Round 11 - Elvington - August 26th

I can't decide whether this was a day to remember or a day to forget. It was a real roller coaster of emotions and a day that would justifiably go into my autobiography.

It started sedately enough. Nic and I chose to go to the track the night before and sleep over in the paddock, rather than sleep at my Mums and travel there in the morning. I now much prefer this and I felt more refreshed throughout the whole day because of it. Ok, the back of the van aint luxury but its surprisingly comfy.

The bike sailed through scrutineering and we seemed to have a rather relaxed morning, with a bowl of cereal and a coffee pot steaming away on the stove - very civilised. My mate, big Scott (as opposed to my mate Scott who helps me with the bike) turned up to watch so we had a nice natter before practice and then out I went.

The bike was great. The new Michelin Pilot Race tyres were excellent. They have a steeper profile than the pirelli's which helps turn-in. Most importantly though, the clutch was working a treat and the radiator was keeping the temp down - result.

We roll up to the holding area. There is an embarrassingly small grid. I think there were 6 of us. The trouble is, its the guys that are trying for top championship positions, so it doesn't matter if its 3 or 33, its still going to be hard getting a win.

I told Nic that I would settle for 4th for the qualifiers (at Elvington the grid lines up in a straight line rather than staggered so 4th would put me in the same position as 1st). I got a great start and was 2nd behind Robert Wilson (again). Well at least I thought I was 2nd. Just as I tipped it in an headed for the apex, Gary Graves suddenly appeared and made me pick it up and run wide - grrr, firm but fair. I set off after the two of them and found that we seemed to be well matched for pace. Robert had pulled out a bit of a lead and as we came towards the end of the 4th (and final) lap of this qualifier, I found myself closer to Gary. Round the hairpin and I was right on him. I knew I would try my usual block pass and sure enough, a bit more speed through the final left allowed me to put my nose in front of his and he had to stand his bike up and allow me through. 2nd place was mine and I had a rye smile inside my helmet. Later, Gary came over and said, "was that for the move I put on you in the first corner" - too bloody right it was mate ;-)

I got a crap start in the Senior qualifier and was 5th out of 6 going into the first corner. Gary, Daryl and John normally clear off on their thou's into the first corner but this time a newby had also shot passed. As usual I spent a couple of laps trying to get passed Daryl who still can't go round corners even though he's wearing slicks (sorry Daryl). I got a good run on him and the new chap going into the hairpin but I just couldn't stop in time and ran way off line. I turned it tight and gunned it towards the left hander and managed to take both of them round the outside. 3rd place was mine.

On to the trophy race. Just before the race I had made two crucial comments. Firstly, that there would be no trophy for 3rd place as the grid was so small and also that I was getting sick of paying to race just to get the same result each time, behind the same guy. The other crucial factor was that a sidecar had just emptied its guts out at the chicane in the previous race and it only left about 1m of clean track on the entry into it. We would have to be very precise tipping it in. Another good start and I'm right behind Robert. Exiting the second right, I even feel I might get alongside him but the oil patch means I have to slot back in line so that I can take the new racing

line. I stay with him until the straight and it feels like he's pulling away a touch but I manage to real him in a bit on the brakes and by the time we're back at the chicane I'm right with him again. I thought it was just myself and Robert out in front, but as it turns out, there was a new kid on the block (17yrs old) who was right on my tail. I was right with Robert until lap 5 when I decided I was close enough to make a move.

Again, I was fast going into the left hander and managed to nip passed around
the outside of him and keep my line going into the final right-hander. Then it was head down for the final lap and a 1st pace trophy. I was really exhilarated. It's my first win since Teesside near the beginning of the season and it felt like I'd ridden well to get it.

