Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > My 2011 Desmo Due racing #51

[Bionicle]

Ok, i know it hasn't started yet but in only 12 days i will be back on the grid along with some old faces and hopefully some new ones ready to do it all again, where has all the time gone it only seems like a few days ago we were all at a wet and soggy Cadwell for the last race of 2010,

Changes to the bike: well not allot really as i am sure the bike was going well enough last year and any problems were down to the rider, i have decided to get rid of the old 748 fairings and replace them with 848 ones, they seem to suit the bike better.

Testing: well if you can call two days at a rain lashed Cadwell testing then that's been it really, i like the wet and hope it rains at all meetings this year the bike seems fine and i have no complaints, the new control tyre did seem better in the wet than last years, or it could have been wishful thinking, will just have to wait and see.

Team: Yet again i will have Chris.P sister in law Cathy, and partner Julie along for moral support, pit boarding, spanering tea making etc etc, as they did such a great job last year, this year i have splashed out on team T-shirts for them, ok i am tight bugger the T-shirts cost £3.00 quid each and the printing was done free courtesy of my brothers work place

Sponsorship: My thanks go to Italia Moto of Lincoln for once again sponsoring me this year,

Goals: Now this is a good one, firstly my goal is to finish all races,this will be achieved by avoiding fallen bikes laying on the track (Snetterton) misjudging an undertake and running up the back tyre of the bike in front (Silverstone) other than that its to go out there have fun and enjoy myself.

Looking forward to seeing all you guys on the 12th, heres hoping this year will be as much fun as last year.

[Ghost]

Originally Posted by Bionicle

Ok, i know it hasn't started yet but in only 12 days i will be back on the grid along with some old faces and hopefully some new ones ready to do it all again, where has all the time gone it only seems like a few days ago we were all at a wet and soggy Cadwell for the last race of 2010,

Changes to the bike: well not allot really as i am sure the bike was going well enough last year and any problems were down to the rider, i have decided to get rid of the old 748 fairings and replace them with 848 ones, they seem to suit the bike better.

Testing: well if you can call two days at a rain lashed Cadwell testing then that's been it really, i like the wet and hope it rains at all meetings this year the bike seems fine and i have no complaints, the new control tyre did seem better in the wet than last years, or it could have been wishful thinking, will just have to wait and see.

Team: Yet again i will have Chris.P sister in law Cathy, and partner Julie along for moral support, pit boarding, spanering tea making etc etc, as they did such a great job last year, this year i have splashed out on team T-shirts for them, ok i am tight bugger the T-shirts cost £3.00 quid each and the printing was done free courtesy of my brothers work place

Sponsorship: My thanks go to Italia Moto of Lincoln for once again sponsoring me this year,

Goals: Now this is a good one, firstly my goal is to finish all races,this will be achieved by avoiding fallen bikes laying on the track (Snetterton) misjudging an undertake and running up the back tyre of the bike in front (Silverstone) other than that its to go out there have fun and enjoy myself.

Looking forward to seeing all you guys on the 12th, heres hoping this year will be as much fun as last year.

Echo all of that Paul, but isn't it young faces rather than new ones.

[Gbyte666]

Originally Posted by Ghost

Echo all of that Paul, but isn't it young faces rather than new ones.

Cant wait Paul but you can keep that wet

Craig

[Jolley]

Old/young/new/wet/dry... I don't mind.

Just be careful at Brands you lot. It is a long season, and on the evidence of this years trackdays Brands doesn't offer much grip when it is cold. It is a long season, and I want us all in one piece battling throughout the year.

[Bionicle]

Originally Posted by Ghost

Echo all of that Paul, but isn't it young faces rather than new ones.

Nooooo dont want young faces, youngsters go too fast

Originally Posted by Gbyte666

Cant wait Paul but you can keep that wet

Craig

Craig Answer = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSMCRD35ch4

[mat2hew]

what ever 2011 brings, I'm sure it will be AWESOME!

Brands is ok, there is a dodgy bit at the hairpin where water has been seeping up through the tarmac and bringing some greasy stuff with it, but I had no problems so I guess it can't be that bad

[Gbyte666]

Originally Posted by Bionicle

Nooooo dont want young faces, youngsters go too fast



Craig Answer = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSMCRD35ch4

Funny as

Craig

[Bionicle]

March 12th Brands 2011.

