Cooking at Cadwell. Part 2

The prediction of foul weather for Sunday came to nothing and we were greeted with sunshine that would stay with us all day. No need for hurried wheel changing is always a relief.
With the torture of deciding which bike to ride now done with, I felt good about the day ahead and able to concentrate on making the most of things.
I had changed the worn out slicks on the FZ for the newer 2 race old ones from the Guzzi the previous evening and felt confident enough to not take the warm up session. Less hassle, leaving more time to relax and get in the right frame of mind for the racing. I also changed the front brake pads for new ones.
With the Guzzi looking sad sat in the paddock unused, a few Guzzi supporters had turned up to watch and were to be disappointed. I felt for them but this is racing. A racer has to do what suits him best.

Race 1, row 2 start and I was feeling great. The previous day on the Guzzi really had made me go faster.


The now customary getaway off the start line put me into 3rd into turn 1 and I quickly settled into a fast pace. I got the feeling there was someone behind and I was soon to drop to 4th, but I kept the pace up following Phil Read and Garry Budgen closely and consistently in the low to mid 1:41 second range.

I had a close look at the back of the Alto Vyrus for quite some time!

I chased these two hard.

After the race I found I had smashed my best time by well over a second to 1:41.21.

Dan and young Danny start to catch me not long before the red flags come out.

During lap 7, Dan Wright finally got past but as the race was stopped due to a crash, the results are taken from the lap before the red flag and I had myself a 4th place finish. A shame the race didn't run the full 9 laps but I was really happy with the result and the way I had ridden. Consistanly running 1:41 was satisfying. My pace felt faster and I had pushed the FZ harder than ever before. Of course, a 4th meant it would be the first time that I would start from the front row and with the FZ getting away well, I was quietly confident I could stir things up at the front in race 2.

There was what seemed like an age between the first race and our second. Good time to relax, get the bike ready, watch a bit of the other racing and socialise.I even had time for a half hour of kip!

We bagged a nice spot under the trees.

I really enjoyed Sunday afternoon. Stu had turned up to meet me, another Yamaha rider I had got to know through the internet. He had donated some bike parts last winter and I chucked some tickets to the racing his way. I know he really enjoyed himself and it was great to be able to put on a good show for him and Simon, who had brought his wife along too.
Simon had brought his video along too and is to thank for the clips I have uploaded to this post.



The promise of a front row start was fantastic and I took to the grid with my head in a good state. When the start line official points his flag at the lights, and they come on, the world around becomes strange and numbed, almost like you are staring down at yourself from above. Trying to anticipate the turning out of the lights by the human on top of the start light gantry is a fun game. I can sense the bikes along side creeping, with my eyes looking past the lights, I can still see when they go out.

Out the lights went and I didn't see another bike for almost the whole of that first lap. As I lead the race out across the wide open fields of the first half of the lap, I remember thinking, someone has got to come past soon! It was weird and almost like I was out there on my own. I felt calm but at the same time pumped and was riding hard and on the limit, again, pushing harder than ever. It was a great feeling coming up over the mountain for the first time in the lead and into Hall bends but at the end of Hall and into the hairpin, Lee Hodge, riding the injured Simon Peytos' SV, stuffed it up the inside to take the position.



I chased him hard and reeled him back in along the start straight but was unable to do anything about his level of pace.
It was a short but very sweet experience, leading a race and a couple of laps later I had Garry Budgen and then Dan Wright come past. They were just a little too quick for me to challenge all weekend.No Phil Read? he had suffered a mechanical gremlin and pulled out early on. I backed it down just a little to stay safe and bag that 4th place and some more really good points.

Here's a great series of shots from Jules. Exiting mansfield corner and into the chicane before the approach to the Mountain.


What a race. My best so far and getting better. I hadn't quite managed to beat my best time from the previous race by a small margin but overall consistency had been good again and I had a great result and another fantastic weekend.



Hall Bends



and more Hall Bends

All the good points positions of the last few races have moved me up the table to 8th in the standings. Top ten is great but aiming ever higher has to be done. Top 6 is the goal for the end of the season. Now that would be great!

Oulton Park in Cheshire is next on the list. No Thinderbike rider has ridden there except Phil Read and that was 16 years ago. A complete unknown for all of us and with just 4 X 15 minute practice sessions before the 2 Saturday races, it's going to be an interesting meeting.