Round 6 - Elvington - May 20th

The bike sailed through scrutineering which was a huge relief. Now I just needed to find out if we'd put it back together correctly.

Practice session and the bike felt tight and responsive - brilliant

600 qualifying and it was back down to earth with a bang. I just didnt feel I could push the bike right to the limit. There was no way I was going to crash today - I simply couldnt afford it. I'd sat there before the race and made the decision that if I crashed badly today, my race career was over. It's becoming too much like hard work and today I was totally on my own which made me question the whole experience. It's meant to be a laugh but how many laughs do you have when you pour all your money into something just to spend your Saturday night and Sunday on your own.

As such, I just couldn't keep up with the fast boys. Don't get me wrong, I was giving it some shit. The throttle was back to the stop, the brakes were pulled to the bar and the bike was flying, but I was erring on the side of caution rather than playing with the limit. I finished 7th

The Senior qualifying was better. A smaller grid probably had something to do with that but I do love battling with the big 1000's and getting the better of them. I finished 3rd.

On to the Trophy race for the 600's. I got an absolutely blinding start and was leading for the first 200m, but then rolled off the throttle to early and I was 3rd going into the first corner and 4th coming out of it (mental note - take a tighter line on the first lap). As the race went on I was passed by more of the faster machines. They would get passed me on the straight and then slowly pull out more of a gap. I brought it home in 6th and was still questioning my riding.

The Senoir trophy race was a bit of a non event. I was quickly pushed into 4th place and spent the next 6 laps in that position, battling with nobody. Boring.

The 600 points race was a near repeat of the earlier race. This time I kept a tight line in the first corner and it worked. I was 2nd.... for 20m. The tight line had robbed me of a bit of corner speed and Mick Gooding came passed me light a bullet (and about 5cms from me). The same motley crue passed me throughout the race but in the final 2 laps I had a good ding-dong with another guy and came out on top. I finished a disappointing 7th but I was happier with my racing - and I'd really enjoyed the race.

As we waited for the Senior points race I saw that Robert Wilson (who has just jumped me in the 600 championship) had a smoking engine - he would take no part in the Senior race - time to get some points.

I had a brilliant start and lead into the first corner again - its a brilliant feeling and send a shiver down me. Sure enough, the bigger bikes soon came passed and I must have been 10mph down on Gary's bike. On lap 3 I was in 3rd place and settled into a great rhythm. I felt like I was pushing the bike further but was still braking too early. As I exited the fast s-bend chicane, the bike slid out away from me. I had had a few slides through the day but this was massive - I was almost sideways.

The bike gripped and tried to highside me. I was pushed up and out of the seat and was doing a bit of a handstand but luckily landed back in the seat and was able to compose myself and get straight back on the power.

With a lap and a half to go someone came alongside me and took my line into the hairpin. I kept a really tight line and wouldnt give way. As we exited, I got the better drive and took the inside line into the next corner, then took a defensive line into the next and got hard on the power for the straight.


The next lap was faultless, if a bit defensive and I took the flag by a second to take 3rd place. Good points and a good end to the day - we all love a battle - its what makes racing what it is, otherwise it's just going round in circles.

I'm missing the next round - teesside - for two reasons. 1) Because I f**king hate the place, and 2) Because my brother-in-law is getting married on the saturday.

So that should give me enough time to fix the swingarm lug, fit a new chain and sprocket and clean up the scratches before Cadwell on the 17th June.

Bring it on!

Made it - Just!

As much as I tried not to stress, it was inevitable that I would when I still didn't have the exhaust back on the Thursday before the race.

The bodywork had been sprayed. It's now a fantastic rich racing red with white number boards. Once I'd put my 111 stickers on, it looked the business.

The exhaust came on Friday and it looked amazing. Mark at MHP has done a brilliant job and it looks brand new. It now has a titanium sleeve which I think I even prefer. All the kinks are out and the header pipes are true - fab. It also saved me about £900 getting it repaired rather than buying a new system.

So it came down to saturday. We fitted the subframe and sorted the levers and footpegs. Then we drilled the holes for the screen, drilled the holes for the seat unit and fitted it. Then we straightened the Gilles chain adjuster, saving another £75 in the process.

I headed home with just the bodywork to fit.

1.5 hours later and a few scrapes on the brand new body work and I still couldnt get the bleedin fixings into place. Eventually, with the help of my father-in-law, we did it. Levels were topped up and it was ready.

Another 45minutes to pack the van and I headed off at 11pm.

What followed was the scariest journey of my life. I fought back the tiredness as my eyelids got heavier and heavier. I completed the last 40miles peering through tiny slits and couldn't focus on anything. At 1am I made it to Elvington. The perfect preparation for the following day. Night night.

Latest on the repairs

All is not going to plan. The bike still looks pretty close to when I'd just crashed it. However we have done the following:

Fitted new harris clip-ons
Sent full body work off to get painted
Sent exhaust of to MHP to get repaired
Bought a subframe on eBay (£87 so well chuffed)

I still need to:

Get the exhaust back (he's not started repairing it yet!) and fit it
Pick up the subframe and fit it
Buy some new race numbers
Fit the old chain adjusters while I wait for some Gilles ones to come on eBay
Fit the body work and tank
Change the tyres
Fit new levers

This is the bare minimum, they'll still be stuff to do after this but at least I will be racing if I get this done

... I have 4 days!!!