The trophy race for the Senior cup was pretty exciting (well, the first 3 laps were). I managed to get a really good start and it was only Daryl who headed me into the first corner. I was still 2nd for the next half a lap but then Gary and John drafted passed me on the straight. At the end of the straight I managed to outbrake John and get ahead of him again and then hold that for another half a lap, but eventually his bigger machine told the tale and he passed me and gapped me. We had all managed to get passed Daryl and for 3 laps I was still in the hunt with Gary and John. However after lap 4 I realised that I was just destroying my tyres for no reason so I settled down and relaxed into 3rd. I felt like I was out for a sunday drive. There must have been about 15 seconds behind me. As I expected, there was no trophy for 3rd. That must have saved them about 30 quid for the day - what a joke of a club.

The points race for the 600's was one of the best I have been in (others include my first ever win, my win at Cadwell park and my near victory at Teesside which ended in tears!). I've not done it for a while but after getting the best possible start and leading as we headed for the first corner, I knocked it down 3 gears (as I do on a flying lap) rather than 2 (from a standing start) and the back locked up and sent me heading off the track. I grabbed as much brake as I could and then turned it and rejoined the track.

There were only 5 of us in this race and the other 4 were now well ahead (well actually James was only a few seconds ahead). I put my head down and gunned it. A fast sweep through the chicane and a great drive down towards the hairpin saw me claw back loads of time on James and I threw in a desperate block move on him which nearly backfired. As I ran a little bit wide, he ran me out to the edge of the track and got back in front. I got the power down and made my extra grunt (James rides and old CBR600) count and I outbraked him going into the top corner. The next 3 laps were all about precision and measured risk taking. One mistake and I would have lost touch with the front 3, however I didnt make any mistakes and with two and a half laps to go I was bearing down on them.

Luckily for me, they seemed to trip each other up a bit going through the chicane as the oil still meant that you had to tip-toe through. I went in fairly fast but came out even faster and my drive down to the hairpin saw me right with them. I went out wide and cut it back and as I did I took Gary on the inside. Then, in the same move, I went round the outside of the new kid. I was now right on Roberts tail. A lap later and in the same place, I went round the outside of Robert and into the lead. Once more round and back to the hairpin and he tried to outbrake me.

I saw that he couldnt quite get it stopped and I pulled it nice and tight round the hairpin. Two more corners, ridden fast but defensive and I crossed the line victorious. Last to First - Brilliant.

As I came into the paddock area, everybody was clapping me. People told me it was one of the best clubman races they'd seen. I was well chuffed. Life was good.

During the race, I thought I had felt the clutch slip a little. I couldn't be quite sure as it wasn't very pronounced and I was concentrating so hard that I think I put any problems with the bike out of my head and just rode the thing.

At this point, I was 17 points in the lead of the Senior Cup championship. As I lined up, I knew that I couldn't compete with John, I thought there may be a chance I could stay with Gary and I knew that I could beat Daryl. As such, My championship lead would only be reduced a little bit and the chance of staying number one at the end of the season was still a possibility. We set off on our warm up lap but half way round the bike lost drive. I knew it was the clutch and I started to furiously play around with the gears and clutch lever to get some sort of drive. I lined up at the start and as we set off, I managed to crawl forward at about 10mph at full revs. By the time I was half way up the straight I was just freewheeling and the bike would drive at all. I was out. DNF. Nil points.

The championship lead was gone and I was now 3 points behind John with Gary just another 10 or so behind me. In one race, I had gone from championship leader to staring at a 3rd place. In one day, I had gone from hero to zero. I felt empty.

As it was the last race of the day, most of the paddock had already packed up. By the time I had wheeled my bike from the furthest point of the circuit back to the paddock area, the place was nearly empty. We packed up our stuff and headed home. Few words were said.

A day later and I felt okay. Really pissed off, but ok. Racing is one of the most demanding sports, its also probably the cruelest. But it also rewards in a way that other sports simply cant match. So I accept the disappointment and take it on the chin. Before I sign off yet another sad turn in an otherwise great season, I wanted to revisit some of the things I said in my last blog entry. It may have sounded like I dont get any support from my family and that isnt true. Ok, so my brother is pretty shit at showing an interest but my mum and dad are now really supportive. They come along to as many Elvington events as they can and always ask me how things have gone. I should also mention that Nic (my lovely wife) is the most supportive person in the entire
paddock. She puts up with all my crap sorting the bike out for every race. She comes along to every race. Helps me out and then has to put up with all my crap when things go wrong. She's a star.

