Dirttrack National Championship - Round 6 - Rye House

Sunday was the last round of the DTRA National Dirttrack Championships at Rye House, just north of London. With more riders than ever entered, a split event was run with the Pro, Restricted and Thunderbike heats and finals in the afternoon and all the other classes in the morning. This meant I could sleep in :-)

Thunderbike Final start line

Thanks Ian Roxburgh for the pic

Unloaded, signed on, changed and by lunchtime we were out on track. Heat 1 - a good start... 4th from the back row. Then my first Pro heat... front row start... held onto 2nd for half a lap and then went backwards. Next Thunderbike heat and I could only get 5th from a second row start - I was struggling to get into it.

I kept plugging away, thinking about where I could improve, what I was doing wrong. I wasn't really enjoying it and it was pretty hard work with just 3 classes being run back-to-back. Fortunately, I still had a bit of fitness left in my bones from the ManxGP/Classic TT so I was recovering quickly between heats and never felt tired while out on track. My calf was battered and bruised from Saturdays lie in the dirt but only bothered me in the paddock - on track it was the last thing on my mind.

Geoff getting it tight

Thanks James Boddy for the pic

The heats done... I was surprised to see that I'd qualified 5th in the Thunderbike Final with my mediocre riding. I just missed the Grand Final by one place, qualifying 13th. That cheered me up a lot. Okay.. just two races to go... let's give it all we got!

Thunderbike Final - Revvs up. The light flicks on and we're away. The bike hooks up so well on the race line that she pulls into a big wheelie. Well... it felt big... but was probably just 6 inches. I knock the throttle a little to get her back on the ground, hook third gear and run her into the turn 1 melee.

There's a bit of barging and contact around me.. I manage to keep out of trouble and sling the big KTM out of turn 2 behind in 4th place, behind Geoff Cain. Nice!

Thanks James Boddy for the pic

I quickly settle into the race. Dave Chadburn is at the front and pulling away. I'm in the queue behind Guy Sutherland and Geoff. We're all real close... lap after lap. There is kind of a blue groove (it was a groove, but wasn't blue) and it's almost impossible to make a pass without someone making a mistake or having a bit of contact. I find myself running into the back of Geoff mid-turn but his yellow Co-Built is always in my way so I have to back off. He starts cutting the turns tight. Turn 1 and there seems to be some room on his outside... this time I carry my speed and go have a look...

Shhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrrr. The bike goes into a two wheel slide. Shit! I'm losing the front... I try keep her up on my steel-shoed left foot. Ghhhhhhrrrrrrrrr... the swish of tyres sliding across dirt fades into a nauseating grinding sound. Shit! I'm loooooosssssssing heeeeeeerrrrrrrrrr. My left side gets ground into the hard-packed dirt. My left foot getting caught between the front wheel and the bottom of the headstock, graunching my leg in a carbon copy of Saturday's off.

Fuck! The expectation of the impact of another bike on my trapped body goes through my mind before I've stopped sliding. Makes no difference if I'm waiting for it.. or trying to get back in the race. So I'm scrambling to get my leg out form under the bike amidst an angry swarm of Thunderbikes. I have to roll on my side and do a prone dance and wiggle free. I'm out, I'm up.

Queueing up!

Thanks James Boddy for the pic

Get bike up. Need to race! I try lift her... wrong angle and she just slides along the gravel. I adjust my position and hoik her up as the pack comes swarming around again. I hold the bike and watch over my shoulder as the other bikes dodge me. At least if I'm watching I have a tiny chance of lessening any impact. I'm missed by inches - these guys are good riders!

Clutch in and I roll the bike to the sanctity of the grass infield where I get her started again. Wait for the bikes to pass for the last time before tagging onto the back and finishing the race on two wheels. Well... I was was doing well there... and then I fucked it up. A bit annoyed with myself... but happy at the same time that I had the pace to be up there after I felt like the slowest rider out there during the heats.

