First time at Oulton

Still high from the buzz of Cadwell, we headed to Oulton Park for the first time.The first time for the club and for almost all of the Thunderbikes riders. Who would do better would depend on how quick each guy could learn the circuit in the four Friday practice sessions. That was all the time we were allowed. The Cheshire circuit is only allowed to run on a Sunday for a very limited amount of times per year. We were not one of those, so Friday practice and just the two races on Saturday were all we were going to get. It was worth it though. This circuit is awesome. Cadwell has been the one I have always looked forward to the most, but Oulton has emerged a serious contender for my favourite. It's a lot like Cadwell, but injected with steroids! Blind apexes over blind crests, flat out turns at full lean, the front wheel in the air more than at any other circuit, it's an amazing riders circuit, all action and mental as a box of drunk frogs.

With so many 4th place finishes recently, I was seriously pumped to do better. Dan Wright, for me, was the man I had to beat this weekend and as we were sharing a pit garage, he knew I was really gunning for him. The four practice sessions were to be run during the morning with the afternoon off.

The luxury of a pit garage, no generators buzzing away, running water and the loo was really close by too!You just have to share with a bunch of loonies!

The first practice session and Dan's bike suffered a fuel pump failure. I know how that feels!
He missed the session and was now on his back foot and would have to play catch up. The banter, as you can imagine, was rife in the garage especially as there was 6 Thunderbikes packed in there.

Plenty of laughs in here!

Practice was going well for me. I felt I was reasonably in touch with Garry Budgen and Phil Read and I knew I was running faster than Dan. Things were looking good for a podium. I even managed to get a sneaky look at the unofficial timing sheets from the day. Third fastest confirmed my suspicions although I needed another second or more to be able to stay with Garry and Phil.
In an attempt to maximise my chances, I spent the afternoon prepping the bike with a new set of tyres, new front brake pads, an oil change and a new set of clutch springs. I took my time and managed to get some relaxation time too, to keep in good spirits and state of mind for the following days racing.
I knew I was in with a chance of a great result and was trying to stay calm but my nights sleep was full of mad images of Oulton park's mad crests and turns.....


We were to share the races with the 400 class. There was to be a row gap between Thunderbikes and the 400s and they would start 15 seconds after us but only for race 1. This was good news for me as some of the front 400 riders are extremely fast and faster than any of the Thunderbikes at this circuit. It meant they wouldn't be getting in the way or influencing anything going on at the front of the Thunderbikes race.
Race 2 would be a normal start and fully mixed between the two classes. This would mean that the 400s would be influencing things for us. I was hoping this would actually help me...


Sunday warm up was brief, but enough to scrub in the new rubber, bed in the pads and shake out the sleep from my eyes. I was all over the place. The bike felt dreadful and I was convinced there was something not right. Of course there was nothing wrong with the bike.Back in the pits I had a serious word with my self but to no avail. I had got myself so intent on getting that podium that I had left my head in a bit of a mess. With added delays from accidents in the races before us just adding to the wait, the pressure rose. I just wanted to get out on the track and get it all over with. When finally we got out and started our warm up lap, I was again all over the place and shaking my head.

Now for the serious stuff.

Then finally the start line, front row start in 4th with Dan beside me then Garry with Phil on pole. All the horrible feelings in my gut disappeared as the lights went on, I could see the guys beside me edging forwards, revs high, I stayed calm and got the drop on the lights spot on and headed into turn 1 in the lead. It didn't last long as at the turn into Island bend, Gary came underneath me. Later in the lap Phil Read got by on the brakes into Lodge. I chased but could see the two in front were probably going to pull away and then on lap 2, the red flags came out, and the race was stopped. The whole grid was reformed at the start line but it was to be about 20 minutes before the re-start.


The new race, reduced in distance was a repeat of the first for me except Phil came by on lap 1 and Garry on lap 2.
As the guys began to pull away, I took a sneak over my shoulder to check on Dan. he was a fair distance back and with a little monitoring, I realised that elusive podium was becoming a reality. I kept my head down for the rest of the race, allowing myself a quick check to make sure Dan wasn't going to be a threat. The bike was on song and things were looking good. It felt great to be riding well and maintaining the gap to Dan. I knew it was going to result in My first Podium. At the finish I punched the air hard and with the biggest relief I have ever felt.
I felt an immense feeling of warmth and achievement to have got myself a trophy at last. I had certainly not expected to be winning a pot this season at the beginning of the year.
Phil had got past Garry to take the win. With these two battling for the Championship, race 2 was going to be all important for them both but someone else had other ideas and was about to spoil their party!



