Race Reports


	Race Reports
19/8/00	Cadwell- Headed off just after lunch Friday. Set up shop then try getting the gas on. Have decided to cook a Paella (I have just come back from Spain). A bug has taken up residence in the gas pipe blocking it, so scrap that idea. Elliot offers me the use of his barby and end up cooking the paella on that - worked a treat. The KR appears to be working. I am not sure what the problem was finally. I have changed the reeds and since then it has run ok but I am not convinced. The other odd thing is I have had to jet down about 3 sizes. I am now running 140 kehin jets as the bike wouldn't pull 145 RD jets (with the air box lid down it just wouldn't rev above 8500). Dave and Sue turn up about 10:30 with the RS125 and TZ250. The 125 has been completely rebuilt new crankcases, barrels pipe etc and it is first time out with the new engine. We are sharing the 125 which should be fun. Saturday - wake up to a really miserable day. Its pouring with rain, I had a really bad night my arm is still giving me grief, quack says there are some torn muscles that might need stiching. Decide that if carries on raining I will skip the day as I am really here for Sunday and the ACU Stars round. By practice the weather is brightening up and it looks like we might be in for a good day. Practice went ok, only problem was on the 125, I have a reverse gear change Dave uses the normal pattern and when we swopped them over the change was abit high. Also Dave prefers the bike to be on/off on the throttle which I find difficult to ride with. Dave's out first race 3 in the 125 and gets a third. Then while he was swopping the numbers and gear change over I am out in the F400. Can't remember much except was in fourth place for sometime before losing 3 places on the last lap. Richard Jarrold binned it in a big way at the Gooseneck - thought they might red flag the race as he bounced all over the place. Heart not really in it. Richard was ok and after going home Saturday night to rob his spare bike managed to get out on Sunday. Out in the open 400 on the 125 with Dave on the TZ. Get a good start just as it starts raining, just behind Joe Dickinson coming onto the back straight when he gets thrown off the bike. Continue round in with the leading pack. Though I could go quicker, I can't see anything because of the spray and why bother no prizes or points in this race. Get back in and find out Dave lost the TZ in the same place as Joe. Skip the F400 race and take the 125 out but I am only there to make up the numbers. Not a bad day but I am looking forward to tomorrow. Dave had a couple of thirds on the 125 which is going really well.
20/8/00	Cadwell- Sunday wake up to bright blue skies and not a cloud in sight. Nothing to do to the bikes except change the needle on the 125. Dave likes the 1267 needle which comes in with a thump when you open the throttle. I prefer the 1268 needle which leans out the mid-range and gives a more progressive response. Suppose it comes down to riding styles I like to bring the throttle in gently which a 1268 allows, the 1267 pops and bangs so you need to be on full throttle all the time. The other thing I did was swop back to my old red/white leathers as they fit better than the new ones. Race 1 GP125 - Its a mixed grid singles and 125s. With novice 600s starting 15 seconds or so behind. I am on the front row and get a good start slotting in to second behind Andy Blow. The race is red flagged at the end of lap 1. Oh well got to do it all over again. At the restart I am out dragged by a motor crosser to the hairpin. Get past the crosser on the back straight and get the lead. I think I held that for about a lap before first Andy Blow got past and then Richard Thompson. Those two then started elbowing and pushing each other all over the track. As I could live with them I dropped back a few yards to avoid getting tangled up in the wreckage as I was convinced they would have each other off. Richard finally managed to get away from Andy and as I couldn't run at Richards pace low 1'10" and I thought Andy was not in the ACU Stars series I settled for an easy second (third in the race). After the race I found out Andy was contesting the ACU Stars so I did get a third. Still my best lap was 1'11.1" which is quite respectable. The rest were 1'11"s and 1'12"s. (Air temp is 20°, 50% and 1000 mB) I was running a 182 main jet and 1268 needle