Jetwash time

My leg got mangled in the same place as the day before and hurts like a bastard. 10 minutes later and I'm lining up with Guy and Paul Sheldon for the Pro 'B' final. There are still points on offer for the Championship. Oh yes... this year I have no Championship. Ah - fuck it... it's still a race! Let's go for it!

Guy manages to gap me in my over cautiousness with battered bike and body. I roll the bike home in 14th place for the Pro class - probably my last race of 2014. Would have been nice to carry the high from the Isle of Man through to the last race. Oh well.

It hurt then, it hurt more on Monday, it hurt a little less on Tuesday, it hurt less yesterday and less again today. The body forgets pain... that's why we keep racing.

Post-season sparkly clean, some WD40 and tucked away in the garage for the winter

Dirttrack National Championship - Round 2 - Coventry

Sunday morning and we head out to Coventry speedway stadium for Round 2 of the DTRA Dirttrack National Championship. Practice starts at 11 and a few years ago, arriving before 10 would have given me loads of time to get a spot in the pits, unloaded, scrootineered etc. Things have changed. I arrive to a packed-out pits, everybody already setup and busying about, so I setup in the parking behind the pits.

Thanks to Ian Roxburgh for the pic

Pits for the day...

The last time we were at Coventry was for the inaugural Dirtquake and the Shorttrack UK meeting. It rained and the track was a mudbath. A normal race meeting would have been cancelled, because of the huge effort and crowd turn-out, Dirtquake and the racing went ahead. It was so bad that guys were doing 360 spins off the line and crashing. Unlike most, I survived the day without laying down in the mud.

Start-line shenanigans at Coventry 2 years ago

Pretty soon, we're into the racing. Thunderbike heat 1 and I bag a 3rd. Good start :-) Pro heat one and I have a good battle with one of the super-fast youngsters, Aaron Sylvester. I run wide on the last turn, he tries to get up my inside and it's a drag-race for the line. I find the traction and nose in front of him to take something like 6th. As we cross the line, I brake and start to get a slide on so I don't end up in the fence. Then I feel a punt from behind... Whooooah! I control the bike and slow it down in turn 1 to see Aaron picking himself up off the dirt. We're both trying hard.

Looks like Aaron Sylvester's front spindle ripped some new tread for me - it gave me the edge!

Thunderbike heat 2, I make a good start on the front row, hold my place and get 2nd. Sweet! I'm feeling fast and not making many mistakes. The track was tricky though. Everyone was struggling. Inconsistent and patchy. When it was watered, the water wasn't sprayed evenly and you'd get stripes across the racing line - hard, dry packed dirt with loads of grip next to slick, wet mud patches. Even the smoothest riders were sometimes looking a bit on the edge.

Thanks to Ian Roxburgh for the pic

Next Pro heat and I make good progress against the DTX bikes and make up a few places from the back row. Into the last Thunderbike heat and I make a cracking start from the back row... but get boxed in by slower riders that started on the row in front into turn 1 and through turn 2. I lose my momentum. I try get back at them, but I'm ragged as hell on the just-watered track. I'm not enjoying it and back-off in the last few laps to make sure I stay on and finish the heat with points.

Check out the dark and light stripes of dirt... bad for one's health.

Thanks to Ian Roxburgh for the pic

The last Pro heat goes alright with another mid-pack finish. I come up 14th on points from the Pro heats. Always finishing 6th in the heats isn't gonna get you in the Grand Final. Disappointed with that... but I think there is a stronger top-12 this year compared with last and I take solace in out-qualifying quite a few DTX bikes. In the Thunderbikes class I qualify 7th for the Final. Happy with that.

Gettin' on the gas.

Thanks to Ian Roxburgh for the pic

Thunderbikes Final. I line up in the middle of the second row. "5 sec" board is shown. Green light and we're racin! I make a good start and slot into 4th coming out of turn 2. Super-smooth and consistent Dave Chadburn is out front with Guy Sutherland and Co-Built Geoff Cain are battling for 2nd spot. Lap 2 and on the drive out I nip up the inside of Geoff as he's off the throttle for a split second during a close battle with Guy.

