Ducati Sporting Club UK
 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 09-Jun-2006, 14:43
WeeJohnyB's Avatar
WeeJohnyB WeeJohnyB is offline
Registered Forum User
Big Twin
 
Posts: 1,993
Join Date: Jun 2001
Mood: Channel Swim is now a (bad) memory not a dream
WJB Vs The Stalker

UK Monster Owners Club trackday yesterday at Mallory.

Brilliant day, hot and sunny, great to see loads of old and new faces, took the mandatory and deserved pasting regarding the incident with the S4R of two years ago, did the old Gerrards circuit and we only had one faller all day at the entrance to Edwinas, all the Ducati UK bikes went home as they arrived and Mr Chris Walker turned up to test the 1000, (he already has a Paul Smart).

He looked good in Ducati Dainese leathers with number 9 on the back. I had a good chat with him before we went out and he was looking forward to seeing what it was like. I had to sign him on and put a wrist band on him and obviously gave him the full 20 minute WeeJohnyB No Limits briefing (not). He asked me about Edwinas as he'd never done it before (WJB - instructor to the stars)

He came down very early for the fast group and sat waiting for the novice group to clear the track as the rest of the fast group formed up behind him, most of them totally unaware that the guy at the front of the line was a world class rider and British racing icon.

The green light goes on and we get the nod from the gate marshal and Chris pins it out of the pit lane, bang goes my plan to at least be on the same lap as him. I nail it on my CBR600RR and sit in behind him around Gerrards and into Edwinas, where he takes a perfect line first time ever through the corner. He starts to open it up a bit and I'm still with him until we go through the Bus Stop where it appears nobody has ever told him why it's called the bus stop as he glides through it and is off down the Devels Elbow as I'm still tip-toeing through the left/right. I open it up a bit, but the only thing I can think of is binning the S4R two years ago on this very corner and how ridiculous it would be, but I pin it down the straight and get back up behind him going into Gerarrds. At this stage there are a couple of other No Limits instructors and a few of the quicker guys on Monsters still in toe, but as each lap goes by, they drop off one by one. Three laps in and I'm still tucked in behind him, on my own now and I can see we've got the tail end of the group up ahead. The pace is getting faster all the time and I'm now only just keeping with him. As we go down the straight, I take a weird decision that I totally had not planned and go past him on the way into Gerrards!!! I say 'go past', it was more like half a bike length, cause when he saw me beside him, he sort of looked at me in slow motion and basically didn't let off at all for Gerrards and as I scrubbed off some speed on the entry, as normal people do, he just maintained his speed and threw the bike over into the corner, awesome to watch close up. By the exit of Gerrards he was about 20-30 meters in from of me. Well that was it really, I tried to keep him in sight, but he got further and further away as we caught up with the traffic, any chance of keeping up disappeared.

Someone was taping it (badly), so the visual is not good, but the sound is funny. First off about three laps in, one of the other instructors comes in and off camera says, 'I nearly lost it there, what the feck was I doing trying to keep up with Chris Walker' and a few seconds later, Chris and I come past and you hear someone else saying 'WeeJohnyB is right up his arsse'. You can't quite see the 'overtake' on the screen, but you can see me in front, then as the camera pans around Gerrards, it's comical, you just see Chris pulling away yard after yard.

I came in sweating buckets, pulse banging out of my head. That was great fun. I don't get spooked by celebs, but it was an honour to be on the same bit of tarmac and the story of me overtaking Chris Walker, WSB rider, will get better and better the more I tell it.

The No Limits boys are off to Croft today, but I had to work, but back to Cadwell on Sunday then Brands on Monday (day and evening). I followed Ian McPherson for about 100meters at Cadwell last week, who's next?

Special thanks to all the UKMOC boys and girls, fab people and to Terry (Fatbloke) for organising it and to Ducati UK. One of the best trackdays of the year, if you have a monster, make sure you get there next year.

WeeJohnyB
(Instructor to the stars)
Quote+Reply
  #2  
Old 09-Jun-2006, 15:10
Felix Felix is offline
Registered Forum User
Ducati Meccanica
 
Posts: 2,467
Join Date: Dec 2001
Mood: Is 112 dB loud enough?? What??
Regis should be worried, now. Sounds like great fun WJB. Chris really is a top bloke. He rode my RS around Croft three years ago. And his girlfriend was a sight to behold.
Quote+Reply
  #3  
Old 09-Jun-2006, 16:09
Steve M's Avatar
Steve M Steve M is offline
Registered Forum User
Big Twin
 
Posts: 1,926
Join Date: Jan 2004
Mood: Sans moto
Funny that, I had the daft idea of trying to hang on to WJB at Cadwell - untill I got a close up view of just how quick he gets out of Charlies.

