ManxGP 2011 - Day 12 - Supertwins Race

My pit crew, Ian's ferry only got in at 1 a.m so I didn't get as much sleep as hoped. But, we were still up early to get our shit together and get to the Day Paddock before the roads closed. The Classic 500 race went of first after an hour delay. It was overcast and cold with showers expected.

This is my friend Mark Herbertson's sixteenth Manx GP on classic machinery. After not even getting down Glencrutchery Road on Monday's Classic 350 race, Mark started the Senior Classic 6th on the road. He chipped away for the four laps and eventually knicked 3rd from Steve Linsdel on the last lap when coming over the mountain. A fantastic result! Well done Mark on a brilliant ride and Alan for the immaculately prepared Matchless G50!

Classic 500
Winner: Ryan Farquar (centre), Second: Chris Palmer (left), Third: Mark Herbertson (right)

At 14:30 we line up on Glencrutchery road for the start. We start the bike and while it warms up we plug in the charger to top up the battery and make sure we have enough juice for the 4 lap race. Relaxed, I focus on the race... get my mind in the right gear to go fast and do well. Learning from John McGuinness, you got to go out hard and fast from the off... it sets the precedence for the rest of the race. I'm ready for it.

Ian (taking pic), Mark and his son Dominic helped out on the start and were in the pits for me

We used to set off in pairs, this year for the first time we set off one at a time as in the TT. The rider ahead of me sets off. I hook 1st gear and pull up to the start line. The starter puts his hand on my shoulder, I bring the revvs up, tunnel vision down the road. He taps my shoulder, I ease the clutch out. I get off the line but can feel the bike bogging down... need more revs to get away with this long gearing. Before she bogs, I nail the throttle. The front wheel lifts and I tear off down Glencrutchery road like a scalded cat.

1000 yard stare down Glencrutchery Road - Focus

Flat out through St. Ninians, down Bray Hill and for the first time I don't roll the throttle through the dip. The G-Force flattens me against the tank and smacks my helmet on the pads I've fitted to teh tank and steering damper. "Whump!". We're through and Ago's leap opens up in front. Flat out and for the first time the wee bike gets some air over the crest. Full tank of gas and cool tyres - we take it easy through Quarterbridge and Braddan Bridge and then it's full steam ahead.

Approaching Guthries on the run up the mountain

I catch the first rider through Greeba Bridge, hussle my way past and push on. It's damp under the trees around Glen Helen where I catch another rider. I back it off a little. Up the steep hill to Sarah's Cottage. In late, square it off and on the gas as soon as possible... as I'm cranked over I hear a sickening grinding sound and the rear of the bike slides around. I dig my knee into the tar and pick the bike up, back on the throttle in an instant so we don't lose drive up the hill onto Cronk Y Voddy. There's not time to be gained through Sarah's... I say to myself: "Whooooah boy! Take it easy. That would be a fuckin stoopid place to go flying through the hedges!"

Up, up the hill, through Lambfell where I later learned that seasoned campaigner Adam Easton lost his life in the earlier race. Adam had only missed one ManxGP since 1983.

Gettin' through traffic...

It's difficult to get into a rhythm as I'm catching a rider every few miles. At Ballaugh Bridge I catch a slower rider... I'm 20 yards behind him by the time we're hard on the brakes, slowing from about 130mph to 40mph. Near the end of the braking zone I get off the brakes early and squeeze through the 2 foot gap between him and the curb, drawing alongside as he turns in. I turn in later, and give Suzy gas over the hump-backed bridge. It's probably the best air I've got over there as I fly past him over the crest. What a pic that would have made! We land and I'm straight back on the gas, turning it tight against the wall of the pub, under the dangling feet of the spectators.  My most memorable passing move ever... awesome!

Pushing hard and grinding out the belly-pan - risky!

I take Ballacrye flat out and get good speed through Quarry Bends and down Sulby. I get held up through the long, bumpy Kerrow Moar section but eventually get past the slower rider into Parliament Square. Up to Ramsay Hairpin - I get past another few riders where it's damp all the way up to Guthrie's. At Guthrie's raindrops start beading across my visor... halfway down the Mountain Mile and the rain is streaking across my visor and screen. I push on, carefully, but confident knowing that the other racers dislike wet conditions more than I do.

Pit crew Ian catching some Zzzzzzs

Rain all the way over the mountain - not fun at all. At Kate's Cottage it's dry and I'm back on it. Through the Cregg and Suzy splutters. "Fuck!" - it feels like it did last week. "Not now baby... not now..." Down through  Brandish and my untested gearing is spot-on. Suzy feels good so I hammer on. Tip-toe through a wet Governor's dip and it's flat out down Gleancrutchery Road to complete lap one. In thinking: "Another 3 laps just like that one and we'll be in the money...".

As I fly past my waiting pit crew, Suzy half-dies. Running on one cylinder all the way down Bray Hill. "Fuck, no!". Tootling through the bottom of Bray and she clears and pulls up Ago's. "C'mon baby..." Down to Quarterbridge and she starts missing again... we limp up to Braddan Bridge and I pull off the course. I know my race is run. In denial, I try find a lose wire or something... but I know it's the battery and it's over.

Shit, fuck and bollocks!