Race Reports- Mallory Park 26 December 2001

Plum Pud Meeting - Mallory Park on Boxing Day. Not a lot to report apart from it was very very cold. Things didn't start well as practice was delayed until 10:45 whilst the circuit staff tried to remove the ice and waited for the sun to come up to raise the temperature above freezing. In the end the cars went out first followed by the bikes. I went out in the second session and as I pulled out of the pit lane there was a long red stripe across the track and a Santa Costumed figure picking his Suzi 600 up. Still looks a bit slippery so I ran a very slow practice session. This was after all a test session to try out the 35mm carbs, so apologies to those watching that had hoped to see better things from the KR. The bike seemed to run alright but lacked punch appearing a bit sluggish at the top end. This might have been a combination of things as it seemed to pick up a bit later in the day. Not wanting to take any chances with detonation I was running full Avgas - I believe this burns more slowly than standard fuel, I am still using the same plugs I started the season with, also I suspect the rings might have been sticking as the bike hasn't been touched since Angelsey - other than to change the gearing and the carbs. Did a plug chop on the way in and checked the left cylinder. Looked a tadge rich but decided to leave all alone. Andy Blundell was out on his KR1 but was struggling with a misfire above 9000 that has plagued him all season. A word of warning drain your cooling systems over the winter if you don't use any antifreeze (you aren't meant to if you race). Eliot Forsey had drained his bike but topped it up Christmas Day to save a bit of time on the day. On the journey over from Peterborough with the bike on the back of the trailer on Boxing Day morning the system froze solid. So when Eliot tried starting the bike in the Paddock nothing. They finally realised what had happened and Eliot spent about an hour with a heater under the bike and pouring hot water into the pipes and rad. Eventually he cleared the system but to no avail as when trying to bump the bike the water pump drive had sheared. To show you how cold it was any water Eliot spilled onto the ground froze almost immediately. Out in Race 2 on the back row - got the short straw here as everybody else either was at the front for their first race and at the back for their second me I am at the back for both. Have a gentle start and watch as everybody piles into Gerrards - all made it round. I am circulating around last when on lap two I think the race is red flagged. A couple of 125's (it is a mixed start race) have gone off at Gerrards. One block looking like he broke a leg as he was all strapped up when they took him away. After waiting forever for the restart - with tyres going from warm to freezing cold and like rock - finally get the go ahead. Again go for a gentle start hanging back. End up tussling with a ZXR400 that looked like Gary Iley's. It was quicker than the KR top end but the rider was relatively slow out of the corners. Eventually come home 3rd from last. DAve Page fell at Gerrards on the restart on cold tyres and people were sliding off all over the place. Bike still felt very flat at the top? Almost every race was redflagged and delays mounted. The cars only got one session because of delays. Race 10 - back on the last row again. Push a bit harder of the start and pass a few before Gerrards. I could have ridden round loads more but I wasn't in the mood for heroics. Slowly upped the pace passing one or two riders on each lap (only a 5 lap race). Bike pulls well in midrange but lacked top end grunt. Also found this time that it would fluff coming out of the hairpin. Looks like I need to spend some time on the Dyno. The slides need replacing as they are pitted does one of the needles as it isn't straight. Don't know where I finished or who won. Suspect it was either Duncan Burns or Andy Sprake. Came away happier than I was at the start of the day. No tumbles - the carbs work though no noticable gain in power except possibly midrange drive - it was eating people out of the Esses and the Devils Elbow (but that comment needs to be tempered by the fact I was riding with people at the back of the pack not those at the front which may explain the difference in speed). Topend is definitely poor I would guess 5 to 7 hp down on what I normally have. Quite a few F400 and KR riders tuned up to watch, Peter Lodge (who has just acquired a second KR-1S), John Buchan and Mark Brown, Paul Daley (ZXR400), Richard Welsh (FZR400) and his girlfriend who will be riding a KR next season, Chris Bowen (ZXR400) who I haven't seen since last season, Arthur Bell (KR) and Phil Earl (Aprilia 250) and a chap who used to ride who if you are reading this I must apologise too for appearing rude and not talking too. I am planning a major Dyno session probably second half of Feb after pay day - will probably book a dyno for the day and will run up the 3 KR's and hopefully try out a few bits of kit. So if anybody has a set of expansions I could borrow to try out it would be appreciated. I have, Stock, Huxley Mk II, Gibsons unknown vintage and possibly Nikon. If anybody has anything else, e.g. Micron, Jolly Moto or anything else please contact me.

Return to theMain Index

This document maintained by mark@teamsparrow.fsnet.co.uk.
Material Copyright © 2001 Mark Jordan