So, unlucky in racing - lucky in life. It's not a bad compromise is it!

Round 10 - Elvington - August 5th

I was fairly confident that my recent radiator repair (bodge) would do the job but just to be on the safe side, i bid for a radiator on ebay. I won the bid and then spent half of Saturday evening driving into Bradford and getting lost. Eventually I found the place I was picking it up from and I headed back to Harrogate for some much needed kip.

Although sleeping in a proper bed always sounds like the best thing, I think I now prefer to sleep in the van and wake up at the circuit. It gives you at least another 1.5hours in bed and seems to take some of the stress out of the morning. As it was, I was up at 7am and arrived at the circuit in plenty of time to get the bike through scrutineering and get signed-on.

There were loads of old faces at the track and I knew that I was going to have to be on top form to get some good results. I used the practice session to scrub my new front tyre in, but couldn't help putting a cheeky last corner move on Matty Handley (just for old times sake).

As for the front tyre, it is a Dunlop Racer, whilst the back is a Metz Racetec. There is loads of talk about incorrect matching of tyres but in my opinion, if you are using the sticky race tyres from each manufacturer, a bit of swapping around doesnt hurt too much. Ideally I'd have matching tyres but at this point of the season I'm having to juggle to make my tyre supply last. The next round will be even worse. The front Dunlop will stay on. The back Racetec will do half the meeting, then I'll swap it for an old Supercorsa that should last a couple of races. Then after that meeting, I'm swapping to try some Michelin Power race tyres I got from Ben Handley. Hey - it's all money!

The 600 qualifying was a straight forward point to point and my 2nd place was never challenged and neither did I challenge for the lead. I think the old faces were just remembering their lines.

The Senior cup qualifying was also turning out to be a bit straightforward until with a lap and a half to go, I realised I was catching 3rd place. I put in a really good lap which brought me right behind him going into the hairpin and I used the momentum out of the turn to drive passed him on the last corner. It was a complete block pass and unfortunately he didn't allow enough space for my late braking. As I was trying to scrub off speed to make the apex, he was cutting back to the inside to try and get extra drive. His front tyre hit my rear tyre and although we both stayed on, it nearly had him off and he wobbled outside of the marked track and I think he lost 4th place.

I went over to apologise to him afterwards, even though it was a fair move. He seemed okay about it. His name was mitch - who I'd later learn was a bit of a nutter and a liability on track.

The 600 trophy race seemed to be over very quickly. I can't even remember much about it, but I do know that I finished 3rd. You'd think that coming 3rd in a trophy race would merit you a 3rd place trophy... but since Auto66 are such a money grabbing club, they decided that the grid size wasn't big enough to warrant giving out 3rd trophies so I was denied the silverware. Its a complete shambles and makes a joke out of the club.

I do remember the Senior cup, or at least the second half of it. I'd been putting in good fast laps, hitting my markers and suddenly I was aware of another rider right on me. He kept showing me his wheel but I'd just roll off the brakes a little and keep him out. It totally changes the way you ride when you know somebody is "on you". You take different lines, you brake later and harder (which kills your mid-corner speed) but then get on the power earlier to get the drive down the straight. I do it to try and break their momentum but ultimately it results in a slower lap and I think you can only do it for a lap or so before they figure out how to change their riding style in order to get passed you. It was a furious last lap and I could hear the bikes engine right behind me, but that's where it stayed and I managed to take 2nd place. As it turns out, it was Nick. He won every single 400cc race last year and has since been riding a CBR600RR with Derby Phoenix. He's a fast lad.

