Well that’s it over for another year sadly. Would have to say that Cadwell 06 is without doubt the best DSC trackday so far. The two day format is simply brilliant. Means you can spend serious time feeling your way into the groove, and if it’s a bit wet, then no problem cos tomorrow will be better.
Can’t thank Monty et al, enough for the privilege of being allowed to instruct/marshal. That said, my whole body is screaming at my foolishness today. I ache just about everywhere, even my eyes! To my recollection, there were only about 5 sessions in the two days that I didn’t go out on either the Black Beast or Elaine’s little Monster. I have no idea how many laps I did, but I used over 70 litres of fuel and a set of slicks. This despite using the Monster for most of Tuesday when the Beast started to weep oil into the belly pan. Although it was very slight, I didn’t want to risk it becoming a torrent and depositing yet more oil on the track, and of course my ass!
General highlights have to have been seeing the wheelie muppet get bollocked by Wee Johnny and listening to that gorgeous Supermono. Personal highlights have to have been seeing peeps benefit from my, albeit limited, experience. One in particular improved enormously after I suggested he paid more attention to his lines than getting his knee down. This was slightly surreal though because we had the conversation with my mate JR butting in with a few tips of his own! I quite definitely felt way under qualified to be telling ANYONE how to do it with him looking on. It was also somewhat disconcerting having him standing on the circuit watching me, but I did get a few good pointers from him. He in turn felt it somewhat surreal watching his helmet belting round on the head of some fat bloke!
Thanks also to Butch for the superb little duel we fought in one of the last session on Tuesday. I strongly resisted getting into any such battles for most of the two days, but when Butch came past me, on that simply gorgeous little blue bike, I just had to get stuck in. I was on the Monster myself I hasten to add.
On the downside, I was quite shocked at the standard of some of the riding I saw out there, and several folks asked me to have words with a few. Those who I did speak to all took it well, and most asked me for a “follow me” session and I hope they benefited from that. Overall I was a little disappointed at how few people were prepared to ask for instruction. To those who didn’t, there’s no shame in asking for a few tips and pointers. I regularly seek out Wee Johnny and ask him to help me through various problems I’m having. I long ago accepted that I was not the track god I wished I once was, and that there are people out there that have awesome ability, and we mere mortals can learn from them.
But let’s take nothing away from the event, it was organised brilliantly, the weather was, on the whole, incredibly kind to us. Off’s were remarkably few, and I think only Kwikbitch actually hurt herself. The Virgins had a blast, mine improved to a 3.06 on the second day AND hit most of her apexes, but it killed my wrists doing that on the Beast, should have borrowed Logyk’s S4 again!
Biggest grin had to be the fast sessions I had on Elaine’s Monster. Now I can see why the DD boys have a blast. Ducati Monster – The thinking man’s racebike!
So that’s it for another year sadly. If I can fix my oil leak I’ll be back at “The Park” again in a couple of weeks, no doubt seeking out WJB and see if I can finally get some decent speed through the woodlands, I know I’m a sissy over the mountain, but I’ll live with that. See you all next year!
http://www.motorapido.co.uk/dsccadwe...ti_cadwell.wmv