Race Reports


	Race Reports- Anglesey 27/28 April 2002
26/4/02	Getting Ready I always look forward to Anglesey as it is one of my favourite circuits and I have had some good results as well as a few duff ones, either way it is always different. I have spent my spare time in the week running up to the race weekend, getting the on board video working so as usual bits on the bikes are unfinished. Spend Thursday evening clearing out the caravan. It has been used as a dumping ground over the winter and is full of all sorts of junk. Loopy has kindly checked out the brakes and wheel bearings - so at least those are OK. Once the caravan is cleared we take it for a test spin just to make sure everything works. No problems - killed ourself laughing as on the way back a nicely turned out CBR400 comes past at about 55 mph we come up to the next corner, he backs off to 40 mph just as the caravan is getting upto 50, just come off a roundabout and it takes time to wind it up. Bum slides off the seat, knee pokes out and he enters the corner at nearly 40. Almost run into the back of him as van is nearly up to 55 as we take the corner. Put water in the bikes and change the gearing on Chris's. Load up. Friday am finish packing, bit of shopping then head off about 2pm, with Rock, Jace and Fran on board. Mr P is about 20 minutes behind with his van, bike, Fish, Chris, Steve and Ellie. Sandy is also heading towards Anglesey via Makro where he is stocking up with provisions - Beer, more Beer, bit of Kangaroo and Croc for the barby, frying pan and anything else we can think of. M6 Junc 5 solid traffic till Junc 10. 2 hours to do a 1 hour trip. On to the M54 and a monster headwind. Bus + Caravan can barely pull 50 on the flat, 45 up hill and about 60 down the hills. Eventually get to Oswestry where we pull over for a BK and wait for Mr P to catch up. Then off again into the head wind. Cut up on the A5 rather than the coast road and make good albeit slow progress. Eventually get to circuit about 7:30pm. Run around like a headless chicken trying to get the tent up before it goes dark and pisses down. Wind is up so it takes all of us to get it up. Have to borrow some extra tent pegs of Team T3 and tie it to cars, caravans and bikes. But it proves a godsend over the weekend as it is big enough to take the bikes table chairs and bodies. Having got that bit of stress out of the way get the barbies going and nearly lose my eyebrows in the process. Chuck about 2 pints of fuel on each just to get them going then toss a match on. Normally they just flame up but this time one of them decided to more blow up (should have used that fuel in the bike?). Sandy turns up with the goodies from Makro and we settle down to beer and more meat than is good for you, Fish works for a Butchers so ribs, burgers, steak you name it we had it. Can recommend Kangaroo - nice bit of meat if barbied properly - bit tough otherwise.
27/4/02	. Practice Saturday morning - We all go through scruitineering with out problems, sign on and make sure we are all out in the same practice session. Get the video checked at scruiteenering and get approval from the clerk of the course. Have a look at the KIPS linkage and decide to try practice with it as it is and hope it doesn't come off. Toodle round slowly trying to show Mr P and Little Fish the way round. Lose Chris coming out of the Pits but Mr P follows round. After about 4 laps bike is up to 80C so pull into the pits. I filled the bikes with water but didn't turn the engines over. Consequently, the rads are a bit short - not a prob as we top up back in the paddock. Video test looks good, linkage is bad as it has popped off again. Brought the spare head and barrels off what is scheduled to become Fishes bike so pinch the best of the long linkages - Bike fixed. Jetting felt about right so nothing to touch (We are running Snett jetting so I am on 135, Mr P on 142 and Chris on 140 or was that 138 - didn't make notes - always make notes). Rock fuels all the bikes and we are ready to go. We are out in Race 7 (F400) and 9 (GP250), shame it isn't the other way round as could use the GP250 to warm up. It is now quite a long wait as race 7 is after lunch. Anglesey is a 10 am start because of noise regulations, so once practice etc is out of the way racing starts fairly late. Saturdays races are 5 laps Sundays 6. While we wait Fish and the girls knock up breakfast. Race 1 F400 - Row 1 start, most of the main 400's are on row 3 and further back. Get a good launch out draging Colin Sleigh to the first corner. Push past Colin on the run to Abbots with the pack a bit behind (good this video). By the time I am through Radar I have pulled out about 10 yards and hold the gap to the hairpin. Bit weak on the brakes into the hairpin as I put in a new set of EBC pads and 4 gentle laps in practice isn't enough to run them in. Stuart Bedford closes a bit by I have a reasonable lead, Paul Mumby-Croft is 3rd, Tom Warner 4th and Neil Pugh is working his way up from the back (Neil is ex Wirral 100 F400 champ and knows his way around - . Round on lap 2 and Paul is now upto 2nd and closing. On the start of lap 3 Neil Pugh passes Stuart and Paul on the start finish straight then slips past me on the run into Abbots must remember to either go faster, or defend that line as over the course of the weekend I got passed there several times. Through Radar quicker than Neil but can't pass, but he is quicker down to the hairpin and better on the brakes. Still a bit soft though these EBCs seem to bite well. Just before I tip into the hairpin there is an almight bang and the bike lurches to the side. Some bugger has hit me up the arse. Exiting the hairpin, the exhaust note sounds really off so through the next two bends and pull off into the pits. Left hand pipe is vertical, a great big crack between the stinger and the expansion and the silencer is hanging off. Paul Mumby-Croft