Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > Tales from the Newbie part 6

[banger san]

Arrive at Cadwell at 4:00 pm Friday afternoon after deciding not to do the test day, catch up with the rest of the guys and soon feel this was a mistake as they chat about how well their going, ah well too late now. Get bike through scrutineering and so everything ready for Saturday, dinner with Kev, Trudie, Dallas, Matt and Kev then back to the B&B for a good night’s kip.
We’re out quite late for qualifying so time for the nerves to build more than normal but weather helps as it’s warm and sunny, eventually we’re called and I make my way round to the holding area. Out on track the nerves soon disappear as I try and learn the circuit and get my head back in gear after ending up on the tarmac last time out. No dramas to speak of; end up 17th out of 25 not my best but still pleased everything considered. Didn’t have to wait long before our first race of the weekend, out on the grid I find my grid slot then were off on the warm up lap. Not the best of starts see me over taken on the drag up to the first corner by Miles and Brian, get back past Miles on the first lap then past Brian on the second, after that I have a fairly lonely race taking the flag in 6th place in class. More importantly another signature.
Sunday weather looks good so I spend a bit more money and put on a shiny new front tyre so warm up times are not great as I scrub it in. Another poor start as I miss the lights and I’m swallowed up by Miles, Brain, Paul N and Neil, for the next four or five laps the five of us are nose to tail, this is more like it. Miles and Paul get past Brain and I know I have to get past as well if I want to go with them. I lunge up the inside of Brian into the goose neck but as he turns in I run out of room and go over the inside curb, no option I pick it up and we both end up grass tracking down to Mansfield (sorry Brian). We get passed by Paul P who’s doing his last meeting before hanging up the leathers (all the best mate) and the last three laps are thankfully uneventful. More importantly this gives me my 10th signature.
Last race of the day see a much better start but I’m still done by Miles and Brian, power to weight ratio is everything. Miles ran wide at Mansfield and I get him back then spend most of the race behind Brian and Simon W but I’m having to work hard to stay with them, eventually Simon gets past and disappears up the track, Brian’s riding well and I’m knackered so I settle for where I am.
Another great weekend, sunny, dry, great racing and I achieved my goal I set myself at the start of the year of getting enough signatures to get rid of my novice jacket, happy days.
Some may ask what happened to parts 4 and 5 well
Cadwell 14/15th June: Bike issues meant I never got my head around a new circuit so wobbled around got signatures and went home.
Donnington 24/25th Aug: Best dry qualifying, best dry result on Saturday, Sunday hit kill switch in 1st race and fell in the 2nd so no signature and missed out on a hatful of points.

[Bionicle]

Nice write up m8, and thanks for the mention, as it was my last DD race i thought it was kind of you to exit left (or should i say right) taking Brian with you to give me a clear track and two places up

[skidlids]

As you say Andy you met your goals and it was a big improvement over the previous visit to cadwell, taking something in the order of 5 seconds off your previous time and without doing the test day