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 10-Oct-2005, 02:29 | #1 |
| Domski\'s Tango Report I went to bed smiling last night, I'm still smiling and even found myself playing air guitar in the shower this morning (had Muse on the stereo) The reason for my happiness... I rode a rocket ship at Cadwell and finally got my trophies!! After seriously underestimating the competition at the beginning of the season, it's been a bloody hard slog and I've tried my tits off all year. I know I have a big gob and I tell it how I see it and don't pander to anyone (is that English?), BUT if I didn't shout about stuff I wouldn't have been on the grid at all. Without the generous help and support of Rich Llewellin at Louigi Moto, I wouldn't have raced this season, let alone meet all you happy folk or get my first trophies in 6 years. So thanks to Rich for sticking by me, especially when I moan all the time. I know I'm rambling a bit, but what I am trying to say is - without Louigi building me a bike (which I still love coz it IS fantastic) I couldn't have put myself in the shop window for the offer I recieved just last Sunday morning. So...... Last Sunday, I get a call from CK  offering me the use of the Tango Queen at Cadwell - You can imagine my surprise, and I am still flattered that CK & AK even considered asking me. Thank you, you're both wonderful and I love you (even Alan)   A mad panic ensued (is that English too?) and a few texts to Louigi confirmed that he was cool about me riding another bike (my loyalty is firmly with the crazy man from Somerset) and that was it - Action stations. I rang New Era on Monday morning, they faxed the entry forms to CK at work, my credit card got bent (one last time) and we were all set!! "OH MY GOD!!! What have I done" seemed to run through my mind an awful lot during last week and right up until I sat on the bike for the first time to go out for qualifying. Not only had I been telling everyone that I am actually a good racer - but now I had a bike which we all know is a fast one, gulp! I was either going to get a result, or look a complete idiot and have to emigrate to Bulgaria or summat. CK & AK run a slick outfit and race day was a pleasure to be around them. I was looked after like a star and I'm sure that made everything else easier for me. Thanks again for that  Qualifying then... I finally sat on the bike to go for Qualifying and straight away it felt totally different to Louigi's bike, bars are wider, seat position higher, tank lower, pegs longer etc etc... I was gunna wobble around and look stupid - I knew it!! ...and I did, or so it felt. I wobbled around for about 3 laps as if I had never sat on a bike before and then Ian Leah came past at warp factor 8, and I thought it may be an idea to try to see which way he went for a couple of turns, as I noticed Ian had very good pace from Saturday's race (1:49s). Amazingly, I managed to sort of stay in touch for about 2 laps (roughly - I could still see him, put it that way) but thought I was going to be starting off the second or third row as I really had pootled around like a muppet. FRONT ROW??????? Shurely shome mishtake? Crikey, I had ridden badly but still got a front row start!! I've got to get me one of them there rocket bikes This really put me at ease and I felt a little bit of the self enduced pressure, come off. If I could ride that badly and get a front row start, I should be able to get a trophy if I can pull my finger out... Pressure back on again then, doh! I very rarely get nervous at race meetings, but I think the expectation (and me shouting my mouth off all season) was upon me to go out and get a result, and I was terrified in the holding area and didn't want to go out at all (I didn't want to bend the Tango Queen either!!) Race 1... I was desperate for a trophy and knew I would have a battle with Chris Butcher for it. Chris was 3rd on the grid - top work dude, it's been a testing year for both of us. It was obvious that Geoff would clear off and Ian was already 'on it' and 3 seconds faster than me. When the lights went out, all I saw was Chris slewing across the track, and all I could think off was round 1 Oh dear Chris mate, you gave me a heart attack!!! Unbelieveably I led off the line Oh christ, what do I do now? It's been about 5 years since I led a race I tipped it in to turn 1 gingerly, expecting half the field to charge past me up the hill - nothing - into Ali Corner - still leading, where is everyone? - on to Park straight, STILL leading - where the hell is Geoff and Ian? - Surely they'll pass me into Park corner... Nope  Crikey, this is weird, I'm still leading and we're almost half way around a lap as we approach the Gooseneck for the first time (and I'm still leading at this point remember  ) the red flags come out!!!!   ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!! What the? Who the? Why the? Can't you see I'm leading??? That bloomin Andy Roberts bloke (hello Andy) only went and emulated everybody's hero (that'll be Ali then) and jumped off at Ali 1 and broke is collar bone too!! I was upset initially, coz I thought I had lost my best chance to get 'my trophy', and then my thoughts turned to whoever it was that had come off (didn't know who it was at that point). On the way back to form up on the grid I had slowed right down and was clearly distraught Several other riders were giving me the thumbs up for my flying start - which was great but as we formed up on the grid again my head was a complete mess, as if it wasn't bad enough before!The restart then, went pretty much the same as the first one I led again!!!!! WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!! I don't remember much about it really, except Geoff passed me somewhere around lap 1 - Mansfield? I think Ian passed me at the start of lap 2 into turn 1, and on the last lap down into Mansfield - Chris shot past on the brakes and I saw my trophy disappear!!!! Luckily for me, Chris suffered from 'I'm in a podium position fever' - just like i had been all