Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > Tales from the newbie

[banger san]

Thursday dawns, bike on trailer, car loaded all excited but a small matter of work stands between me and my date with destiny; MY FIRST RACE.
About 3:30 I come home pick up my catering team (the wife), hook up the trailer and head off to Snet. As I'm heading down the M40 I'm overtaken for the first time of the weekend as Kev P and trudie sail past me down the right hand side, I try to tuck in and hang on to their slip stream but as we go round the long right hander of the M25 it stacks up around jct. 21, I lose site of Kev as he makes a quick decision and heads up the M1 while I sit in traffic as I stick to my original plan of off at jct. 22. We eventually arrive at Snet and trundle round to garage 2 where Skids, Dallas and a few others are already there. Unload the bike then off to the travel lodge to try and get some sleep before the big day.
Friday; arrive at circuit pull on leathers then head out for first session of the day, still not too nervous as it feels more like a track day, less than a minute later out comes the red flag as last years champ drops it on 3rd corner, just like a normal track day then? They clear the track and back out we go and I finish off the session feeling okay. Next session is wet but the dunlops offer some good feedback so feel like I'm holding my own against some of the other guys. Session 3 not so good, when I try to get on the gas coming out of Nelson's nothing, the bike just died I pull over and park it behind the barrier. Has my first race just been postponed Feeling dejected I thumb the starter and she fires up, I ride back to the pits unsure of why she cut out, a quick chat with Skids about what happened and he goes straight to the one way valve on the tank overflow, "that's blocked, common fault with these" seconds later he's back with a different valve and lifes good again
The rest of the day runs smooth and even get through scrut 1st time (Kev P takes the credit for that).
Saturday; the big day has arrived, get to the circuit early too make sure I'm ready as we're out for timed practice quite early, all goes well and I'm 26th on grid out of 35, not bad for a chubby first timer on a class b stead. The weather continues to hold as the racing starts, I go out and watch the 600 Motogrande, nobody seems to know where they should be on the grid and a tannoy message warns all other competitors time penalties will be issued for lining up in the wrong grid slot, better get it right, row 7, 3rd in, one last check of the grid and realise I should be row 7, 2nd in when I turn the sheet upside down. The others start to get their leathers on so I follow suit, the nerves start to build, we get the call and head out to the assembly area it's at this point you realise how many bikes are out there. Everything goes so quickly, out on track, find grid slot (got it right phew) and away we go on warm up lap and back to my grid slot. The starter moves to the side, the lights come on then go out and we're off, I'm a bit slow reacting but nothing prepares you for that first corner, there's bikes every where, really close this in NO track day. I battle all race long with Simon, Brian and Miles with no idea of which lap we're on. The leaders swoop past us so thinking it might be the last lap I dive up the inside of Miles in the last corner, I'm sure he laughed as he looked over as he out dragged me to the line. Into the holding area, I've survived and just had the biggest buzz I've had in years
Sunday; sunny again as we check out of the hotel, my thoughts turn to the next two races. Change gearing for more top speed and go out for warm up, seems to work so stick with it, fill up with fuel and wait for our 1st race of the day. Don't have to wait long as we're first on the program, not a bad start but still can't get my heads around the first corner mayhem, we all get around safely but 3 laps in race is red flagged I think for Stevooo, not another start This time a get away well OMG I'm now right in the mix at the 1st corner not just watching it from the back, three laps later and another red flag as 3 bikes go down in the last corner and after a long wait on the grid we're ushered off, not a scooby doo what's going on. The race is called and I get an 11th. Final race of the day and my best start yet, shame I screwed it by missing a gear on the run up to the first corner so I'm a bit of a spectator again (phew) another great battle with Brian on his class A bike doing everything I can to make up time on the brakes and in the bends as he uses his extra power to drive away from me on the straights, a desperate last corner lunge brings me onto the senna straight in front of him but he just drives by me again up to the finish line. 12th in class this time around but soooo much fun.

Objectives at the start of the weekend, finish all 3 races, managed that. ACU card filling up nicely to get rid of my novice jacket and had the biggest high I've had in ages. Great racing, really friendly bunch and a buzz you can't beat.

Thanks especially to Trudie, Kev P and Skids for helping me to get on the grid and realise my dream. Simon, Mark, Miles and Brian for the fun out on track and everybody else for the banter in the paddock, role on Anglsey.