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

[TP]

Well, what a weekend!

**[Achtung] Caution - long post!!! [/Achtung]**

First of all, thanks to all the MT and Racing Committee for your efforts in coming up with the idea and for all the organisation that lead to this series getting off the ground. I think it was a roaring success and I'm really proud to be a member of the Ducati Sporting Club and a racer in the inaugural Desmo Due series.

My weekend started on Friday afternoon when I made it up to Cadwell in the sunshine in time to get the tent setup and get out for a few laps to figure out what to do in the hairpin. I met up with Mike, Lizzie, Dave and Annette and had a few sessions playing with them out there getting to know how the woodlands circuit works. I took the opportunity to get through scrutineering early and passed that no worries. I was a bit nervous about this but the gent was very nice and helpful. I had a nice curry with everyone in Louth on Friday night and had a reasonably early night, but not much sleep.

Up early Sat morning to get ready for SoT racing to find lots of rain. I decided to give the untimed practice a miss because it was very wet and only went out in the timed. I got a decent spot, with only Ian Leah and Andrew Johnson (CK and AK’s 583 ) ahead of me from DD. I tried to not get caught up in the SoT racing because it was practice for DD and not what I was in Cadwell for. I decided to miss the first race because it was wet and not risk a fall, I went out for the next two races though. First race I got a rubbish start and Paul Mugridge (orange monster) went past me on the start. I sat behind him for 4 or so laps before finally overtaking him going into the old hairpin. Once past I had some clear air to put a few good laps in and caught and passed a 996 whom I beat to the line. Woohoo!! My first ever race and I finished and beat a bigger bike home.

Third SoT race (my second after missing the first one) Another rubbish start and let Paul Mugridge through again! This took I didn’t sit behind for long and once past found myself in clear air again. It was a pretty lonely race really for me because the gap between me and the guy in front (Andrew Johnson) ended up being 5 seconds and the gap to the guy behind me (Phil – with Ali breathing down his neck!) was 6 seconds. I daresay that Phil and Ali wrestling with each other slowed them down a bit so I was happy with that The guy on the 996 that I beat in the first race didn’t take the grid as the race wasn’t worth points – DOH!

That was it for me for the day – I’d had enough so I didn’t go out in the untimed DD practice on the Sat afternoon. I spent a bit of time cleaning the bike in order to get all the stickers on it but it’s looking like a racebike now – nice

I had a good time on Sat night with MW mastering the BBQ and Dave Harris entertaining the crowd. Not too late to bed and off to get some sleep. Only this time I had a few extra people in the tent with Antonye and my mate Jason sleeping in the other ‘bedrooms’.

I woke to a thunderstorm at early o’clock on Sunday morning. Couldn’t sleep and I was laying there looking at the roof of the tent so I decided to get up. I thought it was around 7 – 7:30 but it just ticked over 6am! Bugger. Off to a hot shower and stopped with the Harris’ for a nice cup of tea. The morning seemed to go a bit quickly and I don’t seem to remember much about it at the moment – apologies to those I spoke to but I was a bit distracted. Untimed practice seemed to go well. It was a bit wet and I just took it easy and wanted to get used to the extra traffic that would be in the race compared to the SoT races from Sat. That went fairly well and I was quite surprised to end up second on the timesheets! It should be noted that all the super fast guys, Geoff, the two DLS entries, JHP and Ian Leah weren’t out there. It seemed to go ok with not many fallers I think.

Then came qualifying – 10 minutes of trying to stick in a decent enough time to not get pillaged on the start line. There was a drying line but it was still wet through the Old Hairpin and Barn. There was a dry line down into the hairpin at the end of the start finish straight but as I was trying to overtake people on the brakes all the time I never got to use it There seemed to be a bit of carnage in this session with a few off through Barn, I told you it was wet, and one time coming through the Old Hairpin to find MW down on the grass

At the end of the session I ended up 8th on the grid. On the very outside of the track – bugger! Still, I was quite happy with where I was.