Finally finished painting the fairings and adding the stickers late in the week, so all that was left was to load the bike and gear and head down to Brands, There were allot of things going through my mind on the drive down, the 18 lap races were of a concern to me, could i handle 18 laps, due to an old back injury any gym training was out of the question so it was going to be a case of how long could i keep the pace up for.

Unloading the bike in to the garage and there was just time to catch sight of a few DD guys out on the track who had been there during the day testing, had i made a mistake by not testing, as it turns out i don't think i did because as i write this the day after race day i ache in places i never knew i could and doubt i would be able to even swing a leg over my bike let alone go out and do two 18 lap races, Anyway bike unloaded and it was time to catch up with some of the guys who were in garages around my allocated one, everyone was full of banter and in good spirits it felt like only yesterday we had all been together at Cadwell, event though it was over 5 months ago, how time flys.

Trudi was on form as usual and had knocked up a cracking stew that she insisted we stayed and ate before we retired to the hotel for the night, so a small group of us collected in a garage to chow down and shoot the bull. then off to the hotel for what should have been a good nights sleep, but traffic and a soft bed put paid to that, or it could have been nerves about what was going to happen on race day.

Back in the garages and a few more DD riders had turned up, the day was looking as though it was going to turn out to be a nice dry day, and as the morning clouds drifted away we were blessed with some lovely March sunshine all in all everything was looking good, after signing on and scruting, i took a walk along the garages to see who else was kicking about, in one garage i came across a single DD bike, i never knew the owner so i introduced myself only to find i had stumbled upon (Stormchaser) Gary Wootton and his lovely wife Samantha, Gary was new to DD and this was going to be his first race, as we had loads of room in our garage i invited him up so that he could get to know a few of the other guys, he jumped at the chance and so his bike and gear were duly moved up to share a space with Myself, Paul Payne,Tom Roberts, Paul Bradbury and a few others in the same garage.

Our practise session was called and so it was off to the track for my first foray out of the day, i was just getting into the swing of things when the flag came out, 5 laps done wish it could have been more, but at least i had got a feel for the tires and re learnt the track.

Qualifying saw me doing my best lap and pipping Bradders by a gnat's whisker at a reasonable 1.01.141 putting me on row 4 of the grid, a personal all time best for me, so i was well chuffed.

Race one
As i lined up on the grid old memory's were pushed to the back of my mind as i concentrated on watching the lights, i know my weak point is grid starts and today was going to be no exception, the lights went out and we were off, i made a reasonable start which could have been better, i need to be more aggressive something that Bradders seems to have come to terms with as i was soon chasing him down paddock hill as he cut round the outside of me, i did not really have a plan of action other than to finish the full 18 laps, Chris.P and Cathy were doing a pit board for me and i could see i had gotten off to a slow start however i managed to get back on pace lapping with some consistent 1.2s falling to 1.1s giving me a finishing place of 7th in class B with Bradders crossing the line a few bike lengths ahead, my best time was a 1.00.791 which surprisingly i put in on the last lap, considering how shattered i was as we pulled off the track, i know i can do well i just need to put it all together.

Race two
I was tired, to many months sat on my ass doing nothing over the winter months had taken its toll but despite that i raring to go, the lights went out and i knew i had fluffed my start as bikes from the rows behind passed me even before we tipped into paddock hill, getting into my stride i set off chasing them down, managing to claw a few places back to see me finishing in 11 place with my fastest lap again towards the end of the race with a 1.00.928.

Conclusion,
I need to get off the line faster and be more aggressive into the first corner, i think if i can master that then i have a good chance of staying in the top 10 for the rest of the season.

Thanks.

Huge thanks once again to Trudi for all her hard work and the great stew, my brother Kingo and his wife for coming along to watch and support me, Chris.P and Cathy for all the hard work they do for me and all the other guys out there in DD who make it so much fun just to be there.

Paul

[Otei]

Well done Paul...huge improvements. Excellent stuff

[Dementor]

Originally Posted by Bionicle

i have decided to get rid of the old 748 fairings and replace them with 848 ones, they seem to suit the bike better.

No one will catch you with those fitted Paul