Snowy Snetterton

Got the Wee Monster prepped and loaded Friday night for the first round of the Ducati Sporting Club’s Desmo Due Championship at Snetterton.Last time I was at Snetterton in March it snowed and I think just about every other time I have been to Snetterton, the weather has been shite. True to form we had 15mph wind, 4 degrees and rain on Saturday.

Up with the sparrows and arrive at a rain sodden track. Scrootineering and signing-on done quickly, then loaded the bike back in the van to keep it out of the rain while I have a nap. It didn’t stop raining. Qualifying sessions were started and stopped becasue of a water-logged track. I waited around, but our session never arrived. Desmo Duo racing was eventually cancelled becasue we run on road tyres and there was just to much water around. Bugger!

I've got my best results in crap weather, so was up for it. 4 hour round trip 6 hours hiding out in the van trying to keep dry and warm is all I got from Saturday. One of the big negatives for me in road racing is all the waiting around. Crap.

 

Sunday's forecast was worse. They got it right this time... I got up to the circuit to find 1 inch of snow and freezing cold. At 09h15 it was annouced that the Sunday's racing was to be abandoned. Great... another 2 hour drive back home.

 

Pretty disappointed about it... was really keen and up for it. The plan was to have two more qualification rounds for the Manx under my belt and perhaps a trophy or two. Will have to wait till the next schduled round on 20th April at Oulton Park to try out all the improvements to the MD-Racing tuned Wee Monster and get those qualification rounds in.

Manx Qualification

Last Saturday I was down at Snetterton for a couple of races on the old Aprilia in the 'Forgotten Era Superbikes'. At my least like circuit I wasn't happy with the bikes handling and those tuned-to-the-moon 750s (including an ex factory HRC RC45) just blew me away down that long straight. I was way off the pace and qualified an embarassing 11th out of 14. Poor.

I was followed all the way to the track and back...

But, I was there to get my last qualification race done for the Manx GP. I just had to finish, I wasn't really up for racing. So I just grinned... and could hardly bear it.

The rain held off but a howling, gusty wind was blowing. Typical Snetterton. First race - I get a rubbish start and am last into the first corner. I struggle in the shitty chicane onto the back straight... compromising my speed and getting passed on most laps. But I'm pretty good on the brakes at the end of the straight and normally take back the places I lost down the straight as I trail brake all the way through the left-hander. This was the only fun I had on track all day.

It was great to be in the paddock with a mate

My friend Don Plane was out for the first time in 5 years on his minty but completely stock RSV. We raced together in 2004 and 2005 in the Supertwins class. Don is a super-fast rider and knows Aprilias backwards. He built and developed the most awesome RSV Factory over a few years that was eventually making a reliable 160bhp at the rear wheel (mine makes about 125bhp). He's also had a hand in my new Manx GP Senior weapon... more about that in a later post...

Don's won many races and a Championship before taking a break. A couple of 5th places on his stock RSV - he's no slouch! A tough class.

Don helped me between races tweak the Aprilia's suspension... but it didn't help much with my laptimes. Only 0.2s a lap faster in race 2 ... my head just wasn't into it. Again, the only fun was doing silly braking moves at the end of the straight. I finished 9th of 14. But we're now qualified for the Manx GP!! :-)

Desmo Due at Snetterton

Last Saturday I was at Snetterton for my final Manx GP qualification races. I dusted off the Wee Monster for a little bit of double-D action...

The aerodynamics of a .44 wadcutter - punches a clean hole...
(Thanks to regular flattrack photographer Steve Baldock for the pic)

Practice was delayed due to a water-logged track but it dried up quite quickly in the brisk Norfolk winds. Qualifying was dry... but as I passed the chequered flag it came down in buckets. I was soaked by the time I had done the half cool-down lap and 50 yards to the paddock.

Again, it dried quickly but sporadic downpours kept everyone guessing. I go well in the wet and we're all on the same road tyres so wasn't bothered. I qualified fourth... front row!