This time I got my mitts on the silverware and another 2nd place trophy for the mantle-piece. When I came into the paddock area, I noticed that there was water dripping out of my lower fairing. The bike was overheating again. Damn. I topped it up and just prayed that it would be ok. I made a conscious effort to keep the bike temp lower before the start of the race (around 60 degrees rather than 70)

The 600 points race was the best one of the day. Not for results but for excitement. Once again, I was in 2nd place and I could hear a bike behind me. A lap later and I was braking hard into the hairpin and a bike wheel appeared on the inside of me. I tried to carry as much speed through the tight 180 right-hander as I could and lean over as much as possible. As I did, my right elbow banged into his left foot, I looked over and we were about 10cms apart, both cranked over to the limit, yet it felt strangely safe and composed. We both accelerated out of the corner, trying to gain that little bit of ground to make the other back off. I'd been as brave as I could, but it was Nick who edged in front into the next corner and then started to creep out a lead from me. He then proceeded to chase down the leader and for the first time in a long time, Rob Wilson didn't win the race. Meanwhile, at the hairpin again, I was just at the end of my braking when Matty came shooting passed me and only just managed to stop from running off the track. I'd later learn that he nearly opted to go on the inside of me rather than the outside - thank god he didn't or it would have been zero points for both of us. In the end I finished 3rd place and lost a little more ground on Rob Wilson in the championship - but got closer to securing 2nd place for the season.

Once again, the coolant was bubbling over and I had to top up the radiator again. I really should have a larger radiator on the bike but I'm hoping I can do without until the end of the season - Hopefully the new one I've just bought should be better than the one on now, with all its hole repairs.

The last race was another standard fair with no great shakes. I rode well and finished a respectable 4th place, behind Nick and the two big thousand cc machines that battle it out every time. The most noticeable thing about the last race was that the strange rise in revs as I accelerated hard onto the straights had become much more pronounced. At first I thought that my tyre had gone off and I was simply spinning up the rear as I got the power down, however I know that my bike doesn't have enough power to spin up in 4th and 5th so it pointed towards a problem with the bike rather than my God-like bike prowess! All fingers pointed at the clutch. Slipper clutches wear the plates quicker than a standard clutch and I had had these plates in for two years so that was the main culprit.

So back onto ebay and I bought a new (used) clutch for a K4/K5 for £45 - bargain

Last night I was up at Scott's. I fitted the new radiator and then we set to work on the clutch. I run a STM slipper clutch which I can't recommend enough. Its a piece of bike porn. The only thing was, this Italian made exotica needs a sodding great 30mm hex nut to get it off. Without such a tool, Scott was able to fashion one together by welding a 22mm steel nut to a 30mm nut and then we used a 22mm socket with our new bespoke double-ended nut to undo the clutch - pure mechanical genius!

So now the bike has a new radiator which should help but might not fix the heating issue and new clutch plates which should do the trick.

I guess the big news is that I have decided that this will be my last season of racing. Its unbelievably time consuming and obviously remains very expensive. It's also strangely lonely at times and it's this more than anything else that is making me move away from it. Without other race mates, its not a sport which I can enjoy to the fullest. I can't talk about racing to anybody (take an avid football fan and put him into a situation where suddenly nobody has an interest in football - it would take a lot of the fun out of the game for him), and I can't share the fun with anybody as even Scott no longer races.

I've been writing this blog for around a year now and only about 3 people read it (thanks you guys). My Folks don't read it (this is a test, as my Dad says he does!), my Brother has absolutely no interest in it and has never wished me good luck or asked me how a race went (although my Nephew thinks I'm a biking God - bless him) and all my "friends" ask me how the biking is going in the same way as they would ask a work colleague how they were - they don't actually want to know, its simply a rhetorical question to appease me.

I also realise that to progress to the next level, I would need to invest probably double the time and money, which I am not prepared to do. I know I'm a good rider, but I'm also a pretty lazy one. Give me a fully prepped bike and tell me to turn up at race time and I'll do the business - But all the stuff that's involved before you even get on the bike is something I could now do without (buying this, fixing that, cleaning this, changing that, driving here, there and everywhere just to get the bike ready). I know I'm going to miss it more than anything else in the world, but I have plans to do lots of other biking adventures to make up for it. Supermoto experiences are knocking heavily on my door and I'd like to do a few off-road breaks.

Anyway, for now I remain committed to the rest of the season and just hope I can get through it without any major incidents to either me or the bike. Later doods...