Berlin
16-05-10, 09:30 PM
Just back, Van empty and beer open! What a weekend.
Before I go on, can I just say in no uncertain terms, I need a faster bike!
Arrived at East fortune in good time on Friday and set up Race HQ which consists of an Iveco van and a very swanky Argos awning (which replaced the shoddy £12.99 Tesco awning that we bunged in the skip after last months meeting). We looked the part! Well, we looked the part relative to those who didn't have an Argos awning. We looked crap compared to those with Motorhomes, full race trucks and 8 grand Fiamma racing awnings with integral bar and tool chest.
But I digress.
Qualifying!
Set out at a good rate of knots and qualifed 20th (One up on last time!) with a lap of mid 1.08 laps... on the back row.. again!
Never mind, I wasn't last
race one!
And we're off! Weather was good and for a while there I was have a good old tussle in the middle of the pack and even passed a few peeps on the outside at Railway and in the esses. Spend three laps fighting it out with a 07 R6. Then, and I still don't know how this happened, its like he changed bike mid race and just buggered off! Left me standing and I was still doing the same pace! How?
Lots of people fell off. I came 20th (last)
Race two.
Got a poor start and proceeded to watch the entire pack dissapear into the distance. This was to become a theme for the weekend. Trying new lines into Pates I clouted my already sore knee (from falling off last time out) off the kerb and that put pay to any serious speed. Toured for the rest of the race at 1.11 laps to finish.
Lots of people fell off I came 20th (last)
Walked the track with some very helpful chaps from the minitwin tribe looking for tips. It turns out Minitwinners brake about 2 miles past the 600's :) Very useful info chaps!
Saturday night it rained.. and rained.. and rained.
Sunday
Sunday was to be a 3 race day and everything was still soaking from the rain. No problem, I took off the drys and put the wets on. Then it turned out we were first race 5 not 3 and the track was drying. So I took a dry rear off a spare wheel and put on an old wet because I didn't want to toast my new wet rear. I got to the start line first and then the race being run was red flagged and I sat there for another 5 minutes while the track got dryer and dryer. All of the other racers arrived sporting dry rears and wet fronts or full dries.. Oops!
I managed two laps before the rear melted and the juddering from the new discs I had of the front meant I had to bow out of the race early for my first DNF. Knee still niggling.
Lots of peope fell off.
Race two.
Dry track and back on dry tyres. Huge jump start from half the grid who then had to reform at the back of the grid. (oh ****). So there I am with 10 complete nutters behind me on the grid about to get mauled. And I got mauled. The guy behind me barged me out of the way (literally!) and caught my knee with his crash bung. They should change the expresison to "Sticks out like a sore knee"! I battled on and watched as the field buggered off into the distance and I spend the whole race wating to be lapped. Running 1.10 laps as I couldn't throw the bike around. Learnt lots from having the track all to myself.
Lots of people fell off and I came 16th (last)
Last race.
Sod it, I'm going for it! I'm sick of being left for dead. I got a storming start and kept up with the pack for three laps I clearly remember thinking this was by far my fasted laps as I was staying with folks that were 4 seconds a lap faster than me. I actually kept a bike in sight all the way through the race and came in buzzing!
Lots of people fell off, one of which I nearly ran over, and I came a fantastic 14th! (which incidentally, is last :) )
it turned out I wasn't going any faster, they were all going slower. I was still lapping at 1.10s! Gutted! :)
So, what did I learn? a Huge amount.
1) I need a faster bike
2) I need a faster bike
3) I need a faster bike
4) Its pointless to try and catch the group in front when everyone that was going your speed have binned it and you're the only one left doing less than 1.06 laps..and you're doing 1.10's
5) don't have too many tyre choices, it screws up your mind!
6) I need a faster bike. I'm as fast as the front runners through the bends (provable by the fact that every time I was lapped I managed to stay with the fast guys till they got to the next straight where they would just dissapear into the distance).
7) I need to change class. Maybe even run in the Open race so I actually get to RACE someone instead of doing laps on my own.
8) Check out the new discs you bought on Ebay Before you actually end up on the starting grid.!
9) take more chocolate and fags to the meetings.
10) Get my **** in gear and get this Supersport spec engine built and in the bike so I actually have a hope in hell in actually being in the same race as the Supersport bikes :)
I'm thinking of missing the next round at Knockhill in three weeks so I can rest me knee more and also get the time to work on this engine. If I do, it'll be Either back to East Fortune in June with the mad buggers from the Melville club or Croft on July with the NEMCRC boys.
If you're reading this and thinking I like the sound of this, rescue a bike (any bike) from a skip and go racing! Its great! :)
Note: This team reserves the right to change its name at will and may be called egg and chips or Spaghetti Bolognese by the next round. Depends on what we eat on the first night.
It was great crac in the pits and it was fab to meett the other runners from the Org.
