Race Reports
Race 1 Open 400 - Places are by Ballot and I am way back (row 5). The bike bogs on the line and I don't get a good start. Something has gone wrong with the bike and I am getting no drive, with the power kicking in with a bang once the throttle is open. I go round for two laps then pull in up at Radar. Petrol is pouring out of the overflow bottle and on to the ground - Bugger. The float on the right hand carb is not sealing off the fuel. Strip the carb down and find a small piece of gravel in the needle valve (must have got onto the tap when I put the tank down). A DNF means a back row start in the B Final. Still the F400 race is next. Dave Page was on the RS125 and did reasonably well though he wasn't to happy with his times.
Race 2 F400 - Front row start- now I am in with a chance and I think I can win this or get a front row for tomorrows final. Launch well but hold first a fraction to long. The green ZXR alongside just edges ahead as I select second. Going into school he leaves a barn door on the inside so I go for it. Must be half a bike length in front - and leading when he cuts back in and leans on me. A gentle tap to the back of my bike gets me into a slide, both the front and back are going again. I try and straighten it up and aim for the inside rumble strip as that is all the track I have, the ZXR is still crowding me. I hold it for what feels like an eternity and even think I have managed to get away with it when the front tucks as I hit the dust right on the edge of the track. Down I go. Now things really slowed down. I remember the front tucking really gently - me thinking oh shit this is really going to hurt; it is my worst nightmare scenario the one place I never ever want to be in. I have got 30 bikes immediately behind me all intent on making as many places as possible in the first few turns and this is the first turn. I end up sliding backwards, facing the oncoming bikes - I have this vision of a Yellow and white Yam FZR 400 coming straight at me engrained in my head. I had time to pull my arms in to stop them getting run over then just sat there sliding backwards waiting for that thump as the first bike ran into me - I would then be sent skittling and the rest would just pile into me (as I said worst nightmare). Some how the Yam missed me. At this point I thought I dont't want to be here and tried moving to the edge of the track. Bad move I was still sliding at some speed - Think at this point I tumbled then came to a stop as a 400 stood on its nose right next to me. The rider looking down at me with a huge grin on his face. I can only think he was as happy as I was at missing me. I tried to get up but couldn't at first as my shoulder was killing me. The marshalls had almost reached me by the time I managed to crawl/stagger to the edge of the track. Needless to say the race was red flagged. Another **^%$y DNF and a back row start. However, I am happy as larry - must be nerves as I really don't know how everybody missed me. Ian, Dave and Paul watching gave me 10 out of 10 for entertainment and commitment (didn't find out if that was I should be committed). They said one bike hit me and another ran over me. Can't remember that bit but I have got a sore thumb and knee. KR is not to bad, the fairing broke on the right mount and the screen has another crack. Otherwise the foot peg took the brunt ending up about 1/2" shorter than normal. Medics give me an Ice bag for the thumb but end up using it on the leg as that is begining to hurt more. Looking back on the move I don't see that I did anything wrong. The chap leaning on me is fair (though I rather he had lifted up a bit). The reason I fell was probably that the tyres weren't up to temperature (they had only just come out of the warmers) and the tap was just enougth to lose what little grip I had. Given a gap like that I will still go for it.
The F400 was run with the GP125 qualifing sessions. The 125s didn't get off the line before I went down. The race was restarted with the 125s starting 20 seconds behind the F400. Dave managed 5 laps before the 125 let go at School on the second apex. Somebody watching said his foot caught the rumble strip launching him off. All in all a disasterous race for both of us.
Crash Repairs - My well oiled (no they haven't been on the piss yet) team went into action and the KR was battle ready in minutes - amazing what a bit of gaff tape can do. Mean time Dave has bigger problems with the back brake on the RS. For some reason its stopped working and no amount of bleeding seems to fix it. Ian, Dave and Paul set about giving Dave a hand whilst I hobble around the pit looking for sympathy. Not a lot is forthcoming. Scruts pass the helment which picked up a light scratch - my gloves have had it (a set of Frank Thomas that have been down the road more times than I can remember). Its been a day of crashes. The day got of to a bad start with the first Open 400 race (I was in the second) with a ten bike pile up on the first corner. All through the day people have been binning it, including quite a few of the fancied runners for the Grand ( I have never seen so many races red flagged at Anglesey). After an hour of stripping and rebuilding the rear brake they give up. Dave has resigned himself to no racing for Sunday so the brake is reassembled and put back on the bike. Brake starts working - don't know why but Dave is back on for Sunday. Down the Maellog Lake for food and beer. The leg is really beginning to stiffen up. Choas at the Lake as they have run out of food. Ian and myself got our order in early so we got a bite. Dave and Sue and Dave 'the fish' and Paul had to go foraging. By 10:30 the leg is giving me so much gip I head on up stairs - bit like a wounded animal crawling away to die. Have a really bad nights kip. The leg has siezed solid and won't move. I got cramp in both legs which made me try and move the leg - ended up screaming very quietly. Up at 6. Managed to get to a chair but couldn't move any further. Thought I would have to go to Bangor hospital to get it sorted. By 7 as it was getting light realised I couldn't see anything so tried to find my glasses. Took about ten minutes to get from one end of the room to the next. By about 7.30 found I could sort of slide/hobble around. Staggered down stairs to watch the F1 GP (boring) so had some breakfast. Paul got me some Nurofen from the local shop so popped a couple and off to the circuit
Day 2 Found that once I had the leathers on I could move around a bit more, probably the pills kicking in. Missed practice so ride the bike around the paddock. Once I bend the leg up on to the foot peg I have great difficulty changing gear. Still its a while till the first race so the leg might loosen up.
Race 3 Open 400 - Back row start 27 out of about 29. As I haven't had warmers on and am not even sure I can ride I go for a gentle launch and take it easy for the first few laps. I start upping the pace on lap 3 and start picking off the tail enders. The leg must be loosening up as I am not having to much trouble riding. Don't really push it and finish mid field.
Race 4 F400 - It is the B Final and a split grid with the f400 bikes going first followed by the 125's. Fourteenth on the grid out of 14. Get a reasonable start and pass a few by school. Get another at Radar and then a couple more at the hairpin. Continue picking them off for a couple more laps until I am up to third just behind James Orme on an RGV. Just ahead of him is the leader on a 400. Where as I am quicker through the bends then the RGV it just pulls away down the straights. What little I can make back on the brakes isn't enougth to get in front. On about lap seven come up on a back marker at mount view/douglas. The RGV dives up the inside I follow the back marker round (I think the crash has taken the edge of the aggression) until we get on the start finish. The RGV has pulled 50 yards on me - so I toodle round to the pits and pull off the track - I couldn't be bothered to chase him down again. Get down in to the paddock and the engine dies. As it won't start again I have to hope its the battery going flat - I didn't charge it up before the meeting.
We have swopped the TZ for another RS125 which I might try out at Donnington.
Leg is still not working but should loosen up over the week. Went for my first bit of Physio for the shoulder. So hopefully everything will be working again by Donny on the 19 Nov. Might even fix the KR by then Hope to have the KR in the new colours. Which almost guarantees that I will take a tumble.
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