had tried to go up my inside which I was defending, then changed his mind and tried the outside but hadn't cleared my bike and caught the silencer with his fairing. On video you can see the RGV standing on its nose as he trys to lose speed. It is a good thing it wasn't his knee. Still no points and a back row start in the next race. Not a good start to the day. I headed straight off to the paddock to get a spare pipe on, luckly we were carrying a set. A frantic 5 to 10 minutes taking off the damaged pipe putting on the new, putting on the silencer and belly pan. Start the bike, stop the bike the header isn't done up properly. Franticly search tool box for a socket. They are calling the GP250 race. Get the exhaust done up, on with the belly pan, the last call went out minutes ago. Get bike started and just make the holding area. Race 2 GP250 - Row 1 again (pays to get your entries in early). Not as good a start as the F400 and Colin beats me to the first corner. Get past him in school. Get my head down and ride steadily (lap times are embarrasing) Fairly uneventful race, watching the video Steve Austin (RS250 Honda) kept a respectable 30 yards distance with Paul Mumby-Croft (TZ250) about 10 to 20 yards behind him. That is until the start of lap 4, down into School, out of Abbots and Chris is ahead, blue flags are out and I am closing fast, decide to nip up the inside just before Radar when Chris cuts in - aagh what is he doing thats not the right line (well if you don't know better than any line will do). Have to stand the Bike up and scrub speed to avoid T-boning Chris and follow him through Radar getting him on the exit. Still leading but it has allowed Steve Austin and Paul to close up and Paul nips inside Steve on the exit of Radar. Lead round to the start finish with Paul on my tail then get passed on the run up to Abbots again. Follow Paul round to the finish - 2nd not bad but... Still a good ride for Paul and a win on his first ride on the TZ. Reckon he will get much quicker as he gets used to the bike. Poor Chris had his leg pulled a bit when we got back to the pits - especially as the commentator had mentioned Team orders. Still nothing Chris could have done about it - my fault as I should have gone round the outside, which would have put me on the inside on the exit. Won't mention lap times but they were two to three seconds slower than last year :-( Race 3 F400 - Back row start as I DNF the first race - still should be able to get a few points. Get to the holding area and am told I am not allowed out. I don't appear on the list of riders sent down from the race office. Sit quietly on one side whilst Jan trys to sort out what is going on with the race office. Nothing - much happening. All the bikes are in except me! Bikes are let out on to the grid with out me - so I go up to the race office to try and sort out what is going on. Whilst it is being sorted or not - the race starts. Bum not a lot I can do so explain my unhappiness with the situation, especially as the results of this race will affect tomorrows grid (if I am let out) and go back to the tent to cool off. Race 4 GP250 - Least I got out on the grid, still not very happy at the time. Front row get a good start with Steve Austin beating me off the line, and a Super Moto beating us all from the second row. The chap then proceded to disappear - whilst all those on proper race bikes poked there knees out and pretended to race. Take my hat off to that person he flew. I was passed by Paul on the run into Abbots again. Followed him round but he defended the line at the hairpin and I didn't quite have the speed to get him on the straight. On the 3rd lap at the hairpin he left a gap on the inside and I went for it. Made a bit of a mess of the braking and ran wide allowing Paul to tuck back in behind me. It also allowed Simon Boddison to close right up. On the start finish straight Simon came past on speed - his TZ is definitely the quicker than the KR. Finished 4th in class - again I am not mentioning lap times. Summint not right?. Pete Whiteside summed it up ' You are riding like an old woman. You need some incentive, me and Steve out there..'
	Overall Summary - Not a lot to say that Pete Whiteside hadn't already said. Thinking about it a week on, I guess I should have jetted up one size and possibly run 44 tooth rear went for revs and a 45 tooth. Should also have dropped the forks - still plenty of excuses just need to get head in gear and sort the bike properly. Saturday night we battened down the tent, as the wind had picked up and it was pouring - typical Anglesey weather. With the tent secured to cars, caravans and the bikes to stop it blowing away we had a barby. Chris got well smoked holding the brolly over the barbies. Fish made up the kebabs whilst Ellie cooked. They did a grand job considering the weather. Food over settled back in the tent and chilled over a few beers. Tomorrow looks like being crap, forecast is crap, tension is rising in the camp but that is tomorrows story..... KR Cup - Colin Sleigh and John Buchan had an excellent day with a win and a second a piece. Pete Lodge after starting with a 3rd dropped to 5th in the second race. Richard Saunders did the opposite. Mark Brown was 4th in both races with Anglesey first timers Ian Soilleux (first time out in the KR Cup) , Mr P and Chris being the other finishers. Me I had a miserable day nil points. As a consequence I have dropped to 6th. Though it is Colin's first time at Anglesey he did take the opportunity on Friday to get a bit of practice in. Looks like it has paid off as he now has a 6 point lead in the championship. Now rather than hope somebody beats Pete I need somebody to beat Colin. At least the points system seems to be working with it all fairly tight at the top.
Return to theMain Index
This document maintained by mark@teamsparrow.fsnet.co.uk. Material Copyright © 2002 Mark Jordan