More light hearted piss taking..... I really enjoyed the company of the Thunderbikes guys in the pit garages. Bless em!

With an eye on the darkening sky, I enjoyed a really relaxed afternoon while we waited for the second and last race. I was feeling very comfortable and a surreal calm about the coming race. During the afternoon, Garry's pit crew member, Simon, had come into my awning with a look of aggression on his face. I thought I must have upset him somehow.
"what are you doing? You let those guys by. You don't have to do that, You CAN beat them. Don't let them by"
He went on further with my reply being that they are just too fast to keep behind.
This had got me thinking and a bit of a tactical plan developed in my head. If I could get away at the start, Hopefully the faster 400 guys would get in the way of Budgen and Read, enough to help me get away. I think this worked to some degree.

I left my departure for the collecting area really late but timed to perfection. As I arrived the grid was already taking to the track to form up on the grid. Superb! hot tyres and a quick release into the warm up lap is just perfect and I felt great.
I got the hole shot from 3rd on the grid and took off like I'd stolen the bike and was being pursued by the police. I rode on the limit from the lights and wasn't about to let up the pace. In the previous two part race, I was getting passed through the flat out left hander of Island bend and into the heavily banked Shell hairpin. Well, Island is supposed to be flat but talking earlier to Phil and a few others, it was clear that maximum commitment was going to be necessary to get through there faster and not touch the brakes. I managed to find my bollocks! nobody was coming past!
As the laps went by I continued to feel fully committed to every part of the circuit. Clay hill is a big place to be keeping the throttle pinned open as the front claws the air over the blind crest . I just kept the thing pinned everywhere. I really wanted to keep these guys behind and I didn't dare let myself look behind. Phil did manage to get by at the hairpin but over shot it and I stuck it back under him and retained the lead. Seeing the last lap flag was bizarre. I couldn't quite believe I was still leading the race. It was almost too good to be true. Then the inevitable. Phil made a great block pass at the hairpin, parking the Vyrus on the apex, leaving me nowhere to put my bike but to slot in behind and chase. I could see no way of getting by as we hurtled towards the finish. Deer leap leads onto the start straight and as we crested the rise I felt great to be finishing 2nd. Phil is a great guy and I felt like I had done a great job holding him for the whole race, and to get a better result than before had exceeded my goal for the weekend. Bonus for me!
As we went for the line I was expecting the chequered flag and when I couldn't spot it, it left me a little confused for a moment. Then I realised the red flags were out and just round the next turn there was a bike laying in the middle of the track. When I realised it was Colin and his ZXR yet again, and that he was also on the track with medical cars there too, I was worried. The marshals had held us before ushering us up the pit exit back towards the pit and at that moment Phil had poked me saying " you won that!".
In all the confusion and emotion of a good result and the fact a good friend was evidently hurt, it took the whole ride back to the pits and being stopped by Jeremy Hill and Sarah Jordan, before it had sunk in that I had actually won the race!

A nice big grin eh!

For those of you unfamiliar with the rules, if the race is stopped, the result is taken from the lap before. So Colin's misfortune was my good fortune. The least I could do was pack his van and make sure he got home. he was ok apart from a broken rib.
Phil got the lap record and I missed it by 4 tenths of a second almost exactly the same time as Garry. This was very satisfying.
I had actually finished 3rd on the track as there were two 400 guys that got by, one of which I had swapped paint with as we came together side by side. It certainly woke me up and was the biggest bang I've had so far in racing. Of course they were in their own race and were nothing to worry about.
It's really strange seeing my two trophies sat on the shelving at home. Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I remember they are there.

My goals for this season were regular top 10 finishes with a top 6 being a bonus, and a top 10 championship position at the end. As things are at the moment, I am 7th in the standings and have a string of top 6 finishes. I hope for top 6 by the seasons end. I had never imagined I would win!


It would be nice to be needing a bigger cabinet!