Not so Jolley Mallory
 

I am not in the best of moods to be writing this right now. But a Race report is a Race report, and there are a few positives.

First, I had been dreading Mallory, as people reading on DSC would have noticed. There are always Red flags, always fallers, nearly always broken bones and bikes. In addition, my bike doesn't seem to like the place: It threw Hugh off at Gerrards a couple of years ago, had fuel pump failure last year which led to me only completing 5 laps at a time before the bike dying, and then this year......

All the talk was of how Phil would own the place, and I knew I had to take the fight to him to prove he had a battle on his hands. Not just for this race, but for the Class B Championship (going into the season, my personal thoughts on the top 5 challengers were Phil, Kev P, Neal, Hugh and myself). I wanted to beat Phil at his home track and try to stamp some authority on my intentions for the season.

Things started well by avoiding letting anyone follow me on the practice day or the morning warm-up (I felt I gave away too much of my pace early on at Brands). Normally I like to be at the front of the pitlane for qualifying, get out on my own and just get on with things. Unfortunately plenty of others had the same idea and I ended up following Kev and Phil out of the pits. I did consider just following, but I always feel I go better when I am on my own then when I am following someone. It took me a lap to get past Kev, and in another half lap I was past Ghost with a bit of free space in front. On the third lap I set a 1m03.7s lap which unfortunately Phil had pipped by 5/100th of a second behind me. Despite this, I would have been happy starting alongside him and seeing how we went over 18 lap (only 15 were recorded, which I can only assume was a shortening due to the Red flags?).

Unfortunately, the Pie man exploded his bike all over the approach to the hairpin to halt the qualifying. A lap into the restart and all the people I had passed were coming back past me and I was short on power. Next thing, the Oil light is flickering and I pull off into the pits (a last minute swerve that almost put me on the grass!). Engine like a bag of spanners and no more games for me.

Positives were:
- I am sure I had the pace to give Phil a proper battle.
- I got to watch a couple of great races (although it was frustrating imagining where I would have been in the battle!).
- I got to watch the Pieman throw his bike around from the sidelines, and it is no understatement to say it was a bit of an inspiration and has given me a few ideas.
- Turning a positive spin on things, I am still joint first in the championship if everyone drops 2 results.
- The bike, although sick, still looks great!
- I am in one piece (gws Matt - broken collar bone)

I have no doubt this is going down to the wire this year, but if you have to drop rounds, they may as well be ones you didn't score any points for!

DONT TEMPT FATE!!!! One bad result or off and your a result down on everyone!

I did some maths and I think that you, Kev and Phil are all on 45 points with the worst 2 dropped. I am almost in slight with 41 and Neal is just getting some life back into that Valentino shoulder with 33. It could get interesting!

Right now I need to sort out why my tire looked like someone had been been trying to peel it after the second race? Neal mentioned that its suspension issues and I think I read that in a magazine once?! Any ideas?

I have to take that chance and try to win everything now... My original plan was keep picking up podiums.

I think it is because you are too tall to race. NO cure possible!

Sounds like the free phone Jolley advice hotline might be closing down until the end of the race season?

Im not too tall to race look at Camier... when he stays on the bike he is real good! And Simoncelli!

My elbows are coming out next round a la Ben Spies, so Neal cant slip round me again!

Rule of racing number 1: When someone beats you or gets close to beating you....they don't recieve ANY advice or help. LOL.

Ask Chris. P for advice...he'll help you until his Bro Paul gets near the front..at which time, see rule number 1 :):lol:

Unlucky weekend Ron. It'll even out dude.

Seems like I'm not a contender then ;) Suits me cuz I'll just carry on unnoticed in the background and maybe convert my fastest lap into fastest laps whilst your all worrying about each other :D

I was the first person to be impressed with your fastest lap!!! :eek:

Now you KNOW that you can do that you have to put in that level of effort EVERY lap, not just the one to catch someone, overtake someone or fend someone off!

From my calcs you are on 27 points in 6th if you drop your two worst results so I dont think you are to be discounted at all!

The next race will have a bigger impact because it will either give someone 2 (or possibly 3) first places or a new person will claim the top spot and the field will be leveled out some more! Are you any good at Anglesey Alan? Perhaps that will be your round?

Just to let you all know, I have no clue where Anglesey is but if I can find it once Im on my bike I intend to be very very fast..... :frog:

It was a Joke Hugh.. referring to Ron's "the top 5 challengers are Phil, Kev P, Neal, Hugh and myself (Ron)".
I know I can lap as fast as most (1.03.057 1st Race & 1.02.825 2nd Race :))

Not sure if I can maintain that lap after lap but must have done ok on some of the others as I had to catch them up from 7th on the grid and without hitting Dallas's rear tyre in the bus stop and doing a stoppie, I may well have stayed right behind Phil for a 2nd place or maybe sneaked past ;).

