andys 900ss
23-Jul-2009, 22:54
Andys Oulton Report
Oulton Park hasn’t been kind to me over recent years. 2007 was a struggle as I crashed during qualifying, then last year crashing out at Lodge in the first race.
Friday testing was thwarted with rain, giving us no chance sort the gearing or attack the track. A quick head-to-head was our best opportunity. We came up with a plan!
Me & Tim waited at the front of the qualifying queue as the van went out to recover fallen bikes from the previous qualifying session. Low & behold the van never returned and we sat there with our engines off as everyone was waved out onto the track. So I set off midfield cutting through to get a clean lap at the front. Fortunately I got through to the front and got my head down for a few flying laps, this place was good for overtaking except for the chicanes. We’d managed pole!
Race 1: I got a reasonable start but Will Charters got out in front. Then Tim Otei came by going into Hizzy’s. I got my head down and remembered Jon Mercer coming by going into Druids (a corner we talked about me attacking more) and passed Tim going in and then held the power on for a quick but shaky exit (there’s a drop which shakes the handlebars violently) but I held on and passed Will going into Lodge. It was then time to get my head down and pull away, which I couldn’t do!!! Everytime my lap counter showed me a faster lap, I’d look behind to see the green machine inches from my rear tyre and im sure Will Simoncelli was grinning! I used the back markers well and managed to take my first Oulton win, wahey!!!
Race 2: Was pretty much the same as race 1, except our times were even faster, even though my clutch was now on its last legs. The bike was going well and I was really pleased with how we were going but I was now struggling out of Druids. Maybe the gearing was slightly wrong, but it was good everywhere else.. Me & Will crossed the line nearly together but I’d got the win by just 0.26.
As you probably know, we lost a lovely friend, Lucie Stone, recently. I can still remember following her out of Britten’s chicaine in 2006 as she’d pull away on the super fast 583. I remember thinking this as I rode round and wanted to dedicate my Oulton win to her, which I duly did after our 1mins silence. Thanks guys! Don’t forget we’re having a chin-dig in memory of Lucie on Saturday night at Cadwell in 1st Aug. Please try to come along, even if your not part of the racing.
Bad luck to Tim who was dogged with mechanical gremlins and well done to Sam for double wins in super-fast times. Thanks to my lovely wife and family for putting up with all this time that the racings taking up this year, promise to make more time next year. Thanks to my supporters and friends, you all mean so much to my racing!!! GWS to Gordon as he was knocked off his bike on his way to Oulton. Most of all RIP Lucie Stone xx
Andy
http://img4012.photobox.co.uk/40524419744b27251090384d60cc6314fc92736f7eb333c83e d03c6c43e4740b370461b1.jpghttp://img4012.photobox.co.uk/16539063dae85d637a862424cfb2c466947152c00234a19071 fbd6537d65847ebfe65fc6.jpghttp://img4012.photobox.co.uk/2896754492e863e2cbe53b639a0945cf80e0444d71c84aed45 ce1778b828f0b8dec29d8d.jpghttp://img4012.photobox.co.uk/019150204307c06970c0aba51457a2cd5dc1e674a5c2ec79f5 6c81492a0990379a31aa1d.jpg
Oulton Park hasn’t been kind to me over recent years. 2007 was a struggle as I crashed during qualifying, then last year crashing out at Lodge in the first race.
Friday testing was thwarted with rain, giving us no chance sort the gearing or attack the track. A quick head-to-head was our best opportunity. We came up with a plan!
Me & Tim waited at the front of the qualifying queue as the van went out to recover fallen bikes from the previous qualifying session. Low & behold the van never returned and we sat there with our engines off as everyone was waved out onto the track. So I set off midfield cutting through to get a clean lap at the front. Fortunately I got through to the front and got my head down for a few flying laps, this place was good for overtaking except for the chicanes. We’d managed pole!
Race 1: I got a reasonable start but Will Charters got out in front. Then Tim Otei came by going into Hizzy’s. I got my head down and remembered Jon Mercer coming by going into Druids (a corner we talked about me attacking more) and passed Tim going in and then held the power on for a quick but shaky exit (there’s a drop which shakes the handlebars violently) but I held on and passed Will going into Lodge. It was then time to get my head down and pull away, which I couldn’t do!!! Everytime my lap counter showed me a faster lap, I’d look behind to see the green machine inches from my rear tyre and im sure Will Simoncelli was grinning! I used the back markers well and managed to take my first Oulton win, wahey!!!
Race 2: Was pretty much the same as race 1, except our times were even faster, even though my clutch was now on its last legs. The bike was going well and I was really pleased with how we were going but I was now struggling out of Druids. Maybe the gearing was slightly wrong, but it was good everywhere else.. Me & Will crossed the line nearly together but I’d got the win by just 0.26.
As you probably know, we lost a lovely friend, Lucie Stone, recently. I can still remember following her out of Britten’s chicaine in 2006 as she’d pull away on the super fast 583. I remember thinking this as I rode round and wanted to dedicate my Oulton win to her, which I duly did after our 1mins silence. Thanks guys! Don’t forget we’re having a chin-dig in memory of Lucie on Saturday night at Cadwell in 1st Aug. Please try to come along, even if your not part of the racing.
Bad luck to Tim who was dogged with mechanical gremlins and well done to Sam for double wins in super-fast times. Thanks to my lovely wife and family for putting up with all this time that the racings taking up this year, promise to make more time next year. Thanks to my supporters and friends, you all mean so much to my racing!!! GWS to Gordon as he was knocked off his bike on his way to Oulton. Most of all RIP Lucie Stone xx
Andy
http://img4012.photobox.co.uk/40524419744b27251090384d60cc6314fc92736f7eb333c83e d03c6c43e4740b370461b1.jpghttp://img4012.photobox.co.uk/16539063dae85d637a862424cfb2c466947152c00234a19071 fbd6537d65847ebfe65fc6.jpghttp://img4012.photobox.co.uk/2896754492e863e2cbe53b639a0945cf80e0444d71c84aed45 ce1778b828f0b8dec29d8d.jpghttp://img4012.photobox.co.uk/019150204307c06970c0aba51457a2cd5dc1e674a5c2ec79f5 6c81492a0990379a31aa1d.jpg