Race 1 – A bundle of nerves! Much more nervous than I was in my very first race – Saturday’s Sound of Thunder races. We went around and formed up on the grid and then were released by the starter and we were off for the warm up lap. I’m trying to accelerate as hard as the monster will allow and brake really hard to get some warmth into the tyres. We eventually make it back around to the grid for the race start. This one counts, it’s the real thing unlike yesterday’s racing – no pressure. The starter points us to the lights and the red light comes and goes in a flash – we’re off! I start taking off and Chris Butcher next to me pulls a huge wheelie that was leaning over towards me. I got out of the throttle a bit, not wanting to be taken out, and then he landed the wheelie so I nailed it – only he pulls another huge wheelie and careens over into me taking my handlebar down and throwing me on the floor. Err, that’s it. End of race 1. I made it about 15 metres with 5 of those on my ar$e!!

I admired the way Chris handled the situation, as soon as we were off the track and the bikes were off the track he came straight to me and apologised. He was very genuine and you could see he was upset. It was a mistake, we all make them so we just move on.

The damage, fortunately a few scrapes, a bent footrest hangar and a snapped off footpeg. MW to the rescue with a footpeg, cheers mate

Race 2: Not quite as nervous this time but still wary of the start. As usual I got a rubbish start like Saturday’s start and looked over to see Nick with a blinder start up the inside – bugger! It takes a lap and a bit to settle down and I have Nick, Chris and Phil ahead of me and I figured Ali was lurking somewhere close behind. I put a pass on Phill going into the old hair pin and set off after Chris. I think it was the next lap or maybe two later but I tried to put a move on Chris at the same spot, on the brakes into the old hairpin. Only this time I locked the front wheel up and had a little slip and chirp. To give the non-racers an idea of the speeds we are all piling into there I was in 4th gear through Hall Bends and taking the hairpin in 3rd – so I was always pretty hard on the brakes there. After the slip I was hard on the front again and lifted the rear off the ground to have it come around a bit – I completely missed the apex and only just kept it on the track in the end. Chris went through and Phill followed him – damn. I was left watching them pile into Barn while I was on the rumble strip doing 10mph in third! I get it all together and set off after them. This must have brought Ali right up behind me for the next lap he shows me a wheel going into the Old Hairpin. I was a bit more tentative on the brakes this time, not wanting to repeat my mistake. All weekend I had been overtaking people on the brakes into the bottom hairpin. I couldn’t go through there fast so I had to go late on the brakes, take a tight line and get out fast. So imagine my surprise when Ali stuffs me into the hairpin – barsteward! Ali got through Chris somewhere, I can’t remember what happened there but it took me a bit to catch Chris again. He took a very tight line into the hairpin, shutting me down so I went to go around the outside of him when he seems to make a mistake and crashes into the barrier at the hairpin, damn we were close when that happened! I make it out unscathed to have Ali about 3m in front of me when he highsides! It was an interesting moment while I tried to figure out where to go to avoid him – I went between him and his bike in the end. Oh dear. I got through ok and took a quick look over my shoulder to see how everyone else was getting through. This let me get my head down to chase Phil and Nick without worrying about anyone behind me. They had a few seconds on me and I could see I was pulling them both in. Unfortunately for me I wasn’t pulling them in quick enough and the last lap flag came out and I ended up 1 second behind Phil.

I finished and got an 8th place so I should be happy but I was a bit peeved with myself for the mistakes I made which I felt cost me a few spots in the end. Nevermind, that’s racing as they say and congratulations to all. Next time.

I decided not to go out in the 3rd race that New Era put on for us so it was good to see Ali and Chris battling it out and Ali taking a win for the 674 brigade. A very stylish recovery from the earlier highside and a great ride from Chris too considering the earlier misfortunes.

It was a great weekend and I didn’t expect to be anywhere near where I was in the racing when I entered this series back in October last year. So thanks again to all involved for setting it up. For my improvement I must also thank the CSS, Andy Ibbot, Johnny Haynes and the crew including our very own David Cook who took me through levels 1 and 2, Glenn through Level 3 and Klaus through level 4 for teaching me. I probably owe some thanks to the Australian Army for teaching me to do as I’m told without too much thought, could possibly be why the CSS training has had such an impact on my riding.

I'd also like to thank my wife and kids for being so patient with me while all I thought about was bikes and racing and for supporting me through the weekend - I loved having you guys there!!

I hope you all had as good a weekend as I did – roll on Castle Combe!!!!

[Edited on 4-5-2005 by TP]