Some action form one of the heats... more 'stripy' traction.

Thanks to Ian Roxburgh for the pic

It's tricky out there. Lap 3, turn 2 and I run in deep... I push the front big-time mid turn but hold it up on my foot. Shit! Losing time! I get on the gas a little too quickly to try get the time back and get her all sideeways. Bollocks! I recover and am lucky not to get passed - I could sense Geoff just off my back wheel. Take it steady... there are no heroics to be done on this track. Lap 4 and Guy over-cooks it in an attempt to get back at Dave Chadburn who, as at Leicester, is running away with it. I'm up to 2nd. Sweet! Keep it steady boy!

Thanks to Ian Roxburgh for the pic

I feel like I'm going slow... steady, smooth... but most important, not making any mistakes. Dave Chadburn was too far ahead... and too quick - I don't try and catch him. The gap is steady, so my pace is good. The guys behind are close, but I'm not challenged for the remaining laps. I cross the line in 2nd. Geoff is a close 3rd.

Whooooohoooo! Awesome! My second Thunderbike podium... the last one was 2 years ago. Feels good. Real good.

Big smiles and trophy time!

Thanks to Ian Roxburgh for the pic

The Pro 'B' final is cancelled because we were running out of time. The Paramedics were busy through the day and there were quite a few injuries. The inconsistent track preparation made it tricky and caught a lot of us out. Glad I got through without going down. Get well soon to all that did get hurt.

Thanks to friend and fellow ManxGP racer Warren and Rogan for coming along to support. I normally crash when folks come to watch me... you witnessed something special. Thanks DTRA and all that help out to make the events as good as they are.

Aftermath - despite doubling up on the seat fixings, I'm still wearing them out after a day's racing.

Not a bad thing - shows I'm moving my ass forward and backward on the seat...

I'm guessing I've bagged 2 Championship points for qualifying 14th in the Pro... and a whole bunch of points for 2nd in the Thunderbikes. Unfortunately, I'll miss the next round in Scunthorpe. Got an important wedding to attend - my own :-)

An awesome day on the clay!

Stoked!

Thanks Rogan for the pic

Dirttrack National Championship - Round 1 - Leicester

Got the flattracker and gear loaded for tomorrow's racing at Coventry... came here to post an update and realized that I haven't yet posted the happenings of the DTRA Dirttrack National Championship Round 1 that was held at Leicester 3 weeks ago! Doh.

Thanks Ian Roxburgh for the pic

Okay... let's go back a wee while. A leisurely drive up to my nearest dirtrack on Sunday morning 27th April. Unloaded, parked up, set-up and a bit of banter for Round 1. A lot of new riders and bikes... some guys from France too.

Paul Sheldon with his souped up KTM EXC Thunderbike

Some riders came out from France

I had made a couple of changes to to bike on the advice of Kenny Noyes. Lower bars allowed me to swing them forward a few inches to pull me forward... need more weight on the front on the turn entry. I also stiffened up the rear suspension a bit - more pre-load and compression to try keep it more stable. Less traction, but a more predictable slide. I also tweaked my tyre pressures on the advice of UK's own AMA dirttracker, Alan Birtwhistle.

Riders' briefing

Out in practice an the bike already felt better. More control. Still needed to work on moving my ass forward in the seat for the turn entry. As usual, I was competing in Thunderbikes and the Pro classes. The first objective of the day is to not fall off, the second is to make both finals by doing well in the 3 heats run for each class.

Sideburn Gary Inman and Drogo Mitchie - Team FTWco

First heat is Thunderbikes. I get a good start. I ride well, make my way through the field and take 2nd place. Great start to the day! Bike is feeling a lot better. More control = more confidence = go faster = better results. Yeah! Pro heat 1 goes well and I get 5th or so.

