| 24/9/00 |
Donnington Park- After Anglesey the
KR wouldn't start. So charged the battery and still no go. Borrowed Dave Page's KR
as I was expecting a long session of swopping bits over to find the fault (spent 2 hours moving at walking
pace along the M6 - I hate that road). Monday before
the meeting started work on the KR. Thought before I go to far I will just run a multi-meter
over it. Various coils checked out ok, battery is charged - measure resistance between coiland earth and it
is 140 ohms (should be zero). Trace problem to a loose earth bolt from the battery. Tighten
bolt and KR starts second kick.
Tuesday - spray the number plates on the bike. It is a disaster - Rock has resprayed the tail unit in enammel
and it reacts with the Halfords Mondeo Green. Have to scrap the paint off.
Wednesday up the bike show to buy boots and gloves to replace kit knackered at Anglesey.
Also get a spare lid - manage to pick a Shoei up for £100 normally pay £150 (its one of only a few lids
that fit my head).
Thursday take Dave's KR back and pick up the 125. Dave has checked the bike out and in anticipation of the weather
we fit a 195 main jet.
Friday - respray the number plates doesn't look pretty but it will have to do.
Fran prints my numbers on the computer then cuts them out of Fablon. Entry indicates I am riding
number 33. So off comes 96 and on goes 33 - look good in a fancy font.
Saturday load up the Alhambra - then with Fran, Ellie and Rock head off to Derby for the club
Dinner and Dance. Pick up a couple of trophies for coming second in the F400 and GP250 classes.
Peter Whiteside won the F400 and picked up the club number 1 plate,Duncan Burns was third
(only did one meeting but won all the races). Rob Mawby won the GP250.
Sunday up at 6 and by 6.30 we head off to Donny. Rock takes the Alhambra and the girls
come along with me. It pours all the way to Donny only stopping as we arrive at the circuit.
Unload and settle into the garage - a bit better than being out in the open but not much -
it is freezing.
Through scruitineering then sign on. Find out that the Kwack is on number 96 and the RS125 is
on No. 33. So have to change the KR back to 96.
Rich Davies is already at the circuit and raring to go - got himself a set of wets from Xpedia. Probably need
them as teh track shows no sign of drying - it is not raining but there is no wind.
Fuel the bikes putting 6 litres in the 125 and 9 in the KR. Races are 10 laps plus a sighting lap, i.e. 22 miles.
Practice Warm the KR up and then head down to the
assembly area. Our practice is delayed by 10 minutes as a Super-mono has spread oil around the whole
circuit and they are trying to clear it up. At last they let us out - well everybody else goes
out except me - the KR won't start again. % minutes of fiddling and kicking and I give up and go get the RS125. John Buchan
and Mark Brown from Team T3 turn up and I leave the KR to them and Rock. *&^%%!!! KR do the practice
in a bad mood and ride very slowly - it is very slippery (oil) and I realise that riding Donny once
3 years ago doesn't mean I know the circuit. Do about 6 laps in practice. Team T3 believe that the problem is a magneto with a low resistance so the
bike won't kick but should bump. I must admit I am beginning to hate the KR. John bumps the KR and it fires up.
Problem solved - maybe I don't hate it.
F400 - Row 4 start but I don't really feel in the mood.
Eliot is on an Aprilia on Row 3. Get a good start and am about 6th into Redgate losing one place
onthe braking. Hold my position down to the old hairpin and then start going backwards.
Not really riding well and I definetly don't know the circuit. About lap 6 get paseed by a couple of 400's
and sit behind them for a couple of laps. Decide that this is daft and start getting on with it. Re-pass the two
400's and do a lap on my own and thats it. Pretty crap. Get credited with 9th with Rich Davies being
given 8th (bit odd that as he wasn't racing - see later) Poor old Stu Jones romped away to win the event but I hear he
got docked 20 seconds for a jumped start (I don't remember seeing it and he was near me at the start).
GP125 Couldn't make my mind up whether to run wets or inters. In the end went for inters
as a dry line as appearing - quite a few out on slicks some on wets? Row 3 start. Got away well again in about sixth.
Got passed by a few going into Craner curves and settled in behind a novice on a '94 machine.
Circulated around the track behind him which was a good learning excercise. The RS wasn't revving out
down the back straight - we had over jetted it and I didn't bring the weather station so couldn't change the
jetting (didn't do a plug chop in practice). Lap 8 full chat down the back straight and the
motor dies on me. Whip the clutch in and coast to a halt. Run out of petrol.
After Practice we had put two more litres. So 6 practice laps, a sighting lap a warm up lap and 8 laps is all you
get a Mallory for 8 litres? 32 miles!. Still I enjoyed that and was beginning to ride a bit better.
Need to doing something with the gear change as it is like stirring porridge.
Open 1300 - Race 10 and it is really cold. The track is now dry which is
a bonus. Couldn't make my mind up which bike to take out in the end plumped for the KR. Scrapped with a TZ and a CBR600 for about 6 laps
then started making mistakes - decided to call it a day whilst I was still in one bit and I hadn't trashed the new body work.
Lot happier as I was actually beginning to ride the bike - all over the TZ and CBR 6 on the bendy bits - they just kept buggering off
down the straights.
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Overall Summary -
Not a bad day, though I don't think I want to race that late in the year again. Lots of people
binning it. Rumour had it that Martin Appleyard totalled his V&M R6 - very expensive.
Rich Davis had problems with numbers - in Race two he had 32 then in Race 3 he had to change to 71? Told
rules is rules and he had to change his numd=bers between races - bit difficult as they let you out whilst the other race was still finishing.
As it turned out he highsided coming out of the pits for his first race, probably on some of that
super-mono oil. The bike was done for the day, no racing, and the ACU had stern words for him and a fine.
I think that was a bit harsh as he hadn't held proceedings up or done anything stupid.
Thanks to John Buchan and Mark Brown for coming out and fixing the KR.
Also Thanks to Team Sparrow for all their support over the season that is.
Rock'n'Roll (Dave Evans) for spannering and generally looking after me.
Paul Lewis + family (Val (spanners), Simon and Thomas)
Dave 'The Fish' + Paul for Team Tactics at Anglesey - take 'em up the inside, that way if you fall off you get them as well'
(which didn't quite work that way) - Hope to see Paul out next season on an R1.
Ian 'I am still waiting for the rearsets' for helping out at Anglesey.
My girls for catering etc at events (daughters), Craig, Sandy and Jace the Ace.
Also thanks to Pat and June for putting on an excellent spread at the Crown on Sunday (Try them - Crown Inn, Stockton, Warks).
Next report should be end of Jan as we are planning on going to Spain testing.
Sounds good - in reality it is a good excuse for a piss up and we might ride a bike as well. Least
it will be warmer than Donny.
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