Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > 4D's Snetterton Report

[Fordie]

Combining a Track Day with a DD race was one of the best days I can remember. To get out on track and be blitzed by some of the DD boys was inspiring to say the least. Some terrific scraping in the Enduro Race made for some exciting spectating and the buzz in the paddocks adding to the days events.
Arriving at Snetterton after a 2 hour drive, Team F3 set up camp with Domski and Ali close by, having arrived on Friday night. Quickly get the bikes (3) out and off the trailer, before a mad dash to Race Control to get the Briefing and "friendly" chat from WJB . Then its another mad dash back across to get the bike ready and kit on. Out in the Fast group for the first time and the first couple of laps seem "fast" for me and Im thinking Im not getting into this at all . With the first session over after the 20 mins alocation Im still unsettled. Come the second session and I start to work at it and get more relaxed.Yellow flags flying all over the place and im suprised people are leaving the track especially as it dry?
Glyn and his ST2 were giving me a hard time (again) then you would expect that from a Track God that was until he high sides coming out of the right hander on to the back straight, especially when its the first time he put a set of D208R on the ST . First time with "Soft Rubber" on instead of Macadams. For me a great day on track with some of the boys from BHC and Norfuk giving me a lesson or two on trying to get me knee down. Ive booked in to have the operation to extend my legs
its the only way forward for me . Some of the Pictures of the day

This one taken by Kelly


Picture by Kelly

Not a good starting position MW

Rattler leading them into the Chicane


A Great scrap through out the race saw Dom Fil and Ali swapping places .

Thanks to all the DSC members that were able to make it to Snetterton and support the lads . We sure had a great day both on the track and off.


Spellbound the lot of em and not a air horn in site
thankfully.
Would like all so to thank James for helping out on Fils tyre change , Tantrum for sorting out the BBQ and all you good people for making it a super day. 4D






[Edited on 26-6-2005 by Fordie]

[Paul996]

Fordie
Great day and some great racing, enjoyed our little tussle on the track. Amasing how fact the S4r is when it out drags you down the back straight Still did not manage to get my knee down though , next time maybe
Thanks for the fuel to get me to the petrol stn, all the guys were great. Came away with plenty of stories

Look forward to meeting you all again soon

[Edited on 26-6-2005 by Paul996]

[Fordie]

Originally posted by Paul996
Fordie
Great day and some great racing, enjoyed our little tussle on the track. Amasing how fact the S4r is when it out drags you down the back straight Still did not manage to get my knee down though , next time maybe
Thanks for the fuel to get me to the petrol stn, all the guys were great. Came away with plenty of stories

Look forward to meeting you all again soon

[Edited on 26-6-2005 by Paul996]

Yes You also are going in my little black book with Glyn,Sparkin and Wheelspin for giving me a hard time on track Good fun all the same. 4D

[sparkin]

I had a great day,or half day Putting the 888 in the way of the DD boys was fun,even if it was frusrating for themWatching 4D being a half inch away from dragging his knee was also frustrating,but not as scary as coming around Sears and some pillock leaving his seat on the track
Missed not being in the same group as Tantrum and Dodgy,especially with Rooney and Wheelspin(you should race my boy!)dissapearing into the distance.I absoloutely ache all over today,trying to muscle the T8 around shows how much of a fat bar steward I am
Not to worry,got the slipper fitted,which has said goodbye to 99% of my vibration problem and means I can find netrual without having to switch it off now a pity I couldn`t get it fitted before the day but there will be another trackday no doubt.

[marko]

I'd like to thank the Norfuk boys for looking after me on my first track dayand wheelspin for the petrol,beer and food thanks m8t
now i've lost my trackday cherry I might try Women and beer next.
what do you think

[Fordie]

Far too expensive for me, Ill stick to track days with me mates, at least things on a track are predictable 4D

[Redruth]

You could predict I would object to that remark though, couldn't you Fordie

[marko]

Originally posted by Fordie
at least things on a track are predictable 4D

And the track day would last longer

[Glyn]

