Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > Grib's Cadwell Report...

[Grib]

Rolled up to the trackday Friday morning, it was wet, then dry, then wet again, but managed a couple of dry sessions and nabbed Weeksy's R1 for a scary few laps! Think I'll stick to 60bhp, that thing's just plain dangerous Starting to feel happy with Mong the Monster, although her belly pan fell off again and tried to escape under the back wheel, bad Mong. Get scrutineered in the afternoon, scruitneer bloke just goes around finding loads of stuff that's vibrated loose during the day, bloomin' Ducati's!

Saturday, slightly damp round the trees for qualifying, manage to not be last so it's OK! First go at launching off the line in warm-up and all she does is make a big chattering noise and jump up and down rather than go forward....Hmmm, that's not good. Same again for the race start, have three goes at getting the clutch out and get mobbed. Race goes OK, trying to stay calm and settle into the new bike, running 6 secs a lap faster than in qualifying, excellent Second race seemed a bit of a struggle, dead last into Coppice with another attempt at a different launch technique that didn't work. Fought back a few spots and finished in the same place as race 1, pretty much same lap times. Absolutely knackered, the trackday and races are taking their toll. Dseered comes to have a look round the 583 and takes her for a wobble round the paddock with a big, silly grin on his face, hope he gets on well with her next season.

Sunday and qualifying is wet under the trees again! End up 25th on the grid and determined to suss my start. I spoke to nearly everyone about how to do a start on the 620 and I'd already tried most of it. Talking to Kyle Hinton and he tells me how he does it. Haven't tried that, might be worth a go. Ian Leah fell off in practice and is just ahead of me on the grid. Tony says to follow him through the traffic into Coppice, seems a good plan! I do Kyle's recommended start and b*gger me, the bike's off and flying! Takes me by surprise and I have to concentrate. I do my best and follow Ian pretty much up the white line round the outside of everyone, then he gets swallowed up into the other bikes. Still, I've gone by quite a few, even if they will be mostly getting me back at some point. At one point Bones does a charge at me into Charlies making me sit up. Luckily he slowed himself down in the meantime so I drive back by out of Charlies 2. Seem to be people going down left right and centre, a couple of them right in front of me. It used to be really off putting, but it doesn't bother me anymore! A good sign or not? I dunno. The finish finally comes round and I end up 14th in class, 22nd overall.

Absolutely shattered and barely awake by lunchtime, so we decide to sit out the second race and let the reserves know so they can have a play. All in all a good weekend and great to spend some time on my new race bike getting acquainted The goodbye's as we're leaving are a little bit emotional, we won't be in the paddock with everyone again until next year! Dunno how we're going to cope, I know I'll miss seeing everyone. Lots of kisses and hugs later and we're headed home, worn out but happy with a top weekend with the best bunch of people in a race paddock ever

Big thanks to everyone who's offered advice and encouragement throughout the year, you're all amazing people. I never imagined we'd meet so many great characters and get quite so involved in Desmo Due as we have done. Roll on 2007....can we go race yet!