Cadwell Park 15/16 JuneF400/GP125 Racing Team

Race Reports- Cadwell Park 15/16 June 2002
14/6/02 Getting ReadyPreparation, what preparation?. I have had 7 or 8 weeks to get things sorted since Anglesey and have done diddly. Suppose after that non-event I am a bit disheartened. Had planned to use the week before to get everything sorted, bike was as it came back from dyno, stripped down and running 35mm carbs. Chris won't be at Cadwell so that saves worrying about his bike - though we plan to take it up as a spare just in case. On Friday the week before am told I have to go to Hungary. That isn't so bad but means that any plans to get bikes sorted evaporate. Will have to do it on Friday before the meeting - I have taken the day off. Before I leave for Hungary get Chris's barrels back on, the base gasket had blown but don't finish teh engine. Also put an order into Kawasaki for some more bits, exhaust hanger for Mr P so he can run stock pipes, 3 sets of bowden cables for the power valves as Chris's are shot, and mine will need replacing + some spare woodruff keys just in case. Get back from Hungary Thursday night - enjoyable trip good food and very friendly people. Friday am take the ZRX over to Peterborough for its first service. Decide that as we are over in the East will pop up and see how Mr P is doing at Cadwell, he went up Thursday night with Fish for the practice day. By the time we get there they have stopped for lunch. Seems alot of people are taking the weekend seriously. Half the club is up practising. Colin Sleigh and the Team T3 are out along with Paul Mumby Croft, tom Warner, Richard Welsh, the Bedfords etc. Head back home about 2 ish aiming to be back for 4 which give me a couple of hours to pack before Rock finishes work and we trundle back to Cadwell. On the way back Loopy is leading and decides to come off the A46 and head towards the M1 via Nottingham? Assume he knows a short cut so follow on behind. After half an hour we get to teh outskirst of Nottingham heading teh wrong way, it is now raining heavily and the traffic is so heavy you can't even trickle past it. About 45 minutes later finally get to the M1 and head home. Get there gone 5 wet and not to chuffed. Decide that there is no way I am going to rebuild Chris's bike so leave that, take one look at mine and head for the pub. Decided that will spend evening in pub and set of early Saturday. Leave pub late Friday night and head for bed. No sooner has head touched pillow when alarm goes off. I don't want to get up - consider calling it a day and having a lie in. Eventually drag myself out of bed. Put bike in car , throw everything else in Caravan phone Rock and about 5:15 head oof for circuit. Rock and Fran kip on the way up I just have to drive. Not a bad trip getting to the circuit about 7:30. Mr P and Fish have saved us a space so it is drop the bike out, screen on and off for scruitineering. No problems there. Bike is on 35mm carbs as I haven't bothered changing them.
15/6/02 Out in practice no.4 - things don't feel right, the big carbs are fluffing when I crack the throttle open (probably jetting as it is very warm and muggy and pressure is low). The throttle is also very heavy. Carbs aside - they have resurfaced parts of the track with what looks like gravel. Needless to say I am slower than a slow thing. Use the time between practice and Race 7 to change back to the small carbs. Events get a slow start and the first race is 45 minutes late starting. The day drags on and we eventually get out at 13:15.
Race 1 - F400. Front row start, will need a good result as grid positions for the rest of the weekend are based on finishing position. Get a good launch but Colin Sleigh gets past me on the 2nd to 3rd gear change point, then makes a point of cutting across to take the line (won't forget that Colin). He is a bit slow going up the hill so I lose drive and everybody comes past on either side. Now back to 7th or so. Very slow out of Charlies and the bike won't rev out down the back straight. Into Park with little commitment and a few more come past, round Chris as if I am on a Sunday ride and I am losing places at everypoint on the circuit. Bike is running alright I just don't seem to have the confidence to commit to any corner. Next time round I pull off into the paddock and park up to watch. I can't see any point in continuing if I can't ride flat out. Cracking race to Watch. Stu Bedford leads and eventually wins, but Dave Irons from the back of the grid came storming through and given a couple of more laps would probably have won it. Watching Dave through the mountain was a real pleasure smooth as anything and totally commited. Stu was like a metronome the same every lap. Behind them for 6th place is an 8 bike freight train headed by Colin Sleigh, with Richard Welsh snapping at his heels, Phil Earl (Aprilia), Alan Armour (Aprilia), Tim Bradley (RVF400), Andy Wimpenny (ZXR), Jim Blackbourn (FZER) and Pete Lodge. Each lap they sweep round and up over the mountain wheel to wheel. Colin managed to hold off Richard Welsh to come in 6th as the freight train crossed the line with just over a second between the eight riders. Sorely tempted to have a word with Mick at this point and offer to Marshall the rest of the weekend. Never often get a chance to watch a race and certainly not the F400.
Race 2 - GP250. Changed the jets down to 132 smallest I have ever run during the lunch break. Down to the holding area, 600 race is on at the moment, from the holding area you can see the entry into hall bend. Towards the end of the race there is a nasty crash at Hall, don't see what happened but bodywork is everywhere. Loopy tells me later a couple of 600's locked coming over the mountain and went straight into the tyre wall. Air ambulance was on the scene within minutes and hats off to the emergency staff. Need less to say proceedings for the rest of the day were cancelled. Pete Challinor was airlifted out and our best wishes go to him and his family, hope he pulls through. The whole paddock was rather subdued after that and a quiet evening passed. On Sunday, Saturday's first GP250 is going to be re-run before we go to Sundays programme.
15/6/02 Race 2 - GP250. I have left the jetting same as yesterday, as a) can't be bothered and b) stil can't be bothered. So apethetic about things I don't bother connecting the video. Get a reasonable start and am second going up the hill into Charlies, Must have backed off a bit into Charlies in as unbeknown to me Dave Chandler has to back off then gives it a handefull and highsides right behind me (After the race Dave toodles over and asks if the video was running - have to apologise as Dave looks rather crestfallen. His TZ looks very sory for it self and he has nuked his leathers. Feeling guilty I lend him my new set). Any way on with the race. I am crap out of Charlies and get passed by a few TZ's and RS Hondas. Then Phil Earl, and John Buchan and Pete Lodge and Colin Sleigh. and then to add insult to injury Brian Mattock (Sorry Brian). Come home 16 overall 5th KR home. No points lap times a good 6+ seconds off what I should be doing. This is a waste of time. For some reason I just can't get into it - I do not have the confidence to really push which if you want a decent lap at Cadwell you need to do. To be continued once I sober up a bit ....

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