Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > My Snett Report as its quiet on the DD front

[skidlids]

My Snett Report as its quiet on the DD front, well apart from some pointless post.
Still haven't done my Castle Combe report, looks like i've misplaced my notes that were going to be the basis of it.

So here's Snett anyway

Added to the 600SS for this meeting was the twin disc front end and a T200 lap timer, missing from the bike was the steering damper as the original fork clamp did not fit the later forks.

The morning started off with taking the bike for scrutineering where it recieved a very thorough check over which it passed. Next up was to get my gear checked and to then sign on.
Next it was time to sign on for the Trackday which would act as a couple of extra practice sessions.
After the trackday briefing it was strait out onto the track for a couple of sighting laps behind the instructor.
Having never ridden Snetterton before I was learing all the time, it didn't take long to work out that I had to tall a gearing on the bike as I was only really using 4 gears, after about 8 laps I pulled in to the pits early and got on with changing the front sprocket for which I had plenty of time as I was sharing my trackday space with my mate Kev.
As there was only 2 groups it wasn't that long before I was out again and this time going a little faster although the gearing was still to high. So after about 10 laps it was back in and change front and rear sprockets to give me the same as I ran at Castle Combe which is standard road gearing for the 600SS.
Following a crash that had left oil on the track the final trackday session was canceled so my change of gearing would have to be checked in untimed practice.
After the lunch break it was time for that untimed practice session, the gearing was very close for ideal and I set about trying to find a rythem and work out when and where to change gear.At one point in the session Nick(NBs996) came past me down the Rivett straight on his M620ie and took a long look back at me as he went past. By the end of the session I was happy with what I had so now it was the wait for timed practice, I caught up with Nick and asked about the look, he said he thought I had a problem due to my lack of speed, I explained to him that there was no problem other than that was flat out for my 583cc bike. Maybe I should get it on a Dyno and see what bhp its making.
Timed quallifying was just a matter of getting into a rythem and trying to up the tempo, I did try carrying a couple of different gears through different corners but the original system worked best and when I stuck to it each succesive clear lap was a improvement. My best lap was on my final lap and put me 21st on the grid with a time in the 1m 32s bracket, 3 seconds down on 20th place. the 583 was certainly suffering down the straights.

Race time and I took up my slot on the grid, at the front of the grid there was a empty slot where Clint on the DLS bike should have been had it not been for his crash at the end of timed quallifying, so I had 19 people in front of me all on 620s and 675 machines.
The lights went off and I got quite a reasonable launch but the slightly more powerful bikes out dragged me to the first corner and I came onto the start of the Rivett straigh at the back of the main pack, I spent the next 7 laps lapping faster and faster getting into the high 1m 30s, each lap loosing a few more yards on each straight to the pack in front. After 8 laps Geoff cmae flying by on the Rivett straigt to put me a lap down, the following lap Mike and Dave came past me one each side as I came onto the start of the Rivett straight, by the time I had exited Corams they wer in the chicane ahead of me, as they exited the chicane Dave was thrown off his bike and tumbled down the track in the mean time Mike took to the grass and then safely made it back onto the track just in front of me as I slowed to avoid Dave and his bike as I exited the chicane. A little futher on and the Red flags were flying so I followed Mike around at a slow pace to reform on the grid.
On the restart it was pretty much the same as part one except I had found a bit more speed and did a best lap of 1m 29.74s, a whole 3 seconds fater than my quallifying time, which meant I crossed the finish line moments before Geoff took the chequered flag, for a few seconds I thought the race was over as the flag was in the marshalls hands as I crossed the line, I looked over my shoulder to see Geoff and realised the flag was for him so I got my head down again and went on to complete my final lap Finishing in 19th place.


Next up Donny