as it was windy, and drying quickly. On the second call though it was raining again!! Back to the full wets again, and in a bit of a rush, out to the race! It was more good experience in the welsh weather but i came away not particularly happy with the bike, feeling like I'd gone the wrong way with the set up! I got a 7th this time.

The last race of the day was again very wet. I had yet again changed the bike and was more confident that i could get what i wanted out of it. I got a good start and shot right through making 4 spots into second place, which is were i stayed for the majority of the race. Rhalf eventually put a pass on me on the brakes and held his position. I tailed him for the remainder of the race and after a couple of looks behind, knew there was a healthy gap to 4th place so backed off and brought it home in third for a pot. The bike felt miles better and i was far happier with the way it worked for me. I've still got a way to go in wet conditions, but this round gave me a good amount of time to get used to things and improve.

Summary
A crash, a podium, a few results in between, and some real good times with my mates in the Hottrax paddock! Along with Roxy, it was great to finally share a garage with, and meet Andy 'Bullet' Goddard (his missus told me his nickname is nothing to do with his pace, but because his weiner is like a 9mm bullet), and Paul 1098 who teamed up for their first endurance race, which was a pleasure to watch and see them love it! Great to see Alan Lygo again (who is also responsible for many of the great photo's above, thanks Al!) Also the usual ugly mugs of Fraser and Lyndsey, great to see them guys!

There were too many guys and gals in the paddock that i enjoyed catching up with. It was a big reason for me to go, besides the racing, and always awesome to see guys like the Dilks lads, both of the Allsops, the smiling assasin Andy Rouse and Colin, and everyone else! Them crazy Scots Steve C and Nixxl were there too!!!

As well as all the usual Hottrax regulars from back in the day, my mate and sponsor responsible for keeping the bike looking amazing, amongst other things, was racing his Ducati in the Desmo Duo series! It was good to see him getting great results and have a laugh around the BBQ when the racing was done!

I'm well on the way to being comfortable in the wet on this bike. Still need to improve to be as competitive in the wet like the dry, but great progress was made and I'm excited to ride again now!


Thanks yet again!
As always, it wouldn't be possible without everyones help! On the day, Megan, Roxy, Brian, Bullet and Paul, and then the usual suspects who helped me get there and be able to race. Pipewerx exhausts, Brian at Bates Car & Commercial, Signs Express Lincoln, Oxford Products, Shorrocks motorcycles, Metaltech racing products, Peter Dyer, Madteal, and of course as always Ryan @ Moto-racespares.com. Thanks a million guys!

Special thanks to my HJC helmet and Held Phantom gloves that both took a spanking and kept me uninjured and safe!

Thanks for your support, more soon!!


Bongo