Wish me luck.

Round 5 - Teesside Autodrome - 29 April

I've been putting this entry off. Yep, lets just say this race day didn't turn out as well as I would have liked.

I packed up the van on the Saturday night and as Nic headed off for a night out with the girls, I headed off for another nights sleep in the van. Glamorous!

The next morning I was up early and set up for the day with the help of Big Scott (Scott Whitfield's mate and ex-club racer). My newly polished machine breezed through scrutineering and I made my way out for practice.

It only took a couple of laps to remind me that I HATE THIS TRACK. It's no good for motorcycles and should be left as a go-kart track.

With the usual joke of a PA system, it was a case of, watch the race before, guess when the flag was coming out and get yourself ready. Inevitably we'd turn up in the holding bay and have to wait for our tyres to cool down before being let out on the track - its as if its one of Auto66's policies.




Qualification for the Clubman's 600 race was okay and I took 3rd, being overtaken on the last corner, but since the first four line up together it really doesn't matter.

Likewise, coming 2nd in the Senior qualification was a god result but a front row start is all I was after.

In the 600 trophy race I got a good start and was in second place. Unfortunately, half way round the first lap I pushed the front a fraction too much on the off camber, down-hill, tight right-hander that leads onto the back straight. I went down softly and slid along with the bike. I pulled the clutch in to keep it running and jumped straight up. As I did the bike stalled and wouldn't start - I was out and had to watch the race by the tyre wall - no fun, but at least there was no damage to the bike




The trophy race for the Senior Cup was a different story however and I was out in front for the whole race. I knew that somebody was close and expected one of the 1000cc machines to come flying passed but it never happened. I took a nice tight line into the last corner and powered out as hard as I could for the line. As I crossed, I noticed a bike right at my side - surely I hadn't lost it at the line. I didn't think so but everybody watching thought i had just lost it. As it turns out, I came 1st by 0.02 seconds - pah! Easy!

It felt great picking up only my second 1st trophy, shame it looks a bit wonky! Still, mickey mouse trophy for a mickey mouse track!

On to the points races and I felt a bit more confident in getting a good result in the 600 even though I had crashed in the trophy race. As it turns out, I just didn't have the pace through the twisty sections and I could only bring it home in 4th. I was catching 3rd and felt I could have had him if we had another lap or two but hey, points are points.

I was really looking forward to taking on the 1000cc bikes again but as we lined up for the last race of the day, there were only 3 of us! Me and two 1000cc's. I got a good start but had to slot into 2nd at the first corner. As I tried to brake as late as I could into the tight right second corner, I outbraked myself and ran straight into the kitty litter. As I came to a halt, I managed to paddle my way through it and get back on to the track, but by now I was about 15 seconds behind the others.


This was it - head down - concentrate - put in some good, fast, consistent laps.

At the first lap I was still about 15 seconds down but that seemed to have dropped by the end of the next lap - that gave me hope

One lap later and the gap must have been about 10 seconds - I was flying

Lap after lap I closed them down and I braked later and later as I gained more and more confidence. It was going to happen - I could feel it - I was going to catch them.

With 2 laps to go I shot passed second place on the brakes into turn one. A great move which required real "balls". I wanted first!

Hard on the gas - hard on the brakes. Get it turned, sit it up and back on the throttle. Find your braking marker and add another split second. Hard on the brakes and turn.... closing closing...

As we passed the last lap flag I was with him. We entered the braking zone for turn one where I passed second place. I braked HARD. The bike skipped up its rear wheel and I stamped down to find second gear - It didn't take!

In too high a gear, I had to brake even harder on an already unstable bike. The front end couldn't cope. It didn't make the turn...

The ground came up to meet me even faster than I seemed to be going but I remember feeling angry with myself even before I hit it. As I slid across the ground I saw the other bikes disappear round the corner and then I came to a stop in the hard packed dirt. I didn't think it was a particularly big "off" and even when I glanced at my bike I thought all I had done was throw away the chance of a victory. As it turns out, the diagnosis was a lot worse

Smashed carbon exhaust (RRP£450), bent titanium middle section (RRP£250), Cracked subframe (RRP£350), Smashed bodywork (RRP£350), bent Gilles chain adjuster (RRP£180)broken pegs, bent clip-ons, bent levers, snapped swingarm lugs, bent engine bolts, knackered crash bobbins, broken exhaust protector (about another £200) - I felt empty.

I'll be honest, I felt close to tears. I wanted to rewind the clock just 5 minutes and do the last lap again, without crashing.

At times like this racing is tough. It's the polar opposite of the highs you get when you win, I just didn't expect to feel them both in the same day.

So now I'm on eBay every day trying to reduce the near £2000 bill of new original equipment, to something closer to £1k. It's still like working a month for free but I can't bear thinking about the other option. I just love racing too much.

Let's see if I can get her back together for May 20th at Elvington.