Ducati Sporting Club UK - Racing at Cadwell this Sunday!

Sorry, Ray, I guess a calendar is only any good if you keep it up-to-date. I was so busy leading up to this past weekend, that I didn't change the date there. Apologies.

Nonetheless, my race debut was very exhilerating! The highlight definitely was to get my first championship point! This by finishing 9th in the first race after starting in 15 position. For the second race, I wanted to equal or better my first result, now starting at the top of the third row. Unfortunately, after being in 8th place on the last lap, I outbraked my self into Park corner, trying to keep the position, and ended up in 11th. Had the inside line approaching Park corner and leaving the braking to about 150 m marker. My thought was with someone breating down my neck, there was no way he was going to outbrake me, with this being the last real opportunity for somone to come past. In retrospect, I should've let the brakes off just before the peel in point and simply tipped it in. It probably would've made it around just fine. But, instead, I didn't have the bottle and kept the brakes on all the way into the grass, turned it, got back on the tarmac. After I got the bike restarted and back on the throttle down Chris curve, was down in 11th and about 200 m back. Caught the back wheel 11th and was going to stuff him into the hairpin, but recognised it was my mate, and decided to keep it sensible. Shame, really, as I could have had a total of 3 championship points. But, hey, it was a great days racing! No doubt, that I will be doing this again.

Some other details of the days events:

It was warm! We got there about 8:00 AM, got scrutineered and out for practice around 10:00 AM, all two laps of it. Still, it gave me a chance to get a feel for the new tyres. Since Derby-Phoenix don't allow slicks, I had a brand new set of Michelin Pilot Race 2, which I've never ridden on. At the same time, I had changed the gearing based on my trackday from last Monday. It was slightly too tall and changed it from 15/40 to 14/40. The 15/40 meant keeping it in first through the chicane and all the way over the mountain. Way too scary! The new gearing was much better as I could use second gear throught the mountain section and still not hit the limiter down Park straight. My first impression on the tyres was bl@@dy hell, why do you need slicks?! Definitely no regrets over having two more sets sat in my garage.

Back in the paddock, some last minute checking of all things mechanical and swop helmets. The scrutineers didn't like my helmet which I crashed on at Oulton last year. Fair play, it's a scrapper. Got the call for the first race just before lunch time. It's now frantic activity, getting race ready, heading down to the holding area, waiting for the gate to open. Gate opens, heading out on track, thinking, Christ, I hope the grid positions are numbered. Of course, they are, and we are lined up for the warm-up lap. Rolling back to the grid after the warm-up lap, and waiting for tower control. There it is, lights about to go red, the go red, revs up at around 8500 RPM (no idea if this is where they should, a complete guess, never done a race start!), light go out, feed the clutch out gently, but quickly and hey! I passed two people on the start. I am thinking, ****, my guess wasn't far off, then. One came past into Coppice, but got him back on Park straight. Passed a couple more people in the next lap and was pretty much by myself all of a sudden. Leading pack has buggered off, and was at least 500 m ahead. So now, I am thinking, ****, they must be right behind me, and they are going to come stuffing it up the inside any second. Don't look back, concentrate on what's ahead, stay smooth, hit your braking markers, cane it down the straights. And it worked! No one came past, except for two 250 two strokes on the last lap into the chicane (we shared the grid with the 250, 15 second delayed start). Although, the only way the second of the strokers made it past was by running over the dirt on the exit of the chicane. Taking the checkered flag was a FANTASTIC feeling. I felt like punching the air. I had no idea what position I finished, but felt I didn't hold anyone up either. Looked for my mate on the cool down lap, who was behind me, but he was over 20 seconds back.

Back in the paddock with the adrenelin still pumping, it was the typical back-slapping, high-five activity. We were both relieved about surviving our first race at Cadwell. Now lunch, then wait for race 2.

Race 2 was crap for me as I already mentioned. My aim was to finish no worse than in race 1. Start was good, again, but tried to follow someone who was too fast. I think I was in 7th at this point, but riding became erratic and lost a place. No matter, I thought, still up a place. Well, that lasted until the mishap on the last lap. Lesson learnt!

The tyres were absolutely fantastic, although I had to change my shift point and tyre pressures for race 2. Initial pressures were 31f, 30r, but this turned out to be high due to the unusually high track temperatures. The problem occured in the last two laps of the first race on Park straight. As you approach the braking area at the end of the straight, there is a brow with a tarmac change at the top of it. Unfortunately, this is also where my shift point was going snicking into 6 at 11,500 RPM. They tyres got so hot, that the rear wheel broke loose twice at full throttle shifting into sixth. I tell you, having a near tank slapper at 161 MPH has some detrimental effects on the lower parts of your anatomy. Plus, having crashed in my own oil at Oulton last year, my first thought was, ****!, there must be oil on the tyre and I am going to crash into Park corner. Took some pace off during the last two laps and it was difficult holding my concentration. Thankfully, there was no oil anywhere outside the engine. In speaking with Holbeach tyres, they were not surprised. They recommended taking 2 PSI out the rear and shift 25 m sooner. This did the trick for the second race and didn't have any more fishtailing at 160+ MPH.

It's amazing how much stuff goes on, and through our mind, over such a short period of time. I don't know how you would race if they lasted more than 6 laps. I hope to find out at some point, but for now I'll just wonder about it.

It was great to meet Chris P and his tips on the lines through Charlies and over the mountain helped a great deal to improve my time in race 2, even though I f@cked up in the end. Cheers, mate!

So final tally:
- enjoyed myself tremendously,
- relieved to had a successful race debut
- got an unexpected championship point
- best lap time was 1:46:32

Memorable moments:
- getting both wheels off the deck over the mountain
- near tank slapper at frightening speed
- first ever race start and first ever (real) checkered flag
- being completely knackered after only 30 minutes of total track time.
- many more that'll crop up over the next few days
- at home (well work now) safe and sound!

[Edited on 17-5-2004 by Felix]