Wee Monster and Chev-dawg

Come the race and the track is wet and it's raining lightly. No problemo. Lights go out and we're off in a melee of Desmodronic thuds and spray. Being on the front row has it's advantages in these conditions... but I get boxed in and two riders get past me... by the end of the lap I'm back to 4th and on the six of 3rd.

Lap 2 and I'm into 3rd... by then 1st and 2nd have cleared off. I just need a signature for the Manx... so ride on the side of caution as the light rain turn to a biblical deluge. Lap 5 and the race is red-flagged.

Factory race-team awning for the Wee Monster

A 15 minute wait on the grid and the deluge stops but there is a flood of standing water on the track. Restart... 4 lap dash to the finish line. First lap I lose out again in turn 1, but by the end of the lap I'm up to 3rd and keepin' it steady. A bike on a mission gets past me and I let him go... a podium would be great... but a finish better.

Flat ooot - "I'm giving it all she's got cap'n!"
(Thanks to regular flattrack photographer Steve Baldock for the pic)

Chequered flag and the final signature in the bag :-) Yeah!
I give the Wee Monster a caress, a kiss and load her in the van. On the way out I stop by race office to pickup that all important race result. Almost at the gate of the circuit, I spot that the bike on a mission was a class B bike. That means... I got 3rd in class A!

Frikkin' A!!!!

Wee Monster wins another trophy - Yahoooooo!

It took me 4 years of racing to get my first podium. And I did it 3 times in one day... on the Wee Monster. And it's taken me 3 years since then to do it again... on the Wee Monster! I just robbed the bike off a race mate, removed the crap bodywork, fitted a quick-action throttle some new tyres and went racing. I've never even changed the oil.

I think she deserves and oil change.

More importantly: qualified for the Manx, medical done and TT Mountain Course Licence in the post :-)

Test at Snetterton

Took some time out from my house move on Sunday to test the little Suzuki SV and the BAMF at a Snetterton trackday. I got there early but the organization was piss-poor. Queued for 1/2 an hour to sign only to be told I have to go to the room next door and fill out some forms. At signing on there was only one staff member... and she was taking cash. Both bikes also had to be noise tested.

Early morning start with a Chevy packed with house contents and dragging 2 race bikes to Norfolk

They only started noise testing 45 minutes before the first session... of course they had the compulsory riders briefing during this time. Another queue. My session starts and I'm still waiting to be noise tested - I get out for 2 laps before the end of the session. It was run by a well known trackday company called 'No Limits' - they're shit.

Between sessions I queued again to get the BAMF noise tested. Despite the exhaust being repacked, she failed miserably. Limit: 105 dB. BAMF: 107 dB. Not good.

Got out on the Suzuki for 3 more sessions before lunch. She was great! She's a bit slow down the straight for the fast group - late model 1000cc superbikes would fly past and gap me by 50 yards before we got to the end of the longest straight on British soil. I'd then claw some back all the way to the chicane and they'd gap me again on the next straight. There were a couple of really fast boys out there... but most of the riders didn't get too far away from the 9 year old SV which had less than 1/2 the horespower than just about all of them and was on Pirelli road tyres.

Finally managed to get some air-ride suspension fitted to the Chev-dawg last week. You just load her up and pump up the pressure... fully loaded trailering 2 bikes she just eats up the bumps at 90mph! Brilliant!

During lunch I tried to botch a dB-killer on the BAMF - but wasn't accepted by the noise tester. :-( Got out for another session on the SV after lunch, but wasn't learning anything new. As Colin Edwards once said: If you're not riding at 110%, your just wearing out the machinery. Besides... I had a house-move to continue. So I skedaddled.