As I've said many times I just want to ride as fast and smoothly as I can, have fun and feel I gave it my best shot..

Where that puts me in the championship who knows and who cares, it's not gonna be a career move Lol

Ps. 2nd time at Mallory but never been to Anglesey or Oulton Park.

...keep heading north on the A5 until the scenery takes your breath away ..... then drop down the other side of the mountains towards the coast - over the bridge, and keep heading up the A5 for what seems like half a lifetime until the signs for Ty Croes appear ..... turn off the A5 (yay!)

Follow the brown signs for Ty Croes race circuit, then, when you think you've gone too far and are just about to double back, it's still another few miles ........ then turn down a farmtrack which looks like you'll fall off a cliff .... and you're there ! :D

I was still giving you advice at Mallory on gears and lines and starting options. The only advice I can give on Anglesey is it will probably be cold and windy! I have never been there.... I don't even know what it looks like!

When was the last time one of them won a race though?.... give us shorties something to be good at!! ;)

I can only hope so!

You are as quick as anyone. I just think the others want it more.

Just my thoughts on entering the season... but I had already not considered Jimbo who surprised the pants off me at Brands.... and also happens to have been my Pembrey wet weather sparring partner!

You were fast last season as well, but just drifted off the boil a little and I thought that meant you had lost some interest in being up the front.... I am pleased to see that isn't the case and you have started the season the way you started the last.

Doing my best mate and if that's good enough to be up the sharp end then :D :D

But you are right I probably don't want it as much as others.. just enjoying myself and what comes along is a bonus.. It's an age thing called mellowing and contentment ;)

See you at Anglesey and hope your bike gremlins are behind you (I know how frustrating that can be and how it brought dejection into my season last year).

I like trying to set the pace and I like being right at the front. Since Castle Combe last year my approach to a weekend has changed and my intention is to just be the fastest person every session. I set Pole at Castle Combe and Brands, and I was only pipped into second on the grid at Cadwell and Mallory by the people following me. At the moment (and I know that can change) I feel like I can set the pace at the remaining rounds (the test will be Anglesey and Oulton, where I have never been) and honestly believe the only way I won't win the championship is if I have any more bad luck. I have in the past been warned against making such Awesome statements, but it is really how I feel right now.

I have had my money on you to win this years championship since last year.

You won't be easy for any of us to beat.

Which just goes to show how cruel and unreliable racing is. The reality is that I never would have stood a chance were it not for your freak accident. Any one of about 7 people stands a very good chance, including you. I'll be doing my best to make sure it is me though ;)

Ron you shouldent wright cheques your bike cant cash :devil:

Mate that really is some Awesome talk right there! But I don't necessarily disagree. Just looked at your results last year and other than your Mallory result being the same :eek: your best result at this point was 8th. You can really see how you improved after every round.... and it got me thinking that you fast boys better hope I dont do the same! :lol:

Think my first result this year was a win... from 7th. At Mallory I missed the test day and after getting up at 4:30am driving 2 hours and jumping on a bike with a completely new setup, 12 laps later I was third on the grid (not that I ended started from third:devil: ). Only 1/4 second behind you and I wasn't following anyone. :frog:
However, I will say that your advice and general support has been invaluable in both rounds and certainly helped me no end.

But I wouldnt be any kind of real friend if I made it easy for you to claim the title now would I? ;) ;)

The plan is rollerblades.... Pushing myself just ahead of you at the line!

Plus Neal and Bradders and any other surprises coming out of the woodwork. Most would not have predicted a double win for me at the last round last year when we all lined up at the first round.... Things change from round to round dependent on tracks and moods and luck. I'm just more determined than ever because I missed chance to prove a point at Mallory.

thanks for the mention :)

but belive I'd have to be a good 15 kilos lighter to really be a contender even if I pick my pace up a lttle more and get that extra second or two...and I havent done most of the tracks remaining so we'll see; top 10 and take the dosh off the Hants and Berks lot is my goal, anything extra a bonus :D

Awesome Lawson wasn't exactly a featherweight contender.....

but Awesome Lawson wasnt 17st+ either ;)

no probds tho, I'll be 16 by Anglesey...should help me get off the line a bit better ;)

There will be some tracks where you suffer more (probably Castle Combe for one), but I don't think it makes a massive difference at a majority of our tracks. I would say the difference in weight between you and Matt was the same difference between me and Matt.... and if he were on a Class B this year he would be right up front kicking my ass. I really don't think weight is as big a handicap as people think. Put it this way, I ran with 11kg of extra fuel in Mallory qualifying, which effectively made me 14st.... I didn't see it slowing me down.

its off the line that is a big disdvantage (even if I could strat well!!) as its has to haul a lot more to the first corner and others stream past, sop come corner 2 or 3 you are playing lots of catch up, and if the same pace roughly means taking far more risk...but hey thats how it is; now I've broken top 5 I'll be aiming at that again :D