Sounds like you had a good day John, nice one.
Quote+Reply
  #4  
Old 09-Jun-2006, 19:22
Albie's Avatar
Albie Albie is offline
Registered Forum User
500SD
 
Posts: 755
Join Date: Aug 2004
Talking Hgh Praise to Johnny

Thanx Johnny for giving us the chance to do this. Your a star mate. Just listening to your advice helped me a lot. Much safer and more confident which is oh so good. Tyres looking well used for me. Apparently coming out of the bust stop I even was leaving darkeys which a guy was following my line. Oh I was in novice too.That was reasonably fast.

It was so great to see Stalker just ride like that. Fantastic day especially as I had intended just to watch 1 month ago.

Well done Johnny and to your No Limits Guys and Gals.

Andy
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Chris-gt1000.jpg (97.6 KB, 55 views)

Last edited by Albie : 09-Jun-2006 at 19:29.
Quote+Reply
  #5  
Old 09-Jun-2006, 19:30
Albie's Avatar
Albie Albie is offline
Registered Forum User
500SD
 
Posts: 755
Join Date: Aug 2004
My great british racing hero
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Chris-and-me.jpg (97.6 KB, 59 views)
Quote+Reply
  #6  
Old 09-Jun-2006, 20:29
chris.p's Avatar
chris.p chris.p is offline
Registered Forum User
DSC Club Rep
Ducati Corse
Bikes: Monster 1100 EVO
 
Posts: 3,969
Join Date: Jul 2003
Mood: I'm A Grandad again :-)
Is he coming to Cadwell, is he, Is he!!!!


Chris.
Quote+Reply
  #7  
Old 09-Jun-2006, 20:52
crust crust is offline
Registered Forum User
Mille
 
Posts: 192
Join Date: Jul 2004
Mood: :( broken
"He came down very early for the fast group and sat waiting for the novice group to clear the track as the rest of the fast group formed up behind him, most of them totally unaware that the guy at the front of the line was a world class rider and British racing icon."

Actually, not all of them.

A few of us followed him down thinking 'great, we might get to see him disappear round Gerards' then instructors - masses of them - appeared from out of the darkest depths of the tin sheds and filled up the first group let out of pitlane.

Bunch of big kids, really

Was great to see him wandering around chatting to people, top bloke.

Massive thanks to the whole No Limits crew.

Yet another slickly run trackday, friendly staff, helpfull instructors, lots of tracktime, minimum fuss.

Crust
Quote+Reply
  #8  
Old 13-Jun-2006, 14:23
WeeJohnyB's Avatar
WeeJohnyB WeeJohnyB is offline
Registered Forum User
Big Twin
 
Posts: 1,993
Join Date: Jun 2001
Mood: Channel Swim is now a (bad) memory not a dream
'masses of instructors....' tee hee, only three of us went out in that session but big Ewan at 20 stone plus maybe made it look like there were more and as we only normally let 8 go at a time, with Chris, that left just 4 Monsters! It was funny though, have to admit and I did actually ask the No Limits person on the gate not to let loads out in the same group as Chris as I was concerned that we only had one faller all day and I didn't want a dozen people trying to keep up with him. I suspect most, if not all, of the group would have seen him come past them as they got 'lapped'. I, of course, had to be far more responsible being a No Limits instructor, I politely backed off and didn't go through the traffic as quickly, (yer right!)

WeeJohnyB
Instructor to the Stars
Quote+Reply
  #9  
Old 13-Jun-2006, 15:09
Redruth's Avatar
Redruth Redruth is offline
Registered Forum User
Ducati Meccanica
 
Posts: 2,885
Join Date: Jul 2004
Mood: Fabulous
Thumbs up

What exciting stuff. Glad you had such a good time. Will definitely want to be on this next year, as long as it doesn't come so close to RTL, that is.
Quote+Reply
  #10  
Old 13-Jun-2006, 15:21
skidlids's Avatar
DSC Region Organiser skidlids skidlids is offline
MotoGP God
 
Posts: 18,274
Join Date: Apr 2002
Mood: Its ONLY a Bike Club
Sounds like everybody had a good time, I was going to come and watch as I had a days leave booked for that day, but ended up having to work, next day I picked myself up a 600 Monster just a few days to late to book in and ensure the time off wofk.
Maybe next year as WJB always makes it sound like a top day at the track


Checkout the Desmo Due Paddock on Facebook
Quote+Reply
Reply
  
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes
Postbit Selector
Switch to Vertical postbit Use Vertical Postbit

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Recent Posts - Contact Us - DSC Home - Archive - Top
Powered by vBulletin 3.5.4 - Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. - © Ducati Sporting Club UK - All times are GMT +1. The time now is 19:50.