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Old 27-Aug-2009, 15:38
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Skids CC race report

My Castle Combe Race Report

I have always enjoyed the Castle Combe race meetings, having ridden there a few times in the years prior to DD on various bikes including my Fireblade and 916, as well as popping along to help out mates such as Simon Knowlson, Rob Jones and Bryan Jacques
So I was looking forward to returning to the venue and catching up with some friends that normally race with North Glos but are regulars at Combe.

I arrived along with Dallas around half three and immediately spotted friends I haven't seen for quite a few months. We soon had the bike and gear out of the vans and through scrutineering before wondering off to chat to people.
As I had ordered a new set of tyres from Mark at Holbeach I set about removing the front wheel and taking it over to him along with a New angled tyre valve as I have had enough of struggling past my twin disc setup with my pressure gauge trying to get on the end of the straight valve.

Mark was happy to fit it for me while doing the tyre change and I explained I only wanted the front tyre fitted for now and would take the rear in readiness for Pembrey.
Later when I returned to pick up the front tyre Mark asked if it was OK if I didn't have the rear there and then as other people wanted rears, no problem I said so long as he brings one along to Pembrey for me. So with the tyre paid for it was off to fit the wheel back in the bike. By now quite a few more DDers had arrived and setup camp so it was time to start the BBQs and have something to eat before walking the track.

Race Day

Woke to a bright dry morning, has brekkie then started getting ready for the 08:45 allcomers timed practice. Arrived early in the collecting area and was out on track as soon as they moved the barrier out of the way as I set about scrubbing the front tyre for two laps, with that done it was time to pick up the pace and see what I could manage, ended up qualifying on the outside of the 5th row.

Next up was DD timed practice which was to be followed straight away by the allcomers race, so enough fuel was added to cope with both sessions.
DD practice went quite well getting in a few laps where I had a bit of a decent run and scrapping a few laps where I came across people just in the wrong place,

After DD practice my mouth & throat were feeling really dry so I nipped back to the van to grab a quick drink, As Dallas had forgotten his paddock stand he was using my prop stand and had left it in a bit of an awkward place for me to reach, so I pulled up at an angle with my front wheel on the grass so I could reach over & grab it. I nipped to the van for a drink and turned to see NickB rescuing my bike before it fell to the ground after rolling backwards. Thanks for that Nick your timing was excellent.

So back on the bike and head out for the allcomers taking up my position on Row 5.
After a very long red light they eventually went out although by then several bikes in front of me had made some form of movement as they tried to anticipate the lights, still we were off and running now and I was getting a clear run up to Quarry only to arrive to find an errant #21 bike sliding across the track, after taking avoiding action I managed to squeeze through without having to take to the grass, but the evasive manoeuvre had cost me time and I could see the front rows of the grid escaping into the distance, so it became just a matter of getting my head down and seeing what sort of time I could put in, after all it really is only an extra practice session for many of us before the main event. My best lap turned out to be a 1m 27.7s which I was happy enough with.

After the race I got hold of the DD practice sheet and found I had qualified in 11th on the 3rd row of the grid with a low 1m 28s lap.

After lunch it was time for DD race 1 and I was hoping for a good start, and expected to be dicing with some of the Class B guys ahead of me, at Snetterton I had battles with Sam West when he was on Nog’s bike and also with Matt Lawson so I was expecting more of the same. Unfortunately it wasn't to be. As the lights went out we launched off the grid and then had to take evasive action so as not to ram Sam as his chain exploded in front of me, with the track kinking right and Sam’s bike heading straight I had to drift left to avoid it which caused me to clash with Guy.
Again another lousy start so again time to get the head down and make the best of it, coming around to complete lap 1 I was right on Matt Lawson’s back wheel and had decided to pass him around the outside over the start/finish line, only for him to slow and start drifting left as his bike dropped onto one cylinder. Again another evasive manoeuvre and a little more lost time.

So again Head down and start chasing down that group that was about 4 seconds ahead of me, I was closing the gap by about a second a lap and after 4 laps had just about got on to the rear wheel of Steve Hands who was in turn on Ghost’s rear wheel with 0.5secs covering the three of us as we crossed the line and Dean Russell behind me making it 4 of us within a second. On the next lap I was passed by Dean Russell as we bottle necked at the run into Tower and the following chicane as we came across a lapee, Ghost couldn't make the chicane so he opted for the escape route and gained him a bit of time over Steve crossing the line 1.7s ahead of him as Steve and the rest of us slowed to get around Rosco. The order behind Ghost was now Steve, Dean and then me and we set about trying to close that gap and we had just got the gap aback to where it had been on the previous lap and low and behold Ghost plays the same trick again as Dean attempted to put a pass on Ghost having previously passed Steve at the exit of the previous chicane.

