Brands Double - part I

Back at Brands for the second time in two weeks

This last weekend we were back at Brands for hopefully the last two of our qualification meetings for the TT. Up early and head down south on Saturday morning. I had booked a garage and was stung 30 quid by the organisers, Hottrax for 1 space in a garage. There are 4 spaces in a garage… two weekends ago, we paid 30 quid for an entire garage… 7.50 per bike. With 32 garages it looks like Hottrax is profiteering a bit.

The list to things to do on candy over the winter

The Endurance Teams were out there on Saturday, so the small paddock area behind the garages was crammed with winnebagos, huge race trucks and lots of little cars belonging to hangers-oners. They were there since Friday and the organizers 'vehicle pass' system was a farce, as was the organization behind the garages. Everything took twice as long as two weeks before... and was twice as much hassle. Would that make it eight times less value than with ThundersportGB? Ok, maybe not, but I was still a little agitated by the time we were out for Qualifying.

Wreckage from the previous day’s testing in the skroot bay - what not to do on a test day.

It was cold, only 6 degrees, windy, overcast… but at least the drizzle has stopped and track was dry. Only having had the tyre warmers on for 20 minutes, I start out carefully and build up lap by lap. On my 5th lap I get rain splattering my visor. Out on slicks, I back off and within a lap there are 4 separate crashes around the track. Session is red flagged. I pull back into my garage and am finished with Qualifying despite the session starting again within 10 minutes. I’d done enough to Qualify 3rd on the grid. No, really... 3rd.

Shadowing Rob Garland

Race 1 – the clutch grabs and I make a poor getaway. 5th into turn 1. I square it off and get good drive down the hill, getting up to 4th… then outbraking someone on the inside of Druids to knick 3rd. Charge down to Graham Hill and do another on the brakes… easy through there on cool tyres… Surtees, McLean and I line 1st place up through Clearways… pop out the slipstream before the start finish line and make the pass. Was that it? Surprised to be at the front. Clear track ahead of me. I focus on settling into a rhthm – I only need to finish the race to get my 3rd Qualifier for the TT in the bag.

I just keep ticking off the laps, keeping it steady with a good pace. I cross the line 9 laps later – in first place!!! Candy’s maiden victory. 10 years of getting the crap knocked out of her across the country… and she finally brings it home in 1st place. Sweeeeeet! The marshals can hear my victory yeaaahas and whooops on the cool down lap. Fucking A!

Paddock Hill Bend - I thought that I was grinding out my belly-pan around Clearways... this pic shows that Paddock Hill Bend is where I’m getting her too low

Race 2 – I make a better start and get into Paddock Hill Bend in 3rd. I get 2nd on the brakes into Druids. Around, through Clearways and I’m on the six of the leader, Rob Garland on his naked bike. I get him on the brakes into Paddock Hill Bend. Clear track in front again… I settle into a rhythm.

I haven’t got away from the guys behind like I did in race one… but I race my own race… need to finish in 1 piece to be able to race on Sunday and finish my TT Qualifiers. “Steady away, son” I say to myself under my breath… a second later and a Suzuki GSXR SRAD sweeps under me and stands me up through McLean’s. No worries… I’ll get him at Paddock Hill and start lining him up through Clearways.

Paddock Hill Bend... followed by Rob Garland and an overzealous newcomer on a Gixxer

On the gas as early and hard as I dare. The GSXR is trying the same, just three feet in front of me. His rear tyre breaks traction while fully leaned over and he goes into a slow-motion lowside just a few feet in front of me. I pick the bike up mid-turn to avoid him and the bike sliding across my trajectory. I thread through the moving gap and something whacks me on the front right... I'm sure it was his leg. I’m headed for the gravel at a serious rate of knots. Fuck!

I haul the bike over to the right to get her turned. I almost make it, just running off the track onto the 12 inch strip of grass before the gravel trap. I straihten the bike up gingerly across the grass and usher her back onto the track... twist the throttle to the stops as the guy behind me gaps me by 20 yards. Jeeeeee-sus! That was close!

Damage from number 56... twisted and bent brake lever guard - probably saved my ass...

sorry about the paintwork Steve :-(

He even bent my footpeg!

I’ve lost all my drive down the straight and another rider catches me just before tipping in to Paddock Hill. I get on his case. He defends through Druids. I take a wide sweeping line and carve a darkie around his outside as we accelerate down to Graham Hill. Back into 2nd place. I settle down and start looking to hunt down 1st. He’s about 50 yards up the track now. I start to push. The tired old Pirelli slick starts to squirm and slide in protest. I back off, thinking of the next day’s racing – enough close calls for one day. I cruise home in 2nd.