I was very happy with what I'd learned on the SV. It's dead-easy to ride quickly. Very forgiving. A bit slow, but quite a bit quicker than the Wee Monster. On standard road gearing I was still revving her out before braking - so need to sort that for the ultra-long straights on the Isle of Man. She's a lot lighter than the Wee Monster and easier to throw around, but still has worse brakes (no Brembos!) - got some new Performance Friction pads waiting for her so should be a bit better. Nothing broke or fell off. No surprises. Lovely! The bloke who built it, Gary at SDC Performance did a good job. :-)

The well mannered little SV and the fire-breathing Badd Ass

I was bit disappointed not to give the BAMF and run with her new-found horses and magnesium rear wheel - she's just been one disappointment after another since the rebuild - but I have faith that we'll get the old gal right.

Two In the Bag

Racing at Snetterton today to get another qualifying 'meeting'.

Up at 04h30, out the door at 05h00. In the van I read the final instructions for the first time. There is a comprehensive schedule - the first time I've seen one in final instructions. My Qualifying is at 11h35. Blimey... that gives me 6 1/2 hours to drive to Snetterton, scrootineering, sign-on and to kit-up. Plenty time. I go back inside and get another hours shut-eye on the sofa.

An easy drive, scroot, sign-on and kit-up. Out on track at 11h35.

This is the first time I have raced with Thundersport GB. Thundersport GB was started 3 years ago by Dave and Bernadette Stewart. They used to run the show at Bemsee when I raced there in 2004 & 2005. They ran a tight ship and haven't raced at a club that was as well organised. The day's events followed the schedule to the minute - it was brilliant! No need to rush to the circuit and then find out you have a 2 hour wait before getting on the track. There is a nice vibe in the paddock and grids are a lot fuller than the New Era and Derby Phoenix meetings I have done this year... and everything runs like clockwork.

Anyways... to the action. Best lap in qualifying was 1:29.5. Don't know how that stacks up with other Desmo Due times, but I just took it easy - getting used to the bike. I had forgotten to change the gearing so ran out of revs two-thirds down the back straight. I had to feather the trottle so the engine wouldn't blow up!

There is a bit of aftermath happening on my scar from the wrist surgery. My body is pushing some internal stitches out. Last night I dug out two bits of foreign matter. The cuff of my leathers dug in and agravated this wound. It was pretty sore and messy after qualifying. I got the doctor at the circuit medical centre to sort it out.

I start the race at 14h20 sharp. Last on the grid. Racing out of class can sometimes not be much fun. Like at Oulton, they just left me behind. No worries... it's the finish that's important. After 2 laps my wrist is starting to hurt around Coram Corner - a very long, fast right hander. I usually love it, but today it hurts like fuck!

Hanging off the bike on the right-side for so long means holding damn tight with the left hand with the body across to the right side. Like with the trials bikes last week, the sideways movement is a killer on my new bionic wrist. I went slower and slower as it started to hurt more and hurt around Riches corner too (another right-hander).

I finished the race and my wrist was killing. I took some Ibuprofen after but it still swelled up. I took a nap as my next race was at 17h20.

When I woke my wrist was not good. As Colin Edwards said: "If you ain't riding at 110%, you're just wearing out the machinery.". With the wrong gearing, I was concerned for the health of the wee Monster for another 10 laps. Rain was on the way and I didn't feel up to racing, then driving 3 1/2 hours across country to sleep on the floor of a filthy hired van in a wet Darley Moor paddock. I thought of the steak in the fridge a hot shower and my clean, dry bed. I drove home.

My only pic of the 'meeting' - on the way out of Snetterton.

Being home by 19h00 gave me a few hours to spend on the BAMF...

Last night I hooked up the radiators and the whole cooling system. I got the oil radiator and oil system installed as well.

Tonight I put on the clutch, quick-action throttle and throttle bodies. These are the standard 50mm throttle bodies. Once the bike is running, these will be replaced with some 57mm monsters I have on the shelf!

I'm wasted now and need to be up early to be at Darley by 08h00... the Darley Moor guys aren't so organised, so I need to get there then wait around a few hours. It's a 3 hour drive.

I finished the race in last place - the next guy was lapping 4 seconds a lep quicker than me! No worries, my name is on the results sheet. Another 'meeting' in the bag.