As we approached the final Chicane we again came across slower moving traffic and made our passes past him as we crossed the grid. The gap between me and Ghost had grown to 2.6secs with both Dean and Steve between us as we started the final lap. I had already planned on getting past Steve at the same point as Dean did the lap before and as we exited the first chicane the manoeuvre worked and I entered Tower on Dean’s back wheel then as we exited the second chicane I got the drive and got up the inside of Dean on the entry to the final chicane, I flicked through there as fast as I could but couldn't quite catch Ghost as he crossed the line just over half a second ahead, my best lap was my final lap again getting me into the 1m 27s but marginally slower than I had run in the allcomers.

DD Race 2 - hoping for a incident free race this time and that’s exactly what I got, I had a decent start from my 11th position and was soon up into 7th although slowly loosing ground on the others ahead of me but I kept pushing and thought I may have over done it one time into Tower but the noise was nothing more than my knee slider scraping the ground which as anybody that knows me well will testify is a very rare occurrence, one day I may get used to it but after that I started keeping my knee in a bit more, I was quite happy running in 7th putting in 1m 27s Laps then as I backed off again for the a lapee at the chicane following Tower Dave Ainscough came sailing by and demoted me to 8th, at the end of that lap he crossed the line 0.02secs in front of me, but the gap slowly increased as I started to tire so I concentrated on relaxing and being as smooth as possible having no idea that Sam was so close and I managed to hold my position to the line.

After the race I bumped into Colin Allgood a photographer that has been taking pics of me for the past 12 years mainly when racing with NGRRC but also at all the Castle Combe meetings I have taken part in and it was good to hear him say he thought I was riding as well as ever, not entirely sure myself as I feel my best year was probably 2002 when I swapped from the TL1000S to the 916

In the final race I had managed a 1m 27.06s lap which was over a second quicker than my previous best around Combe which had been a 1m 28.19s lap on my Class B bike, previous best for me on my Class A bike had been a 1m 29.8s so after taking 2.7secs off that on the same bike I went away from Combe a happy DD'r especially as the 2002 engine is now into its 3rd season and other than oil filter and belt changes has only ever had its rocker covers removed.

Next up Pembrey a circuit I'm looking forward to racing at again especially after last year when I was so disappointed with my performance I nearly gave up racing there and then. I couldn't believe how slow my lap times were, the best I could manage was a 1m 14s lap, which compares to a 1m 08s lap the year before on my 750SSie in MiniTwins and a high 1m 10s on my 583 Class Bike the year before again in MiniTwins all be it on stickier rubber.

The whole focus of this year has been to arrive back to Pembrey with the bike as best sorted as I can manage and take a chunk off last year’s times. With that in mind I recently bought a standard set of 620 Clocks, ECU and coded Key to replace the 750SSie ECU I am currently running, but after Combe I'm in two minds if I should fit them, as I would have to do without a power commander and setup time.
Maybe I should just concentrate on loosing a few kilos off my 173kg bike


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  #2  
Old 27-Aug-2009, 16:15
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Gbyte666 Gbyte666 is offline
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Nice report Kev and good to be track side with you at last after all those years watching you there.

Craig
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Old 27-Aug-2009, 16:53
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MLC Racing MLC Racing is offline
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Nice report Kev.
Good to here a point of view from my area of the race. Most reports seem to be a way in front or behind and I never actually see 1st hand what is described.
Not sure I've ever 'sailed' past anyone though. More Exxon Valdiz if you know what I mean!!
Oh and don't get that close again.....if I'd have known I'd have cacked myself I'm sure.
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Old 27-Aug-2009, 17:05
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MLC Racing
Oh and don't get that close again.....if I'd have known I'd have cacked myself I'm sure.

Good job you didn't have mirrors back in 2006 then Dave, I had my 583 sat just behind your 620s back wheel all the way down the start finish Straight (is it a straight) tucked right in the slipstream then as we went up the rise you'd pull a few meters on me, I did that for about 5 laps that day. First lap I was a bit nervous at sitting that close, next lap less so, after a few laps I thought it quite safe as by the time we arrived at the braking area for quarry the gap was quite safe so I closed the gap up. Across the line on one lap it was 0.3secs and that narrowed all the way up tyo Avons Rise
I thought it good fun as I must have spent every second of the race wondering how I was going to get by, trouble is I never found an answer.


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Old 27-Aug-2009, 17:44
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Its a long, long way around me.
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Old 27-Aug-2009, 19:52
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DSC Region Organiser skidlids skidlids is offline
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Originally Posted by MLC Racing
Its a long, long way around me.

But one heck of a slipstream


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Old 27-Aug-2009, 20:22
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Good write up Kev, even tho' I'm looking like a real villain, missing the odd chicane. Once was out of safety, the others I just f***'d up.
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Old 27-Aug-2009, 20:44
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Otei Otei is offline
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Nice report Kevvo.

Brilliant to see you're still improving and enjoying your racing. 1:27's is quick enough round there for sure!

If it makes you feel any better, I never got any knee down at any pont on that circuit. It's a rare thing for me too!
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Old 27-Aug-2009, 22:15
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Blooming heck Kev, your mind must be a stop watch Nice write up, not seen a long one from you for a while.


Chris
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Old 27-Aug-2009, 22:38
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