View from the SpeedTherapy pits

I'm working on getting my weight forward for the turn entry, then moving it back for the exit. It;s working, but in the process, the dzus clip holding my seat unit breaks and my seat is adrift. I botch it with big-ass cable-ties (thanks George Pickering!), but it moves around and I have to re-attach it for every race for the rest of the day.

Thanks Ian Roxburgh for the pic

Next Thunderbike heat is similar to the first. Good start, pick a few riders off and finish 2nd. Sweet! Next Pro heat and around 5th or 6th. This is good going... the Pro class I'm up against DTX bikes that are a lot lighter and easier to ride fast. Its tough to get into the Grand Final (the top 12 scorers from the heats), but I did it a few times last year.

Lock-wire, cable-ties and duct tape are essential to keep race bikes racing

Thunderbikes heat 3 - another good start, steady and fast ride. I catch Ross Herod going into the last lap and nip past him to take the heat win. Yeeeeha! My first heat win in a long time. In the 3rd Pro heat I am drawn on the front row and reckon if I can get into the top 3, I got a good chance of making the Grand Final. I line up at the front, watch the lights. The green light comes on and 'braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa'. Shit! I'm standing still! Must have knocked it into neutral on my way to the line. Bugger! I hook 2nd gear in disgust and hoon off the line, chasing last place. I manage to catch and pass only 1 rider by the time the flag is out. Bollocks!

Drittrackin' is a family sport...

My consistency on the Thunderbikes puts me 3rd on the front row for the final. This is the first time I am starting from the front in a final. Cool as! The start line screw-up in the last Pro heat threw my chances of a Grand Final away... but I still get an extra ride in the 'B' final. I'm feeling pretty knackered though. Been having stomach cramps all day and not eating properly. Just got to dig deep for the Thunderbike final.

We roll up to the line for the start. The 5 second board goes up... the revs rise and we watch the lights. I feel the clutch just starting to bite and the bike strains forward. The green light appears and 'braaaaaaaaap!', 'braaaaaaaaaaaap'. I hook 3rd gear and slide her into turn 1 between Tim Neave (2013 champ) and Dave Chadburn (2013 runner-up). They get me at the apex and through the exit... I'm in 3rd place into turn 3. I chase. Lap 2, lap3. I get on the gas too early out of turn 2, she spins up sideways and I have to get off the throttle to not lowside. Co-Built Anthony Brown gets up my inside. Bollocks!

Battling with Co-Built Geoff Cain

Thanks Tom Whiting for the pic

Lap 4 and I do the same thing. This time Co-Built number 45 - Geoff Cain gets me. Shit! I ride hard to get back at them, but I make more mistakes. They make a few bike lengths on me. I get back up to them, then make another mistake. I run wide, of slide too much on the exit. I do this for the rest of the race while Anthony and Geoff have their own hum-dinger for the podium position. I finish 5th.

Broken leg, but still smiling... this is Dirttrackin' !

It's a good result - but a bit disappointed that I didn't ride well in the final. In the Pro 'B' Final I ride well again and have a great battle with Dave Homan and Vince Hurst. But I'm knackered and come home 3rd - I think I get 1 point in the Championship for that :-)

Some cool old bikes in the new Vintage class...

8 races and I ride well in 7 of them. Even though I messed up a bit in the Thunderbikes final and didn't make the Pro final, I'm happy with the result. (the wonky seat didn't help either) I have found something in the bike that is making me more competitive. A step in the right direction.

Thanks Tom Whiting for the pic

Thanks Ian Roxburgh for the pic

Tomorrow we are at Coventry for Round 2 of the DTRA Championship. I've fixed the seat, welded two other brackets that were broken and made a few more suspension tweaks. Looking forward to seeing how they work tomorrow. Also trying something different with the gearing.

Thanks Tom Whiting for the pic

ShorttrackUK Club and GNC Round 6 - Rye House

I woke on Sunday morning feeling pretty sore and bashed up, not really up for a race. My left shoulder ached, both elbows were bruised, both thumbs were in pain and swollen, I struggled to lift my left leg to get my socks on with a pain in my joint. Nevrmind, we got racin' to do. A bowl of oats, strong cawfee and Ibuprofen for the road down to Rye House. Rye House is where I first put on a hot-shoe and swung my leg over one of these cool-ass, no-brake flattrack bikes a few years ago.

