Betty does it!

Sudden unexpected showers when in the collecting area postponed the race for over an hour.
The track was still wet when we did eventually get out.
Betty performed like a star never missing a beat and although it was incredibly slippy out there we managed to take our first win of the weekend.

Bad luck continues.

In the IHRO race I simply could not start the bike today.

Eventually got off the line almost last and many seconds behind the leaders.

Worked bloody hard to ride through the entire field to 3rd place, then Andy's 500 seized as the red flag came out and the race was stopped.
Taking the race result from the previous lap and I was credited with 3rd.

For the 500 national race the only bike left to ride was Betty the 350.
Did my best in an outclassed field as I need the points, rode up to about 5th and then the gear lever fell off!
One more race to go...

Back row of the grid!

I am absolutely sick of going of the back row of the grid when having a DNF.

I have to spend the race fighting through to field to 2nd place instead of racing with Lea at the front.
This is exactly what just happened in the race with Betty.

Thats why in the earlier 500 race on Andy's bike, when it went sick, I was determined to cross the line even with a dead motor.

All be it in 8th, at least I now have a half reasonable grid position for the next race.

Yesterday's final races.

Finished 2nd to Lea in the IHRO race after that scary push start.

For the last race of the day Betty did not feel right off the line, holding back.

As Andy had leaned the fuel off just before I went out.

I was not going to take the risk of another seizure, so pulled in after the opening lap.
Two 2nds and a 3rd and two DNFs yesterday, let's hope for a bit better today.

Further races.

Got a 2nd in 350cc suspension is getting good now.

I just bogged it down at the start.

Not finishing the 500 meant they started me from the back row on Andy Molnar's bike .

Had only 6 laps to work through 50 or so riders to get up to 3rd.

First 500 race.

Unfortunately Buster seized on the second lap of the race.

Now scrutineering Andy's spare bike for the next 500 race.

Also swapping Maxton shocks to 350 so I can test them in the next race.

Practice over.

Done practices on both Buster and Betty.

Ron has been doing me some shocks for Buster so just fitting them now and will try them in the first 500 race.

Morning practice.

As the grid positions are pre determined we just get a couple of ten minute practice sessions, one for each bike.

First couple of laps I gave Vanni a tow to show him the racing line.

Ron Williams from Maxton has very kindly come along today so that we can hopefully progress with the suspension.

On the road again.

Back off to Donington today, big Classic Revival event this weekend.

I've got 10races!

Hired the same caravan as we had last weekend, from Nick at Direct Caravans near Skipton.
He also offers a mobile caravan maintenance and repair service.
You can contact him on either 01535 633083 or 07767611890.

Donington GB2 races overview.

On track action

This on track action shot of the NWS mini mono is by Paul and Linda Jones of PLJPhoto who stood out in all weathers this weekend doing what they do best.

Cheers.

Thanks also to the guys from Dunlop, Phil 'CBX' Plater, and Pat Walsh for coming up with the round, black sticky things.

Highs and lows of a GP weekend!

Ronnie and Reggie keep an eye on the bike after they had the leaf blower nicked from the holding area the day before. Would you nick anything from these two?

"you looking at me or what?"

With over 88,000 people watching the Moto GP, even for our race straight afterwards there must have still been 50,000+ watching.

Eventhough there were a couple of issues we managed to get on to the box with a 3rd place; not bad really as it was the first time I'd ridden the machine in anger.

The Smith sisters did a fantastic job prepearing the bike for the weekend, working on a limited budget, my crashing it in the first race didn't help - but they worked through the night to get it right for Sunday's race.

Top blokes the pair of them, thanks very much Mick and Gary - well done!

Job done.

Gary and Mick did a great job of repairing the bike.
All I had to do was ride it.
After a bit of scuffling in the opening laps, I quickly settled into 3rd place and let the 250s of Davies and William Dunlop fight it out for the higher honours.
Cheers lads!

What a great job!

The "Sisters" have worked really hard.
Till 3am this morning.
I am pleased to be able to report that the bike is back together and up and running.
Unfortunately we are not able to have any track time today, so as soon as the MotoGP is finished it will be time to test out their repairs - in the race!

Old hairpin.

Wet - and still raining for the race.
Opening lap, touched the brakes, just as a check as I ran up behind the two leading riders going round the Old Hairpin thinking about getting close for a a tow up the hill to Macleans.

Down I went.

Just getting the bike cleaned up now to see if and what needs fixing for tomorrow.

Wet wet wet.

It has rained all day since the early hours of the morning.

Looks like no let up for this afternoon.
Only 55mins between second qualifying and the race so I will have to be careful.

On track about 5ish.

Me and my big feet...

Did quite well, a 1,42.33.
Only problem was that I managed to break the gear lever spline mid qualifying session.

I right surprised the Gressini Honda team by pulling up outside their pit box, they lent me a pair of pliers to twist the gear shaft to select a lower gear, this meant I could start the bike and ride back to the Exhibition centre. Then James Toseland's team stepped in and used James' engine starter to fire me up!

Not too upset though as 6th fastest amongst all these top 250s seems to have pleased the Smith Sisters no end!

All ready for action.

Done scrutineering and just altering a couple of positionings to suit my style.

Slick tyres are the ones from the Cadwell supermono race last October.

Let's hope Alex left some wear in them for me!

I'll be out at the Moto GP at Donington this weekend riding the Smiths sisters lovely little NWS Minimono in the Thundersport GB support race.

I've riden the bike before a couple of years ago during a test session at Brands and found it loverly bit of kit. Since then they have developed the machine with the help of Alex Hutchinson in the British Supermono Championship.

Gary and Mick are "Diamond geezers" and put a great machine together, it will be the first time I have worked directly with them so I'm looking forwward to it.

See you there.

Couple of laps.

A few laps of Cadwell Park, Lincolnshire on my tutoring bike, 'Bill' a BMW R1200S.

Bikecameras.com

It's been such a lovely day weather-wise, that we have captured lots of really good video footage for analysis and de briefing.

All thanks to the equipment generously supplied by Bikecameras.com

Monkey-ing around.

Here we are today enjoying the fine sun shine at Cadwell Park.

Out today with a couple chaps from Throttle Monkeys website.

Nurburgring video overview.

Facts and figures...

With reference to the sizzling first race I had with Lex van Dijk - we were swapping the lead constantly, almost a dead heat with Lex taking the win by just 0.009 second.

Thanks to my American friend, chemist and supermono enthusiast, from Brown University, Rhode Island, Jim Doll says:
"I saw the results from the weekend.0.009 sec is a pretty small part of a 28 minute race!!

This represents an approximately 5 parts per million difference.

To put that differently, it would be roughly the same as tossing a ball from London at a target in New York and missing by 35 meters."

Yes Jim, I agree, you should have been on track - the race really did feel that close!

Beautiful Italian supermono

This is a shot of the gorgeous TM supermono. 1997 Honda RS250 frame with an Aprila RS1000 Mille swinging arm to start with, then hours and hours of work to get it to this stage.

So many lovely touches, click on the photo to go full size and feast your eyes.

Bella, bella...

Everyone a bit disappointed.

The head gasket went on the warm up lap and I had to pull the bike off the line and watch the race start without me.

Mark won with Lex and then Nico.

Everyone in the team was understandably upset, but it was no ones fault, just one of those things...

Morning warm up

The weather is transformed this morning.

Tried a different needle setting as the bike splutters and holds back on part throttle.

Didnt make much improvement though.

Libor's bike is doing it as well, probably the altitude.

Did it all through the race yesterday so I will just have to put up with it.

Six hours till the race - might even rain yet.