lifted 1 notch. Race 2 F400 - I am on the second row for the F400 race. Dave Irons, Elliot Forsey and Lloyd Cripps are on the front row. Tom Warner and Mark Ess are on the second row and Richard Jarrold and Ian Hallam are some where behind me. I am running the usual 14/45 gearing, 140 mains with no filter and an airbox lid lifted at the front by 10 mm. (Air temp is 20°, 50% and 1000 mB) Tyres are a KR364 115/70 (125 rear run on the front) 29.5 psi and a Dunlop KR364 335 (An Aprilia cup tyre) 29.5 psi rear. I get a reasonable start and get to the hairpin in fourth. Elliot and Dave Irons got a flyer and I am stuck behind Lloyd. Its Lloyd's first time at Cadwell and he is a bit ragged. Second lap round and Tom Warner gets past me on the back straight. I follow him round to the hairpin and get him back on the brakes. In the mean time Elliot and Dave Irons have disappeared, Lloyd has pulled a bit of a gap whilst I was following Tom which I can't close. Ian Hallam gets me on the back straight on lap 4 so I am down to fifth. I cross the line in a comfortable fifth spot. Elliot got past Dave Irons on the last lap, and stuck his hand up as he crossed the line. Dave went belting past and got the win as the line was 10 yards further up the road. Best lap 1'11.5" Quite happy with the result though I think I could have gone quicker. Race 3 GP125 - End up on the front row of the novice 600s. Can't be right so I waddle up to the back row of the 125's. I had been watching at the hairpin in between races and noticed that everybody went for the inside line. This is ok if you are at the front but those further back just sat and waited there turn to go through. Decided that as I was on the back row I would take the wide line and go around the inevitable snarle up. This worked nicely as I rode around the jam and got into 6th just after the hairpin working my way up to third. Andy and Richard had disappeared into the distance so another safe third. Best lap 1'13" slower than the first but I had a bit of traffic and then once clear of that I couldn't catch the front two so not much point in pushing it. Race 4 F400 - On the third row with Elliot. Get a good start but Elliot got a better one out of the hairpin its Elliot, Dave Irons, Richard Jarrold, Me then Tom Warner. Tom shows me his nose at the end of the back straight but this time I make sure he doesn't come past on the brakes. I spend the race trying to find a way around Richard. A couple of times Richard is a bit wide coming out of the hairpin, each time I get alongside but his bike is quicker up the hill. I sit on his tail down the back straight but can't make enough ground to take him on the brakes. I am a bit quicker round the back section but not enough to make a pass. Through the Gooseneck I am much quicker but again not brave enough to put a pass in usually having to back off. About even into Mansfield then Richard is much quicker out of Mansfield and pulls away along the bottom straight. I get him back on the brakes at the hairpin and it starts all over again. I enjoyed that race, best time 1'10.8" Race 5 Open 250 - Only went into this race as the club had me down for an entry. The idea was to see if I could run with the TZ's - never know might get a third. Got a good start and was running around 5th when I got jumped by a couple of GP250s on the back straight. These two weren't particularly quick through the bendy bits. Then a few 400's then it looked like everybody else. Still carried on going around. Best lap 1'12.4" nothing to serious.
	Overall Summary - I really enjoyed the weekend. From looking like it was going to be terrible weather, we had two really nice days. The KR is finally running properly, though I am not totally convinced it was the reeds. I had a good ride on the 125 and feel much more comfortable with it (probably the leathers fitting better). Elliot Forsey was on a mission and rode really well, his starts were blistering. Richard Jarrold came back well after a nasty fall on Saturday and I really enjoyed that scrap with him on Sunday. All in all a great weekend plus 90 pounds prize money. Ran about 4 or 5 seconds a lap quicker on Sunday than on Saturday amazing what you can do when there is money up for grabs. And my lap times were on the pace.
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This document maintained by mark@teamsparrow.fsnet.co.uk. Material Copyright © 2000 Mark Jordan