 Race-face on and Ready to rock 'n roll!

Thanks to James Boddy for the pic

After practice the day before, and then a Speedway meeting after that, the track needed a bit of extra care. As a result it was a bit over-watered. The practice session and first heats were a slimy mudfest. But the track improved with every heat, eventually getting a nice blue groove by the time we got to the finals.

Rider's Briefing

 

I was struggling with poor starts all day. My first few heats were pretty mediocre. But as the track improved, I loosened up and most of the pain from yesterday's shenanigan's receded. I was still gripping the bars like a monkey becasue both my thumbs were sprained. But I was racing smooth and consistent... besided crap starts, I hardly made a mistake all day.

The pits was crammed, so I setup in the paddock...

 

By the time we got to the last few heats, I was still making crap starts but then moving up through the field and finishing strong. I did enough to qualify 8th in the Thunderbikes and 9th in the first semi-final (the Restricted class was being run with the Pro/Open GNC class). Game on!

Slipin' and a slidin' around

Thanks to James Boddy for the pic

Restricted/Pro Semi-final - I make an okay start from the back row. I have a rare old battle with Mick Trapmore as I struggle to get past him. I try the inside, the outside... everywhere. But he sticks to his line and is consistent. I eventually make the pass coming out of turn 2. I get 6th and just miss getting into the final... still got the 'last chance'.

In the thick of it...

Thanks to James Boddy for the pic

Thunderbike Final - Middle of the grid and I make another crap start. Guy Sutherland goes down into turn 1 in front of me. I steer the bike past his head sliding along the ground and just glimpse mayhem unfolding around him out the corner of my eye. Red-flag. 4 bikes down. It's a pretty big shunt... turn 1 Thunderbike Final at Rye House... just like the carnage I got cought up in last year. Mabe having crap starts all day was a good thing after all.

Restart. I make a better job of it this time. It's good close racing. No-one gives an inch and you have to earn it. Awesome fun! I land up bagging 5th. Whooo-hooo! Good job!

Back from injury, Tim Neave picks up where he left off on the two-smoke Thunderbike... blowing everyone away!

Thanks to James Boddy for the pic

No chance to celebrate - I have 1 race rest and then I'm out in the 'Last Chance' where the first two riders get through to the Grand Final. I have never reached a Grand Final, this is why I still have an 'R' plate. But this 'R' plate allows me to compete in the Restricted class - where I am competitive... so it's not a bad thing. I'm starting on pole for the 'Last Chace'. The thought of purposely coming third in the Last Chance so that I retain my Restricted status comes into my mind...

What. a. load. of. BULLSHIT!
I'm here to do the best I can... and if that means not being able to compete in the Restricted class again (the only class where I have got a podium in flattrackin)... then so be it. I want to win this!

 

Last Chance - Another awful start from pole and I'm level 5th going into turn 1... but I keep it tight and get on the gas as early as I can and land up 3rd on the exit. Yeah! Trappy is ahead of me. A replay of the semi-final and we battle for 3 or 4 laps. Inside, outside, on the loose stuff... over the marbles. Eventually I make the pass stick coming out of turn 4. By this time Vince Hurst in first place has gapped the rest of us. I finish 2nd and make my first Grand Final! Yeeeeeee-ha!

Battling with Trappy - I try the inside...

 

...and the outside.

Thanks to James Boddy for the pic

 

I have time to get my breath back, spash a litre of fuel in the bike and it's time for the Grand Final. Time slows down. It's ceremonious. Aaron Silvester (winner of the days Junior and Youth classes) wheels my bike out for me. Wow! Now THAT feels special. I'm last on the grid, but that doesn't matter. This is the GRAND FINAL and I'm in it with my beat-up Thunderbike :-) I just soak it all up...


