Ducati Sporting Club UK - Andys Snetterton Report (long one!)

Andy’s Snetterton Report

Had a good night the day before coming second in my swimming race and the club winning overall despite note leading until the last couple of events!!!

My second ever race meeting….eeekkk..

Get there nice & early and parked up near the DD guys to ensure I didn’t miss my race or practice.

Timed practice came round and the track was still a little wet. So I went out behind some of the front running 620’s and felt my way round, these Diablo’s are really good tyres, loads of grip even in the wet and good feedback to let you know its time to ease off. Anyway, got my head down and got some reasonable laps in.

Went to fetch the results / grid positions and found I was third on the grid – FRONT ROW, ON A 583?………wow….. This quickly diminished when Phil tells me the 620’s will all jump on you at the start (he should know, he’s been up with them all season
Race 1 – ). I’m in the holding area and Anthony tells me the 620’s will all fly by on the start (where have I heard that before?). Now then how do I get off the line to keep up? Dry track by now, on the line, no one ahead? Beside Dom??? Lights on - revs very high, lights out - release clutch…….uuuuuppppppp. I get a wheelie that Max Biaggi would be proud of?? Didn’t think you could wheelie the 583??? Pull in clutch before she flips and when she down, release again to repeat it all…….oh-no… everyone’s going by!!!! (Plan B ‘keep tight into the first turn’ I was going much slower by now anyway). I’ll have my places back thanks chaps….red mist…..must go quicker, oh-no…Chris Woods cart wheels the bike in front ….. looks worrying…. Red flag??? No red flag, just yellows next lap, he’s up and out the way….. Griff comes by on the straight, as I take another rider on the exit….he’s gone and after Phil in front…a white 620 comes by on the straight, right that’s not fair, I go into the esses with the engine screaming as I change down two gear to reclaim my place, only to do it all again on the next lap…(good scrap eh Couch) I can see Phil ahead and am starting to reel him in, Griff crashes at the esses, hope he’s alright, all those going off worry me). I cross the line in 11th, 2nd in Class B with fastest lap. I’m well chuffed considering the ‘kangaroo’ start I made.

Race 2 – Don’t wheelie!!! Lights on - body forward. Lights out - release clutch, wait for me!! The 620’s disappear? Head for the first turn, again up the inside of a few 620’s for some places back, only to get passed down the straight again? Have a few quick laps this time and settle in, hey, Chris Woods pulls along side of me down Revett Straight, looks across, and drives by, wait for me (again). I thrash along and see he’s stuck behind Eric going into Russell’s, I know I’m quick through the ‘bus-stops’ and brake really late, taking both of them. Eric then retakes me down Senna Straight, but I hold Chris off until Revett Straight for a repeat of the last lap. We have a battle between us for a couple of laps, then I settle behind him, trying to see where I could get him on the last lap. He was trying really hard to get by Eric to put someone between us. Chris tries to go up the inside of Eric at Russell’s after going round the outside at Coram, Eric goes for the same piece of track and they head off onto the grass (this corner is flat on your side shifting up to fourth a holding the throttle flat, like Chris’s at Cadwell). I see another silver bike ahead, it looks like a 583 and am chasing him down. Next thing, I see the red flag is out and we are stopped just after the esses. I see the silver bike ahead is Anthony on his 620 in a 583 chassis. He says, ‘not you following me’ and we wait. We are waved back to the pits and I see Chris is on the stretcher, I feel aweful and a little responsible for him pushing so hard. We pull into parc ferme and are told to ‘leave our bikes, as there’s a protest’?? Whats going on? We go back to the car to fetch the paddock stand and I get my sticky leathers off. We return to hear someone’s bike’s being investigate, we didn’t know who’s? We hear its Dom’s. I return my transponder and await for the results which won’t be available for a while. Phil’s annoyed that the trophies have been forgotten?? What no presentation? I was very disappointed for me, him and Dom, as we all have a win! We went over to see Chris, who was loading his van, thank goodness. He’s shaken, but importantly ok. We both agreed it was a good race between us and compared our strengths and weaknesses; he said ‘you must’ve got the win mate’, others then echo this and it starts to sink in. We return to race control but still no results and decide its time to go home, chuffed but bemused??

Later that night the results are confirmed, I won my first race in 583. I’m so pleased; it was worth all the effort and time put into the bike. I don’t expect to win, but it is that target you desire.

Well done to Dom and Phil for winning such dominant championships! I’m sure you guys won’t have it so easy next year…. Thanks to Phil and Dom Clegg for being so helpful on the day. Thanks to Chris Woods for the battles and help you’ve given me since entering the series. Thanks to AK, CK, Lizzie & Michael, Skidlids and everyone else for the encouragement and advice. The riders really are the core of the success of DD. Lets all move forward. Roll-on Cadwell.

Andy