Oh and Tony C "Minitwiner Extrordinare 252" is actually the Farmer from Shaun the Sheep! Don't let anyone tell you different! :D
C
Before I go on, can I just say in no uncertain terms, I need a faster bike!
Arrived at East fortune in good time on Friday and set up Race HQ which consists of an Iveco van and a very swanky Argos awning (which replaced the shoddy £12.99 Tesco awning that we bunged in the skip after last months meeting). We looked the part! Well, we looked the part relative to those who didn't have an Argos awning. We looked crap compared to those with Motorhomes, full race trucks and 8 grand Fiamma racing awnings with integral bar and tool chest.
But I digress.
Qualifying!
Set out at a good rate of knots and qualifed 20th (One up on last time!) with a lap of mid 1.08 laps... on the back row.. again!
Never mind, I wasn't last
race one!
And we're off! Weather was good and for a while there I was have a good old tussle in the middle of the pack and even passed a few peeps on the outside at Railway and in the esses. Spend three laps fighting it out with a 07 R6. Then, and I still don't know how this happened, its like he changed bike mid race and just buggered off! Left me standing and I was still doing the same pace! How?
Lots of people fell off. I came 20th (last)
Race two.
Got a poor start and proceeded to watch the entire pack dissapear into the distance. This was to become a theme for the weekend. Trying new lines into Pates I clouted my already sore knee (from falling off last time out) off the kerb and that put pay to any serious speed. Toured for the rest of the race at 1.11 laps to finish.
Lots of people fell off I came 20th (last)
Walked the track with some very helpful chaps from the minitwin tribe looking for tips. It turns out Minitwinners brake about 2 miles past the 600's :) Very useful info chaps!
Saturday night it rained.. and rained.. and rained.
Sunday
Sunday was to be a 3 race day and everything was still soaking from the rain. No problem, I took off the drys and put the wets on. Then it turned out we were first race 5 not 3 and the track was drying. So I took a dry rear off a spare wheel and put on an old wet because I didn't want to toast my new wet rear. I got to the start line first and then the race being run was red flagged and I sat there for another 5 minutes while the track got dryer and dryer. All of the other racers arrived sporting dry rears and wet fronts or full dries.. Oops!
I managed two laps before the rear melted and the juddering from the new discs I had of the front meant I had to bow out of the race early for my first DNF. Knee still niggling.
Lots of peope fell off.
Race two.
Dry track and back on dry tyres. Huge jump start from half the grid who then had to reform at the back of the grid. (oh ****). So there I am with 10 complete nutters behind me on the grid about to get mauled. And I got mauled. The guy behind me barged me out of the way (literally!) and caught my knee with his crash bung. They should change the expresison to "Sticks out like a sore knee"! I battled on and watched as the field buggered off into the distance and I spend the whole race wating to be lapped. Running 1.10 laps as I couldn't throw the bike around. Learnt lots from having the track all to myself.
Lots of people fell off and I came 16th (last)
Last race.
Sod it, I'm going for it! I'm sick of being left for dead. I got a storming start and kept up with the pack for three laps I clearly remember thinking this was by far my fasted laps as I was staying with folks that were 4 seconds a lap faster than me. I actually kept a bike in sight all the way through the race and came in buzzing!
Lots of people fell off, one of which I nearly ran over, and I came a fantastic 14th! (which incidentally, is last :) )
it turned out I wasn't going any faster, they were all going slower. I was still lapping at 1.10s! Gutted! :)
So, what did I learn? a Huge amount.
1) I need a faster bike
2) I need a faster bike
3) I need a faster bike
4) Its pointless to try and catch the group in front when everyone that was going your speed have binned it and you're the only one left doing less than 1.06 laps..and you're doing 1.10's
5) don't have too many tyre choices, it screws up your mind!
6) I need a faster bike. I'm as fast as the front runners through the bends (provable by the fact that every time I was lapped I managed to stay with the fast guys till they got to the next straight where they would just dissapear into the distance).
7) I need to change class. Maybe even run in the Open race so I actually get to RACE someone instead of doing laps on my own.
8) Check out the new discs you bought on Ebay Before you actually end up on the starting grid.!
9) take more chocolate and fags to the meetings.
10) Get my **** in gear and get this Supersport spec engine built and in the bike so I actually have a hope in hell in actually being in the same race as the Supersport bikes :)
I'm thinking of missing the next round at Knockhill in three weeks so I can rest me knee more and also get the time to work on this engine. If I do, it'll be Either back to East Fortune in June with the mad buggers from the Melville club or Croft on July with the NEMCRC boys.
If you're reading this and thinking I like the sound of this, rescue a bike (any bike) from a skip and go racing! Its great! :)
Note: This team reserves the right to change its name at will and may be called egg and chips or Spaghetti Bolognese by the next round. Depends on what we eat on the first night.
It was great crac in the pits and it was fab to meett the other runners from the Org.
Oh and Tony C "Minitwiner Extrordinare 252" is actually the Farmer from Shaun the Sheep! Don't let anyone tell you different! :D
C