Grand Final - starting from the back, on the inside (in the muck), I was never going to get a rocket start. But I get off the line ok and trundle into turn one in 12th place (not last... there are a whole lot of riders that didn't make the final...). It's a 12 lapper... which is great for me, because as with road racing, I lap faster as the race goes on.

Paul Scott (Scotty) got a great second on his home-made mini-framer in the mini-bike class

Thanks to James Boddy for the pic

 

After a few laps choking on others' dust I make my move... I pass Vince Hurst and then David Homan (who normally beats me in the Restricted class). Guy Sutherland is half a straight length ahead of me. After two or so laps of pushing to make up the gap, I'm steaming into turn 1...

Young guns Tom Wolley and Tim Neave stylin' it up

Thanks to James Boddy for the pic

Flashback two months earlier: I popped into my local bikeshop. "What are the cheapest rear brake pads you have for a '05 KTM Duke 2?".
"We got these for 18 quid."
I have a look at them. Never heard of teh brand. Nicely packaged. Too nice.
"Have you got any cheaper?"
"Hmmmmm." The shop-guy looks at me suspiciously...
"We have these for 9 quid?"
I have a look. Chinese-cheap-n-nasty with Chinglish operating instluchins on the back. Perfect.
"I'll take 'em."
This is the quest for a softer feel on the rear brake - standard pads in the Brembo calliper lock up the rear too easily on the dirt. I tested these Chinese wonders at Buxton and during practice the day before. After about 12 or so laps they would overheat and you'd have no brake at all. I figured all would be well seeing as heats are 6 laps and the Thunderbike/Restricted finals are 8 laps each. What , is that I didn't figure I would do the 8 lap Semi, 8 lap Thunderbike final, 8 lap Last Chance and then a 12 lap Grand Final... all in quick sucession.

Great pic of Co-Built's Geoff Cain from  James Boddy

 

Fastforward to turn 1... I squeeze the brake pedal. Nothing. I tramp on it hard. The bike scrubs off a tiny bit of speed and then I'm overshooting the turn. As I leave the blue groove and into the marbles and thick muck, I can crank the bike over and get it sliding, losing speed while heading to the barrier... shiiiiiiit! I get her turned in time and fire her out. Next turn I roll off early... try the brake again. This time there is nothing... I two wheel around the turn on the blue groove. Bugger!

Classic stylin' from Dave 'Skooter Farm' Arnold

Thanks to James Boddy for the pic

I do this for 2 or 3 laps. Just two wheeling around, not touching the brake in the hope that it will cool for the last few laps... expecting another bike up my inside on every turn. I stick to the blue-groove, trying desparately to make up the time on the turn exits. Down the back straight I see the last lap flag out for the leaders. "Just 3 braking turns left... brake should be cool enough to finish the race."

Smokin' brakes! The old steed did well against the Pro/Open DTX bikes

I use the brake into turn 3. It works! Whooo-hoo! I'm not going to give up this position. Into turn 1 for the last time... beautiful! Turn 3 for the last time... shiiiiiiiit....no more brakes! I know I'm going to run very deep, so I hug the inside as much as I can to foil a pass. I run though the turn out into the rough, thick outside where I can get the bike sideways and scrub some speed (and avoid going into the barrier!). I try square the corner off as much as I can, but I'm already through it so just get the bike turned on the power and drive out the turn as hard as I dare through the loose stuff.

Somehow, I hold the position to the line. 2 riders went down in that final... so I land up taking 8th overall. That gives me 2nd in the Restricted class behind Guy Sutherland (also on a Thunderbike!). Ah-yeah! Now THAT's what I'm talkin' about!

Podium!

Thanks RedMax Steve for the pic

2 crashes the day before, bike and bodily damage, 10 heats and races, crap starts, no brakes, a 5th in Thunderbikes, a 2nd in Restricted and an 8th in my first Grand Final... what a way to end the season! A great day on the clay... and a great antidote to the Manx disappointment. I'm still smiling!

:-)