The excitement of the next days racing was building, and I resolved to savour the day in the knowledge that this was going to be my last fix until next March.
And savour it I did!The next morning, I maxed the suspension settings at the front in an effort to get the front to stand up as much as possible and keep the Exhaust system off the ground. I had to get it to brake later which this would hopefully help achieve.
We had a very short morning warm up of just 2 or 3 laps in the dry Brands sunshine. It was looking like it was going to be a day of good weather. The last thing I wanted was for it to rain.
As soon as I took off down the track on my first lap, I knew the bike was going to be better and on the brakes for the first time into Druids bend was instantly better. With the short session, I was going to have to wait for the racing to get a good feel for what I could get away with.
We didn't have to wait too long as Thunderbikes were the second race of the day.
Druids bend on the 1st lap is a high light of racing for me and quite a spectacle for those watching.I Was to start from yesterdays finishing position of 15th place out of 28 riders.
The usual sensations in mind and body before setting off from the paddock had set in early today and it seemed like eternity before our race was called. The bike sat on it's stands with the engine being run up to temperature and tyres in their warmers and I sat feeling like I was going to need to run to the nearest drain and puke. It was taking for ever for the call to come. Once finally off the stands and riding up to the collecting area, the nerves dissipated a little. It's not until the lights go out for the warm up lap that it becomes more bearable.The warm up lap is a good release and I always tend to give the bike a good hard push for that one lap. It's nice to get the tyres and myself up to optimum temperature before the start procedure.
Great Photos! Thanks to David Stoddart for sending them.The bike felt good on that first lap but as we lined up for the start, I could feel the nerves in my stomach running wild. As the flag marshal pointed at the lights and walked from the track, the noise from all the bikes around makes the ground and my chest shake, but as my focus became more concentrated, I became unaware of the noise and the feeling in my stomach. It's the last thing in the world to pass through my mind at this stage. All my mind it focused on is the lights and then which side of the guy in front I am going to go.
The friendly banter and rivalry of the paddock naturally make the focus on the guys you know the best as the ones you want to beat. In my case this is Phil and Gyles, being as we all camp together. Phil has remained at the back end of the field due to the under performance of his Laverda. (This is in no way a slur on his abilities as he is a very good rider and racer. he deserves a better performing machine!)
Phil on the Laverda.You have to admire the guys commitment to riding a bike that has no chance of scoring points all season. He just loves V-twins and racing.Just wait till you see what he'll be riding next season......I'm in for a battle for sure! can't wait!So this leaves Gyles, who due to his 10th place the day before was 5 places ahead of me on the grid.With the bike feeling better, I was really hoping to be able to get somewhere near him in this race, get a better finishing position and therefore get a better shot at him in the next race. That was my plan anyway!
The start was nothing special for me but not too bad either. I aimed for Gyles and tried to reel him in as I knew my bike was faster off the start and by the end of the 1st lap I was in 12th and could see Gyles just a couple of places ahead. I have to admit that the race was a bit of a blur. I was super concentrated and aware that the bike was behaving a hell of a lot better than the day before. It was still miles from ideal! The next couple of laps saw two bikes come past me, both Suzuki SV machines and then a Ducati 748 which managed to throw it's rider into the gravel a lap later!
What a mix of machines!My determination to catch Gyles coupled with knowing this was the last days racing of the year, made me really dig in deep and push as hard as I dare. At one stage, exiting the last turn onto the start straight, I had tapped on the power too early and too hard and Ended with soiled pants as the back came round so hard it had the front forks hitting their limit and the handlebars going from lock to lock, hard. As soon as the bike had composed it's self, I was back on the gas and didn't look back....I had a big black Guzzler to catch after all!
By lap 5, Gyles was in front. I think it was more a case of him getting passed by other guys than of me catching him, but I had caught up with him. A couple more bikes got in the mix with the two of us and somehow Gyles has escaped again. I was still pushing as hard as I could. For 4 laps I chased The two guys in front, Gyles was being hassled big time by another SV but as hard as I tried, all I could do was maintain the gap between us. Finally Gyles got passed and I spent the rest of the race looking at the back of the big, wide Moto Guzzi. I couldn't get him and finished the race right on his tail, well.... 1 second behind.
Tim had finished right behind me again. I bet he was cursing!
Gyles was looking at a 1st place in the rookie championship!
