Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > 4D Donnigton Trial and Triblulations

[Fordie]

Good move getting up to the paddock area early on the Friday afternoon all though arriving in dry weather it soon turned very wet and the good places were disapering fast.
Fil2 had the oppotunity to get a little practice session in so we got the bike unloaded. To our surprise the battery was as flat as the preverbial pancake. No problem thinks me we'lle bump it , big problem it won't. Jump leads from the Van soon fired it up, but after doing 1 lap Fil pulls in as the bikes as sick as a parrot on bird seed. Thankfully Pete and Nick were at hand by this time and after swapping a few things over we put it down to a faulty igniter. Some thing you down find as a freebee in a pack of cornflakes . Thankfully Alan Knight came to the rescue and once fitted Fil manages a few good laps in the wet . Paul and Kirsty Payne arrived next and in no time we had a nice gazzebo ? up and the Barbie ready for some serious action. Team Rattler, Ali and Sara, Butch and any one that could lay a sausage on a hot plate were welcome. Well done to Kelly for being Master Chef again . Sleeping at Donny was as expected noisy I took up the offer of crashing down in the back of Domski's Van and if it was,nt for the Parafin Buggies flying over like an RAF strike force, a good sleep I would of had, so this was to be yet another manic day at the races .
First session was the qualifying, just after 0930ish and the weather was Dry surprise surprise. But things were about to change. Most of the lads manage the first two laps Dry, when Tim (Rattler) entered the S/F straight and headed for Redgate, from about halfway along it went from dry to very wet and Tim went in a tad hot (his words)only to find himself in the litter, Tim looked OK as we saw this happening from the Granstand, but never a nice sight to see some one on the ground. Soon after, quit a few SoT riders went down. With Pete B and all hands to the pump within a hour or so Tims bike was ready for the Big Race at 1230ish .
The first race was wet as expected and seeing the full grid out on the start at Donnington was really so thing else. The chrishendo from the DD bikes all sitting at around 5/6000 waiting for the Red to go was electrifying and when it was Gooooooooooooo every one got away OK . Watching them all head of to Redgate and that first right hander was worring to watch, let alone being there on track,thankfully ever one made it round. The next time we saw any one was as they re-entered to home straight again . Great to see Geoff Spencer holding his own, with the quest riders pushing hard, and the Grandstand erupted in rapptous applause . The wet condition looked to favour some of the riders as the race went on but unfortunatly we had one or two fallers Paul Payne and Antonio came back to the pits with more than a few dents in the their body work and enough gravel to cover one of Charlie Dimmocks water features. Thanks to Domski's "Tent" "Workshop" we manages to get the bikes back for the 2nd race. Must say these races are adictive to watch, anyone not been to a DD session must get to see one, not only the racing but also the the DSC members visiting the pits and mingling with the teams, terrific comaradery, banter and just a willingness to help out . OK, for the track side of things Ali has written a great report so Ill pi$s of and get on with some thing else
Oh! one last thing Great to see our one and only Nelly(Cornerspeed) have his hands in his pocketts taking it easy for once 4D

[Edited on 14-8-2005 by Fordie]