Ducati Sporting Club UK > Sport > Race > Nice trophy WJB

[skidlids]

Just got back from a great day at Castle Combe. I started with a tour of the paddock catching up with a few mates.
My mate Simon had the Ex DFX 748RS there for the sound of thunder race for which he qualified in 2nd place, eventually found WJB, had been looking for a van but he had a car and a sorry looking trailer.
Still he was happy enough having qualified as the top CB500 so it would be nice to say the trophy was for a win but sadly it wasn't. He had to settle for 2nd, which I'm sure he would have been happy with in the second race rather than the DNF after starting the last lap again in 2nd place.

WHAT HAPPENED WJB ????

My mate Simon Knowlson was gutted with the outcome of both his SoT races, the first of these I watched from Quarry along with Triplenine,his wife, PeteB and Gordy with Gbyte666 futher along tha banking with his family. As we stood there Simon appeared over Avon rise in the lead to my suprise (how does a 748RS with such a high gear out drag 996's 1000's etc) then promptly crashed at the next chicane. Later found out he had a gear selection problem which caused him to take to the grass and then layed it down before hitting something Solid.
In the second race the gearbox problem again foiled his attempts at a good result as first it cost him the lead and then forced him to retire.
Alan from AJR diagnosed it as being down to a small part costing £13 and fairly easy to replace.
Still he is very interested in coming to Rockingham and may even pop along to the Popham Mega meet,

[Edited on 21-8-2004 by skidlids]

[desmojen]

It was indeed a top days racing! Roll on tomorrow!

[Felix]

Go WJB! Nice one!

[Triple Nine]

Great racing and great company Kev, oh and it didn't rain!

Well done WJB, we wondered why you didn't show on the parade lap of the 2nd race

[WeeJohnyB]

Thanks for looking out for me guys. I had a few chats with Kev, but never managed to meet anyone else, particularly Roy, where were you mate, I was looking out for you?

I qualified first, but got a bad start in race one and missed second gear and went back to third place by the first corner. Got back to second then 2 laps later took the lead again and thought that was it, then I got caught napping on the brakes and was overtaken easily and just coudn't catch up again as I got stuck behind a Hornet - they are generally faster on the straights and slower on the brakes and the corners, so if you get one stuck between you and the CB5 in front, then they can make a break that's hard to make up again. Anyway, got second, got the trophy, but that's the first time that guy has beaten me fair and square.

Second race I got a better start but still got taken into the first corner by the guy who won the first race, then I got him, he got me again and then my mate came past me to put me into third which really spurred me on, so I regained second, then a lap later took the lead and was looking good on the last lap, then I missed two gears on the fast start/stop straight and lost first place, got it back again on the brakes, but the back locked up badly and did it again at the next corner and it hadn't done that all day. It was so violent a lock up that I thought with the noise the engine made when I missed the gears that maybe I'd broken something and maybe I had oil on the tyre or something, tried again to brake hard and it did it again - I don't use the rear brake at all. So I decided that I'd had a great day in the sun racing bikes and thought I'd just bring it home in one piece, so I toured round the last half lap and came straight into the pits before the flag and got a dnf.

Never mind, it was good fun and that's what matters in the end - I really enjoyed it today. Back there again on 25/26 Sept as are a number of BSB superbike boys, so it should be a big crowd. Great circuit by the way.

Never did find out about the bike, I think in the panic of the missed gears on the start/stop straight that I never went up to 6th and so from there my gears were always one out, which seems mad, but it's the only explanation I can think of other than I was crap

Here's to next time

WeeJohnyB

[kwikbitch]

Second?...You weren't last!
Clever thing you!...Go WJB!

[bradders]

sorry I missed it

[David Cook]

John,

How the hell did you do that with "those" brakes?

Well done mate.

David

[WeeJohnyB]

ahhhh, those brakes....

Finally got something sorted. I borrowed a complete system off a mate for the race, but on Sunday I took an old caliper and took it to bits and cleaned it up, put on a different master cylinder and the existing line, bled it all up and I've got a brake again....yippee...and I did it all myself which might not impress you, but it does me

WeeJohnyB

[Felix]

Are your services expensive, WJB? I could use a good spanner man!