Druids is still fantastic on your own!I had also hit my target lap time of a 53 second lap, 53.822 to be exact. I would have liked it to have been a bit quicker but still, it was a big improvement on the day before and just a 10th of a second slower than Gyles.
I was absolutely buzzing and feeling on top of the world. I found out later that I had finished 13th. I was happy with that considering the competition.
As we all peeled off the track and into the back of the pit garages, I could see all the guys in front being directed into the weight bridge and then the dyno. Excellent. I'd been looking for a free dyno run all season and at the final race I was to get one!
The whole process of weighing and Dyno running twenty-something bikes took a while. It was hot and I was tired and with no stand, half an hour or more of holding 189KG of bike gets a bit boring and made me very stiff. Once over and done I was informed of a final dyno reading of 94 BHP. A little more than I had expected.
The 2nd race of the day was to be the last of the year and the excitement was high and the atmosphere in the paddock was electric!The race was a bit of an anti climax. I let my emotions get the better of me. My self preservation had kicked in and I was knackered having spent my limited fitness and energy on the first race! I just wanted to get round and finish in the points and get home in one piece.
The start was not impressive, but I got into my stride after that and made a couple of places in the first few laps. It was not to last and as Gyles disappeared into the distance, I seemed to go backwards for the first half of the race. I seemed to settle down for the second half of the race. This was reflected in my lap times which were very consistent and within half a second of each other for the whole race. I spent the last 6 0f 11 laps behind the same guy, the only thing was he was getting further away as the race went on and with a brief peek over my shoulder I could see someone gaining on me. It turned out to be Steve Joy on his Ducati 748 with Tim close behind him and they were catching me. I decided not to push and just hope to stay in front of them. The plan nearly didn't work as on the last lap at the end of Cooper straight I hit a false neutral and ended up drifting through the turn with no drive. I knew that if I were to kick the bike back into gear that it would most probably cause me to leave the track, either on my arse or not, I decided to wait until I had the bike somewhere near upright. Steve came past and with just one long right hand turn leading onto the straight I thought I had messed it all up. I got it into gear again and as Steve ran slightly wide, I managed to get up the inside of him as we approached the apex and got on the gas earlier than him and out dragged him to the line...a real nail biter for me if I had had a hand free there would have been no nails left!
Again Tim was behind, but not far. The three of us all within a second of each other.As I rode back to the paddock, all kinds of feelings and emotions pumped around my system. I was buzzing. I pulled up to our camp and pulled a big burnout as a celebration!
That was it...All over. Well not quite....
We had the Thunderbikes Rookie Championship Presentation to attend.
The usual banter was somewhat elevated in our pit area. We were all a bit excited to be receiving a trophy. Gyles had won with Tim second and myself third. I was really chuffed. This was an un-official prize organised by Ben Shaunessy, our series organiser and the guys that had come 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the real championship had given up part of their prize money to fund the trophies for us rookies.
Back row...The Real Champions, 1st (just!) Martin Cooper (middle) 2nd Gary Budgen and 3rd Phil Read JR. Then Myself, Gyles and Tim "chunky" Churchill.The race services, A&R racing, had donated some gift vouchers to spend in their shop, and also agreed for us to use their transporter steps as a podium. We had only learnt about this recently and it was really a bit of a surprise as we had expected none of this, we just imagined it to be, well, fictional, and for fun. So to actually receive a trophy was fantastic. As Ben had put it, it was a reward and acknowledgement of the hard graft the rookies had put in to their, or our, first season. Gyles and myself were really quite emotional about it. I think we were both close to tears!
Ben handed out the silverware.It has been the best experience of my life. Finally living a dream, one that I never thought would ever come true. It goes to prove that you can do anything in life if you have the determination to make it happen. That is what I have done, to actually make it happen.
I had done a lot better than I had hoped. I never expected to compete in 7 rounds. Out of 10, I had hoped for half at a push.I have to admit it has been a real struggle to get through it finacially and will take some time to recover, but to hell with it! you can't take it with you and I really dread the thought of sitting in my chair at 70 years old wishing I had done it.
Now I'd like a bigger one!Now I can sit there and remember what it was like to open the throttle as the lights went out at all the circuits I had watched my childhood heroes race at.
Now I have just simply got to do it again!
Well chuffed!
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