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| #1  05-Jun-2012, 08:37 | ||||
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| Tales from the Newbie - Part II Luckily there were 5 weeks between Snett and Anglesey as I badly needed to sort a couple of issues, soggy front forks (read, bottoming out) and a little matter of quite a few missing horses from the motor  Forks went to Mark at Go Racing Developments and the engine underwent open heart surgery with the aid of Skids. My poor girl was diagnosed with low compression on the front cylinder, a bit of TLC and getting my head around the desmo system and she was back together just in time to be loaded on the trailer for my next race weekend Thursday evening I start the long trek from Oxford up to Anglesey via a travel lodge about 2/3rds of the way. My chosen route took me up the M40, M42, M6 then off at Jct 16 to pick up the A51 to Chester where my bed was waiting, a slight confusion as to which motorway I needed to be heading towards at Tarporley and I started spotting signs for Oulton Park!!! Doh wrong circuit, well at least I know where it is now as we’re back there in two weeks time. I break out the map and get myself back on the right road (no **** nav yet) only to look in the rear view mirror to see the fairing wobbling in the wind worse than a jelly on a trawler in a force 10 gale. Once I get to Chester I take the fairing off and put it in the car for safe keeping and grab a few hours sleep. Friday I wake early, partly in anticipation of another fantastic day on track and partly stressing about what to do with the fairing, well if I’m awake I might as well hit the road and get to Anglesey early. I arrive about seven just as a few of my fellow DDers are rising, bike off the trailer, into the garage and what to do with the fairing. A temporary repair sees me out on circuit with fairing in place but it’s not happy, 2nd session and about 3 laps in and I have to ride half the track one handed as the other is holding on to the fairing which has now completely come adrift  apart from the two cable ties we hastily fitted (cable ties and gaffa tape I’ve learnt are the main stay of a racer tool kit). Nick who’s come along to help Bradders says “out the way, let’s see what I can do” and in a few minutes it’s stronger than before and I’m back out there learning which way the circuit goes. The rest of the day is spent getting up to speed under blue skys and on a lovely warm, dry track, BLISS. Dinner is Gammon and chips in the café with Trudie, Kev, Skids and Dallas before walking the circuit as the sun sinks below the horizon. A quick cuppa and then off to bed in my pop-up tent.Saturday, weather looks good, a few last minute adjustments (kick the tyres and put in some fuel) and off we got to the holding area for Qually. I come out behind Bradders and stick with him for a couple of laps as he scrubs in a new set of tyres then he ups his pace and I then have a lonely few laps. I pull in after 5 flying laps Stoner-esque satisfied with my time, in reality I’m knackered. 18th one place behind Skids (well it would have been rude to qualify in front of him after all the help he’s given me), well chuffed. Least said about Saturday’s race the better, 2 red flags, a few of my fellow DDers injured and not enough laps for it to be called, try again tomorrow. I phone mission control for an update on the weather forecast, going down-hill rapidly. I pack up the pop-up as it won’t survive the forecast, clear a space in the garage and bunker down to ride out the storm. Sunday, I haven’t slept a wink while I may have been dry and out of the wind the rattle of the garage doors was awful, others don’t seem to have fared any better and it’s WET. You can sense the mood there’s much more of a nervousness than normal, even people who go well in the wet don’t really like it. I pull on my leathers, water proofs and head to the holding area for 4 warm-up laps and a 6 lap race. As we complete the warm up laps and form up onto the grid, you see the gaps left over from yesterday’s carnage. The red light comes on, then out and we’re off, I go around the outside of turn one which puts me up the inside of turn two, what a start from the 5th row I must be in the top 10  , tip-toe around the back straight then brake as hard as you dare for the left at the top of the hill. I’m battling with Tom and we swap places a few times, coming onto the last lap I’m in front of him but no idea of where we are in the race, keep calm, I’m talking to myself all the way around, I expect a last corner lunge from Tom but it doesn’t come and I cross the line knowing I’d done well but no clue as to my position. As we slow down I’m trying to see how many other class B bikes are in front of me but I can’t work it out, where did I come??? Into park ferme and the only other class B bike is Jimbo (congrats on first win), am I 2nd? I must be then it dawns on me I’m on the podium in only my 4th ever race, you can’t buy that feeling . The rest of the day no longer matters I’ve got a podium finish. Race 2 starts wet and then dries up and I slip from a battle for 2nd with Scott to finish 5th, still a great result though. Race 3 and the conditions have got even worse, the rain is now almost horizontal, we get out there and I get another cracking start, another battle with Tom and have a cheeky little go at Kev P along the start/finish straight  however the race is red flagged, the race is called on lap 4 of 10 and we head back to the garage with another 2nd place.Goals for the meeting, I wanted get two more signatures on my card and to finish in the top 10 in class B, as Saturdays race was not completed I only get one signature this weekend but two podiums and a fifth is beyond my wildest dreams. Do I want another wet meeting at Oulton park? NO, blue sky and 20 degreesC will do nicely after all I’m camping again but this time with the wife. Thanks especially to Skids for his help with the bike, Nick for sorting the fairing bracket and Tom and Scott for the various battles that made it so much fun. To Trudie, Kev, Dallas, Craig, Simon and all the other DDers thanks for your company. For all of you nursing injuries, Bradders, Matt, Paul and any others I’ve missed, GWS.  |
| #3 05-Jun-2012, 09:25 | ||||
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| Great to see the big smile across your face Andy. Well done in horendous conditions. A couple of years ago we had a race stopped at Brands in the wet on the grounds of safety, it wasn't as bad as Anglesey either. |
| #5 06-Jun-2012, 02:03 | ||||
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| Well done fella, was good to have a dice with you and many more to come. Not too happy with the way you go in the wet though, far too quick!!!  It's not the size of the dog in the fight that matters, but the size of the fight in the dog. Scott #50 |
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