Back on the Short Circuits

Work, eat and sleep is all I managed to do for most of last week. By Friday the headache had subsided and I was feeling a lot better.

Up early on Saturday to sort out the KTM. Mike is helping me prep it for training in Scotland next weekend. Spent the afternoon prepping the Wee Monster and trying to find the source of an ominous knocking sound coming from the front wheel of the Chevy.

Up early again on Sunday (no too early though) to get the Duke flattracker to Geoff of Co-Built to get the custom exhaust made up. Then up to Silverstone for round 2 of the Ducati Desmo Due Championship.

The Wee Monster looking sweet with her new rosso tank

It was a Ducati feast with about 35 Desmo Due bikes, the Dutch Ducati club with all their 1098s and the 848 Challenge. There were a few 4 pot screamers too... but normal ratio of jap screamers to Italian twins was inverted. The fantastic sound of 90 degree VeeTwins boomed around Silverstone all day!

Of course, being Silverstone and Sunday, the first practice was limited to only 98dB. I arrived late becasue I didn't expect to be able to get out for this as I had no dB-killers on the bike. turns out the Wee Monster is just on the limit! So I got out for a wobble around.

Then we had the traditional Silverstone 'Church Break' before the circuit came alive with open race pipes and timed Qualification. I entered the Desmo Due races (DD) and a mixed grid of 2 smoke GP bikes (some from the 70s!), 400s and a few SVs (hereafter known as 'the other race'). This gave me 2 timed Qualification and 4 races for the day.

Craig and his boys Kyle and Ross came along to see some Ducati action

I thought I was going quite well until I saw the time-sheet. Only 8th in DD class 'A' (out of 12 entries) and somewhere on the 10th row for the other race (this was because we had a split grid). A bit rusty.

We were on the National Circuit... which is a bit mickey-mouse, but they've got rid of that horrendous 90 degree chicane abortion just before getting back onto the pit straight. It was horrible to ride, but I did well on it because you could duff others up the inside from about 5 bike-lengths back!

The last time I rode here was 2005 when I pulled this strong move on a number of faster riders in the MRO Supertwins. I also melted my rear brake disc and calliper because it was binding - the disc was glowing orange-hot when finished and spectators told me afterwards that there were flames leaping off the calliper during the race. I thought something was amiss because the bike was getting more and more sluggish... I just held the throttle on the stops for longer.

The first 'other race' was a split grid and all the two-smokes had a 15 sec lead. Still cought traffic by lap 2 and finished 16th.

We all piled into the Chevy to keep out of the April showers

First DD race. Revs up, lights on. Lights off... baaaarp! The Wee Monster bogs down. Not enough revs - I'm making a habit of that. Neil Appleby gets me up the inside for a block pass early on at Maggotts ...a move I'd used on the guys in front of me. I hang wide, turn the bike hard and get on the gas early, straight-lining across his sweeping arc. As we straighted up, I'm a few feet from his back wheel and driving hard. A few seconds slipstreaming then I dart out under the bridge to make a clean pass. we repeat this for most laps in ding-dong battle that ensues. Because of our fisty-cuffs we drop of the leading pack, but catch Andy Chalis on the last lap. Neil outsmarts me by making his move early and then getting Andy between us.

I try make a pass on Andy through Brooklands, but he blocks and I almost run into the back of him. But I keep on it, climbing all over the back of him through the long Luffield. I hold a tight line coming out and get on the gas as early as I dared. Man, that MD Racing setup Wee Monster handles brilliantly and I could put it wherever I wanted to! Andy drifts wide on the power and his rear wheel is next to my elbow as we take the flat-out right kink. I'm on the inside and we're just inches apart when we cross the line, me just half a wheel in front of him! I take 6th, just a 5 hundredths of a second ahead - he isn't happy. Sorry mate.

A great ding-dong race!

It rains before the second 'other race'. Mike and Ant help sort out the knocking front (loose head bearings) and we decide on a gearing change as the first call for the race goes out. No worries, my brilliant race engineers (no, really... they are both engineers... and brilliant) take out teh back wheel, change the rear sprocket, refit the rear wheel and adjust the chain in about 3 minutes flat!

Race engineers Ant and Mike changing the gearing in about 3 minutes flat!

The race was a bit patchy and I just take it easy and test the new gearing. We seem to be getting a little more speed at the end of the back straight and the knocking was sorted. I finish 16th again (I think).

DD race 2. Dry track. Bad start again. I bog it down and then wheelie after giving it beans. Similar pattern to the first race. A few laps in and I'm still in touch with the leading group. Then more fistycuffs with Neil Appleby.

 This time I just cannot get enough drive onto the back straight to get him back and struggle to get into his slipstream. By the time the extra speed tells, it's too late and the gap too big to make it up on the brakes. The taller gearing wasn't working in  this situation. Neil has the last laugh - again. Again we catch Andy Chalis on the last lap... but this time I couldn't steal 6th. I finish 7th. Only 0.5 secs were between me in 7th and Neil in 5th. A close race!

A good race but a little disappointed that I couldn't take the fight to Neil like I was able to in the first race. No worries... considering I haven't ridden the bike in almost a year, havn't been on short circuits  in 9 months and havn't raced at Silverstone in 5 years - I was bound to be a bit rusty. Fantastic to to have Mike, Ant, Heather, Max, Saff, Craig, Kyle and Ross there to support and help. :-) Thanks guys and girls! AND... I now have enough races to qualify for the Manx GP! Job done!

The Wee Monster