4D\'s Snetterton Report
 

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:lol:
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]

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 :lol: 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.:bouncy: 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:lol: Good fun all the same. 4D

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 them:devil:Watching 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:o:o
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:lol:
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:D a pity I couldn`t get it fitted before the day but there will be another trackday no doubt.

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:D
now i've lost my trackday cherry I might try Women and beer next.:lol::lol::lol:
what do you think:puzzled:

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

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

And the track day would last longer:lol::lol:

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.

oh - it was your seat!

Marko, was that directed at me, perchance! :o

Great write up, Fordie and Glyn. The look of sheer determination on Glyn's face when he
a) lost his licence and
b) lost his seat
only went to prove that the hitherto unsubstantiated claims that 'he is a track god' have now been fully proved.

I've only ever seen him look that determined when he's trying to divert the BHC rideout to somewhere that he can get a 3rd brekkie :lol::lol:

Not at all Ruth:puzzled:

He looked determined changing his tyres with only 5 mins to go before the first session started:lol::lol::lol:

I hope Im not in for a good slapping :lol: ---- but if you insist 4D:lol:

Glyn, not only are you a true track god youre getting nifty on the keyboard too . I must admit when I can round that right hander on the back straight and saw a piece of junk the size of five house bricks in line Im thinking what poor sod has dump those, bloody pikies again no doubt or those Norfuk boys try one one Got to do some thing to slow us down:lol:. Got back to the "Paddock" to see you seatless,hope you didnt see the smile under my visor:lol: We BHC boys do take the biscuit some times. Terrific day. Pity KeffyB and Jools was'nt around to make up the team all though we had a few new lads to make up for it . 4D

Anything jools can do Glyn can do without a seat!!!!!!!Track god .
maybe he sould change his name to SEATLESS:lol::lol::lol:

What a great day even the weather held for us ,the 998 really did feel good round Snet the bike is just perfect.Nice to finally get on the track with Sparkin and Wheelspin :bouncy:cant wait for Cadwell now if its anything like snet should be a good un:lol::bouncy:get in the fast group tantrum you know you want to:devil::lol:

Cracking day!

Lot's of work taking the van but the appreciation makes up for it- cheers. :D

Van is still loaded so think I'll do another trackday before Cadwell- seems rude not to. :lol: Might try and go back to Snetterton as I think I was nearly getting up to speed and a fifth session would have proved it.

I was right behind Glyn when he highsided and all I can remember is thinking "Glyn, NOOOOOOO," how he managed to stay on was a bloody miracle, as was how I managed to avoid him and his seat. :o:o Damn close I tell you. :puzzled:

DD race was brilliant- I did ask Psyclist to take his place but he was having none of it. :lol:

S'pose I'd better start begging for sponsorship and get my name down for next year- anybody up for team Manager?

Roll on Cadwell. :bouncy:

Mark
:burn:

Glyn!! :lol:

I came around Sears in that session and thought "How the f*** do you lose a seat and not have any other debri around?"

Glad to see you stayed on mate, not an easy thing when your gentle steed turns into a Bronco!

It was a great day, glad you enjoyed yourself Fordie. I didn't see you out on track (I only did two sessions) but I had a play with Jon and Sparkin which was fun. Couldn't make my passes stick though :(

The funny thing was when I came round onto the back straight there wasn`t a flag warning you of "seat on the track" I went to the breifing and WJB didn`t mention any "extra" flags that might be shown,maybe we don`t have a flag for "Seat on track" in Narfuk yet:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Dear seatless in Seatle:lol:

That was funny, although apparently Glyn was really lucky to stay on, (or was it his track god status that allowed him to call on deep reserves of talent).

I was in the pit lane talking to the marshals when the red flag went up. Begger, another down I thought, then they said debri on the circuit I thought it was a big one, then they s******ed over the radio and said it's a complete seat unit. Dave Lawes and I started laughing and wondered how the heck do you lose a seat unit just as Glyn walked up to us.....nuff said.....not only is he a track god, he's an entertainer as well:lol:

WeeJohnyB

i was also right behind him when the " incident " occured....i know how his seat came off ..... as the back started to slide out on what we all know is a classic highside, Glyns arse cheeks tightened around the seat in a vain attempt to hang on to the bike !!!, this failed of course as the high side was gonna have its day!! but Glyns arse cheeks refused to let go of the seat ripping it from its very hinges high into the sky........

I always knew Glyn was a " tight arse " ............ :devil:

Phil

Thats more like the truth :lol::lol::lol: 4D

i'm gunna get you

They say the truth hurts:lol::lol::lol:

Thanks for getting me up to speed on all the Snett drama's.That report had me laughing out loud!:lol:
Sorry I could'nt be there,roll on Cadwell.:D

Just had a look at the pics on Picmans site,.......looks just like a BHC/Narfark rideout!:lol:
Nice one lads!

[Edited on 28-6-2005 by KeefyB]

New lads? Making up for me and Keefy? :(

I was there in spirit guys, and Glyn's report cracked me up. Great to see that you were all in the fast group so there'll be no more talk of BHC/Nar****er bandits. Only a few more weeks before the wedding now so my trackday ban will be lifted, sadly not in time for Cadwell.

I loved the pictures on Picman's site as well, you're all looking pretty good. I especially like this one of Glyn...





:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: