I was up at 4:30 on Suturday for a leisurely drive up to the BMF show at Peterborough for the second round of the ShorttrackUK Championship. Met up with Anthony and Geoff (Co-Built) and setup the 'garage'.
The Co-Built Garage
This time last year at the same event I smashed my wrist in the second practice session so I just took it real easy for practice. Managed two sessions of slithering around on the just watered track. Not great. Wobble-wobble-slip-slide-phutter-phutter...
Taking it easy in practice...
First Shorttrack heat. Front row, second from the outside. revvs rise, tape shoots up and we're racin'!
I don't get a great start but only have 3 bikes in front by the time we all crowd into the first corner. "Whump!"
The front of the bike disappears from me and I'm tumbling across the ground. Fuck! I just see dirt, wheels, tyres, sky, dirt, steel-shoe'd boots and sky again. I hear and feel the dirt tearing into the back of my brand new lid as I slide to a stop.
My brand new lid... bollocks!
They restart the heat while I check the bike in the centre of the track. Thankfully not too much damage. I have the tank back on on a few bits straightened by the time the heat finishes. Need a few tools to get the rad straightened and tank back on proper. I get back to the 'garage' and get to work.
KTM and Co-Built in the garage
Oh well... I'm okay and the bike's raceable. Could have been a lot worse. This gives me time to examine the damage more closely... and feel the pain in my left calf as the adrenalin wears off.
Dirt doesn't do this to radiators... other nasty bikes do
The next two heats go okay but I get my arse kicked. Just that one (or two) extra heats was bringing out the speed in everyone. I was just starting to gett going. Then a long break while the other 'shows' do their thing - a stunt quad, some stunt dirt-bikes and other stunty things.
Getting off the line in a Shortrack heat... look how far over his start line #7 is... the way to do it!
One more heat in each class - my last chance to try make a Semi-final or Final. I'm drawn in the middle row. In both races I make a decent start and have a few good battles. Getting into it, finding the rhythm and having great fun! I got a fifth in the Thunderbikes heat... but just wasn't enough to make the final. :-( Didn't miss the Shorttrack Semi-final by much either, but it was only going to be the 'B' (losers) final for me on Sunday.
Improving...
Geoff and Steve - Geoff was out on Steve's Vertimati Shorttrack bike
Spent the rest of the afternoon prepping the bike (3 minutes...) and browsing the show. The best part of the show by far was the 'Wall of Death'. I'll do a post on that soon. Alex arrived in the evening to add some much needed glamour to the paddock where had BBQ. later we had a pint at the 'Killer Queen' gig that was going off in the main hall.
A few of the sights at the BMF show... more like a jumble-sale for bike gear and rally than a 'show'
Glorious sunshine greeted us on Sunday. Just the 8 lap 'B' final for me.
Front row start. Made an ok getaway... 3 abreast into turn 1. Keep it nailed. Then Anthony Brown pulls a great move and slides around my outside on turn 3/4. Matt Moore in the lead, followed by Anthony and myself. Wheel to wheel for most of the race - so hard to pass with a dry blue-groove. Matt doesn't make a mistake and takes an emotional win. And I'm third. My personal best Flattrack finish!
A great action shot on turn 2
The Semi-Finals and Finals were great races with Marco Belli and Jacopo Monti styling it it up big-time. Ade Collins was too strong in the Shorttrack final and took a comfortable win.
Ex Speedway pro Ade Collins was in a league of his own
Next round in two weeks - Amman Valley, Wales. :-)
Italian showman - Jacopo Monti
eBay buy of the month - a race cart that can take it... all!
i concur with the wall of death.
ReplyDeletetook my missus boys 2 see it, and it scared us all!!.