Later, when I pickup a results sheet, I find out that Rob is in a different class… and I’m 1st again! Awesome! 2 wins from 2 starts. Fan-bloody-tastic!!

The Pirelli slicks had done two qualifing sessions and five races. They were moving around  quite a bit. I had an set of new inters knocking about the garage for the last few years - I thought Icd try them out for Sunday. It was dry, but real cold... and would be like that on Sunday. I also didn't like the thought of buying another set of slicks just for a qualifying race - hey, I just needed to finish one more race and needs all the funds I can get for the TT. So I changed the wheels then headed down to my Mom for another post-race scrumptious dinner :-)

An uber-successful day on track.

Oh yes! Candy’s Back!

Oulton Park - Some Silverware

I wrote up a whole long story about what happened at Oulton Park 10 days ago becasue I had some time. Trying to add photos in this blog editor, I managed to lose it... all. So here's the short version... short? Yeah right!

The Wee Monster handles brilliantly... who needs adjustable forks?

Two Friday nights ago, I get back from Oxford flattracking, unpack the flattrack bike and gear, pack my road race bikes and gear, three hours sleep and then I leave for the 2.5 hour trip to Oulton Park. Only to find it all starts 1/2 an hour earlier than normal. It's going to be tight...

Despite all the bling, the Aprilia feels like a big boat compared with the Wee Monster

Arrive, unload Wee Monster (class: Ducati Desmo Due or 'DD') and the Aprilia RSV (class: Classic Superbikes), Monster thru scrootineering, Aprilia thru scrootineering (short queues because most riders were at the track on Friday testing and had thier bikes scrootineered then), gear thru scrootineering, sign on, noise test monster, straight out to qualifying, wet track, come in a lap earlier to noise get Aprilia noise tested, straight out to qualifying, raining, everone else on wets, me on road tyres, slither around, back to paddock early.

Aprilia wearing a brand new set of Dunlops that have been preserved for the last 5 years in my dining-room.

Rain doesn't look like it'll clear... so I go about fitting my wets on the Aprilia. Rain stops and it all starts drying quickly in the howling wind. I gamble that it'll rain again so leave the wets on. It doesn't rain and I run out of time to change the wheels myself. I roll out onto the back of the grid on a set of wets... everyone else on dry tyres... I'm praying for rain.

Nobody was listening and within 2 laps the tyres are overheating. Aweful feeling of pushing the front everywhere... horrendous on the brakes. After another 2 laps of trying I decide to not take any more chances, save my tyres, finish the race and save my energy for the DD race straight after this one. I settle to a steady rhythm and get passed by one, two, three riders. I'm glad the race ends.

In the rain, on road tyres... trying to go fast!

I come into the paddock and junp straight onto Wee Monster. She shouts 'COLD' from the dash... but I don;t have time to listen to her complaints and head out onto the grid. I qualified 2nd and when the lights go out I remembered that I had forgotten something after my last races on the Monster. The clutch is knackered... we judder all the way to the first turn and am in about 10th by the time we get there.

It's minging out there!

I cut my way through the pack and by the 3rd lap with a few fights along the way, I take the lead! Andy Chalis fights me and we swap the lead a few times before I make a mistake and run wide. He gaps me... I push hard to make up the gap. As soon as I have in in my sights, I make another mistake and he gaps me again... I go through this whole process again.

Some lunch and a cosy, dry space in the van to catch-up on some sleep between races... knackered look in the eyes...

I'm getting really tired and my riding is starting to get ragged. As a result I have to push harder to get back at him... so I make more mistakes. The last two laps I fade... happy to take a comfortable 2nd without too many risks. 2nd! Whooo-hooo!

I decide not to go out in the second Classic Superbike race and conserve my energy for the DD race. By the time we start the race it's raining.

Ready to rock 'n Roll on the Wee Monster

Again, I can't get off the line cleanly and the clutch making all sorts of terrible grinding noises. I'm even further down the pack into turn 1 than in the first race. A lot of work to do. I fight through the pack and within a few laps I have a clear track ahead and Andy Chalis in the far distance. He had 12 seconds on me.

Lovein' the Monster!

I push on... each lap he gets closer as I reel him in. I take seconds out of his lead every lap... last lap and I push hard... sliding the Wee Monster out of almost every turn. I catch him on the last corner. I stretch out but I only just reach him with my fingertips. We cross the line together... but too little, too late and I'm pipped by a few yards. Next corner and he would have been mine!

Every corner counts in these short races and I should have been a little more agressve getting through the pack. Oh well... still pretty happy with another 2nd!

I set the fatstest lap of the second race by 1.5 seconds!