race and promptly seemed to make a mistake at every corner, but I wasn't fast enough to capitalise on it!! Chris was riding too fast for me.I managed to stay on his tail through the new chicane, the Mountain, Hall Bends and then into the Hairpin Chris ran a bit wide on the exit, which allowed me to pull it tight and get the run down to Barn Corner. Now, I have to say at this point that Chris probably deserved to get 3rd place. He had caught and passed me on the last lap, fair and square and his lap times were faster. ...as we got to Barn corner, not quite side by side, I saw Chris look right, so I knew that he knew I was there on the inside, and fair play to bloke, he could have just turned across me (as he was half a bike in front) and got his trophy - but instead, he gave me the room to make the turn too, and we went in side by side. A VERY sportsmanly and gentlemanly thing to do in my opinion, I'm not sure I would have done the same thing as I was desperate for a trophy - so well done Chris, big big respect to you!!! I just pipped Chris to the line, there was nothing in it and I was so so happy. The relief was incredible, and I had tears in my eyes on the slow down lap. I had finally proved to myself that I am not a muppet - not totally. I know Clint, Mike, Ali, TP and Andy Johnson weren't there, and they may well have all beaten me - but that didn't matter to me. I had got my trophy and even led a race - for half a lap My head was spinning for the rest of the day, and I even got jumped on by CK Race 2... Right then folks, having got my pot in race 1, I was now really relaxed and very very happy Thing was now - I didn't want to go out in case I trashed the bike Like I could back out - CK would have battered me either way Down to the holding area where CK almost pushed me over - twice!! Oh, how I enjoyed all the 'Yellowist' jokes, arf arf - you're all fantastic comedians Just to add to the excitement (not!) the previous race was red flagged, so we were sat around for 10 mins while they swept the mud off the track - badly. Nuffing like half a job eh I wanted to ride safe and bring the bike back, so if I got in to any battles this time, I wouldn't push it, and fully expected Chris to collect his trophy as he was flying in race 1. I took my place on the front row again (sorry but that sounds good). The warm up lap showed that things had gotten considerably cooler than during race 1, so I had to be a tad more careful on the first lap on cold tyres. So I led in to turn 1 again This racing lark is easy innit Geoff passed me on the brakes in to Park corner as I wussed out a bit on cold tyres, but even Geoff wobbled through and didn't pull a huge gap - which made me chuckle. Out of Mansfield and you could see the tall shadows of riders behind you - which was pretty weird as it looked like several riders were going to come hammering past on both sides in to the chicane, but I'm guessing it was more of an illusion (unless anyone knows different). Over the Mountain, and Geoffy-boy was still only 20 yards in front of me in to Hall Bends - sweet I thought I'm getting used to this now, and the strangest thing was that I was totally relaxed and not even trying to go super fast.I knew Geoff would go away, and obviously he wasn't going to push it, but still it was nice to see the back of him for a couple laps, rather than a couple of corners!! At the end of lap 2, Geoff was still only 4 seconds in front (and in sight ) and Ian came past me down the start straight as we started lap 3. I was rubbish out of Barn all day, and Ian would make 50 yards on me every bloody time. Oh well, just have to open the throttle more I guess That's pretty much how it stayed for laps 3, 4 & 5. Geoff was about 5 seconds in the lead, and Ian stretched a 2 second lead over me, and going in to the last lap I looked behind - and nobody was even close Where the hell is Chris? I thought. As it turned out, he was 9 seconds back Chris had got caught in a battle with Nick and Rich Snieg and I guess they held each other up. I just backed it right off when I realised I had a safe trophy place, and made sure I brought the bike home safely (apart from a tank slapper over the Mountain - coz I'm a div). That was that. I rode really steady, every lap was a 1:50 (apart from the last one) and I had got my second pot - result!!! My demons were killed off, and having taken an opportunity from CK & AK which could have gone wrong for me and made me look stupid - and confirm what my doubters thought - I proved that I'm not a complete arse afterall. I'll be out in 620 next season, on a Louigi Moto bike - so those rumours can stop already :P Watch this space!! I'd like to sincerely thank CK & AK for their incredibly kind and generous offer and hostility throughout the weekend Rich at Louigi Moto for telling me to take the bike and kick ass with it Rob, Karen and Doug for making me feel welcome at Cadwell Ali, TP, Clint, Mike and Andy for not being there and gifting me 3rd place. Kyle, you're a top geezer and I can't wait to race as your 'team-mate' next season - in our YELLOW leathers - which are actually REALLY cool, and everyone else had bad taste :P ...and lastly, I want to thank ME, for believing in me and having a big gob, as without me, none of this would have been possible. Everyone in DD this year has been superb, and 2006 will be MEGA!!!! [Edited on 10-10-2005 by domski] [Edited on 10-10-2005 by domski] | |
| 10-Oct-2005, 10:36 | #4 |
| DSC Club Member BSB Star  Posts: 6,367 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: the garage Mood: www.knightroadraceteam.co.uk | |
| 10-Oct-2005, 17:04 | #10 | |
| Registered Forum User Ducati in my Blood  Posts: 4,379 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dorking, Surrey. Mood: What a wonderful world. Quote:
or maybe not... Well done mate. So who's your sponsor for next year? You've to stay with us now, we want to see some more of that (I meaning the flying fruits bowl etc... ). | ||
domski
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