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| #1  19-Jul-2009, 08:23 | ||||
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| The Otei Report: The curse of Oulton Park..MWAHAHAHAHAHAH! Gonna be a pretty unfunny report this, cos I'm still in a mood about stuff.   Trucked over to Oulton on Thursday night and stayed in a very nice B&B that really did have the genuine Manuel from Fawlty Towers serving us. Hilarious, but a nice place and great service. Woke up the next day to the forecast gloomy skies and iminent rain. Bullcheese. Did the usual briefing etc and went out to check the set up we'd decided on for this meet, having returned settings to the Donny ones we began the season with. The bike was handling well and I decided to get a new set of tyres on before it tipped it down. Having done that I managed a dry session, got the tyres scrubbed and felt pretty good on the bike. Then it started raining and really just did not stop. It got so bad later that it reminded me of the Anglesey Monsoon. Lined up for qually the next morning and we were kind of stop start stop start with regard to going out and when it was actually time to go, my bike had found itself in first gear and eveyone buggered off while I fumbled to get it into neutral and started. I found my way past most people after a couple of laps or so and managed one clear lap, then hit more traffic. A 2:05 put me 5th on the grid. Not great, but ok considering my starts are good. I was up for the first race and got away well, slotting in behind will and Shep. I passed Shep going into Hizzy's chicane and set off after Will. Shep then slotted inside with a nicely timed semi block pass into Druids and the shimmied his way alongside Will into Lodge. I wasn't concerned and figured I could go with them as I felt comfortable and reasonably quick, catching them quickly in some places, but losing a little ground through Druids and the first corner, but to be honest, I hadn't got either of those corners right all weekend, and I have no idea why...they've never been an issue before! I tried to pass Will into Foulstons, but it would just have been a repeat of Will and Shep's fracas at Snett if I'd gone for it, so I picked it up and that lost me a second or so. The gap remained fairly close for a couple of laps, but without them in close proximity, I guess I kind of lost the tow. You can find youself dragged into going quicker in a race as you spur one another on, and I reckon I needed that at this round. With a safe gap over 4th, I figured it was nigh on impossible to make up the time to 2nd now, but I'd only give a few points away to Will, and finishing each race is critical. As I crested Clay hill for the penultimate time, the bike made a kind of "BROOAAAAARRRRR" noise and slowed...then chimed in again so I carried on. Then as I rounded the final turn and with the last lap flag in sight, it died again and I coasted into pit lane for my first DNF. Absolutely gutted. We figured I'd run out of fuel cos we ran it close, and it certainly sounded like there was very little gas left in the tank when you swished it around. Second race and I got a decent start but only just avoided ramming Will as he took a very tight inside line. As I went over the hill and into Cascades, the bike slowed again. I flashed my hand in the air as I had a pack of bikes decending on me and only just avoided a major collision as Sam West had to take evasive action and just clipped my right elbow as he went past. Fortunately we both stayed on...close! The bike was misbehaving and making stupid noises all the way down the next straight as just about the entire pack came past, then chimed in again. I wondered if some **** had gotten stuck in the system and was noe clear and got my head down to try and salvage some points. I passed alot of bikes and had just passed Harriet Ridley ( who is a nightmare to get past, good lines girl!) into the hairpin when it cut out and died completely again. I sat on the pit wall and considered mooning Will and Shep as they came past but was just to depressed to drop my leathers. So there we have it. I've used up my lifelines and they were given away in a really annoying fashion. I love Oulton Park, but it's been a real bogey track for me. Something major has gone wrong each time I've ever been there. The bike will now have to be left in Matt and Chris's capable hands to find out what the glitch is before Cadwell, cos I want a result at my home round that's for sure. Major thanks to Rob, Alice, Kate and my Dad for turning up to see another Oulton disaster. Was great to see Rich Cashmore as well, smiling and looking good  I'm off on holiday on Tuesday, hope they filled up the plane!  See ya at Cadders. Otei #85   |
| #5 22-Jul-2009, 17:01 | ||||
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