Snettertron
Great day out
To start off I arranged to ride up with Marko and after a couple of u2us realised he was doing the track day.
I’d thought Mark and I would be having a nice relaxed bimble up with a breakie or two on the way, just to watch the track day and DD.
Now if I’m going to get up at that sort of time I want to be a bit more than a spectator. So I u2u’d and e-mailed Lizzie on Thursday to inquire if any spaces had become available. No, But I was first on the reserve list. I was the reserve list.
Friday morning on the way to work one of my front wheel bearings decide to let go about 2 hours before I get confirmation of a space on the track day.
Quick call to local bike dealers reveals that no one has any bearings in stock. Yellow pages reveals a bearing supplier in Northampton who had no idea what an ST2 was let alone weather or not he had any bearings for one. Luckily for me he did.
Next problem getting them fitted. Once again no body would so much as think about it till Saturday morning, so armed with nothing more than a long screwdriver and big hammer I set about changing them little blighters myself. Within minutes there was nothing left of me screw driver two swollen fingers and the Misses had stormed off cause id started swearing and throwing things. After many more broken tools and swearing I eventually got the little blighters out.
Now Saturday morning I gets up 4.20 yes 4.20 goes down stairs peeps out of window and the weather does not look two bad at all. Had me breakfast and had another look out, it’s like a tropical storm, rains as heavy as I’ve ever seen it and it’s being driven horizontally by a right frisky bit of wind. Never one to be put off by a bit of bad weather I donned some water proofs and set of to meet up with Marko.
Now that A45 was summit else there were rivers running across it and along it. Seriously thought about going home to bed, but low and behold about 10 miles out of Northampton it all dries up, and that was the last I saw of any rain.
Met up with Marko and set off on our way. Marko had a nice route worked out and set a good pace. We arrived at snetterton in time to have breakie number two at the track café, not a bad one either.
Then on to sign in, couldn’t find my licence, thought id lost it turned up in my waterproofs.
Missis Glyn turned up with a set of 207 RR’s for me as I thought I might be pushing my luck on the macadam’s as they were starting to tear in the middle of the treads. Got these swapped over with the help of tyre man, (very good price) up to the briefing. Then a mad rush to get the wheels put back on the ST2. Here’s a tip more hast less speed, struggled like bugger to get the wheels back on the bike in time for the first session, thanks for the help chaps.
Fist couple of laps behind the instructor were a bit daunting as I’ve only ever done Cadwell which seems to lend itself quite well to the ST2 with all it’s twisty bits, Snetterton on the other hand seemed to be a very fast track and I thought I might struggle a bit. By the third lap id forgotten all that and was just lovin those big sweepers, lots of time in the bends to really wind the throttle on and get the bike right over much further than I’ve ever pushed it before.
Now by the start of the second session I’m feeling quite confident in myself and am in awe of the 207RR’s I’ve had put on. Normally when I ride on my macadam’s or whatever hardish tyre I’ve managed to pick up I am relatively gentle winding on the power out of the bends. After a few more laps I’m really driven the bike through and out of the bends as hard as I can and the tyres are wonderful, really giving me a lot of
Confidence.
Lap 4 ish 2nd session bike in front of me holding me up a bit in the bends leaving me for dead on the straight, coming into Right hander on to back straight I thought I’ll have him, powered the bike out of the bend way too hard, started to feel the back end slipping tried to widen the line a bit next thing I know its jumping about like bugger, I’m laying on the screen looking into the flipping taped up headlight thinking I aint going over the front not on your nelly am I. Tried to relax my grip on the bars (quite a hard thing to do when you are laying on the front screen of your bike)and sure enough my little ST2 settled back down after teaching me a well disserved lesson, pushed myself back to take my rightful place at the helm only to find myself dropping about six inches lower than expected. First thoughts were if killed my rear shock or something. A more detailed examination revealed that my seat had disappeared and I was sitting on the ecu box. Limped back to the pits only to find out they had red flagged the session due to debris on track, sorry folks.
Now however much I hassled those marshals it seemed they were quite determined not to retrieve my seat for me (only kidding they had enough on there plate).
Low and behold Lee turned up just in time on his very shiny st4 for me to nick his saddle, with that and a few meters of Markos gaffa tape I was ready for more.
Had a great time on the last two sessions sticking with Pete around the track with no further heroics. My seat eventually turned up on a van windscreen?
After the track day was over spent a couple of hours talking the normal B.S with the lads (best part of the day for me) getting the mick taken a bit for losing my seat etc a couple of beers off Mr ford and wheel spin, and some very dead sausages. Then on to watch the DD boys show how it should be done. An absolute blinder of a race was going on between Ali,Fil2 and Domski.
And after that, well a lot more B.S was talked Pete got another BBQ going and all too soon it was time to try and find the kids and head of home. Trundled in to Northampton just in time to catch tesco open for a few well-deserved Stella’s before bed. Slept like a babe, but I don’t half hurt this morning.
One of the best days out I’ve had will stick in my memories for years too come.
My thanks go out to every one who makes all of this possible.

[bradders]

oh - it was your seat!