IOM 2014 Day 12 - Race Day: Supertwins

Wednesday morning was bright, sunny and dry. Good conditions for a little bit of racing around the Isle of Man :-) The Junior race is in the morning with us on Suzy V, the carbie Suzuki SV650, in the Supertwins race around lunch-time. There is a senior practice session in the afternoon (1 lap) so we take the Aprilia along just in case I'm up for a lap after the race.

Suzuki all prepped and ready to runble!

My good friend Warren Verwey is in the Junior race. After getting the wee Suzuki through skrootineering and ready for the race, we turn our attention to the finish of the Junior race. Warren has been on fire all practice week with him and I swapping personal bests mall week. He comes home in 10th - a brilliant result on only his second Manx GP. Well done Wazzy!

Warren on it!

I head back down to the van to get ready and get some food down my gullit. We are short of a pit crew member so I ask my friends in the paddock. Mike Minns, fresh from putting in another great performance in the Junior (14th) offers to help out after his shower. Thanks Mike!

Parc Firme has the usual buzz of excitement before a race. I am approached by Manx TT Radio for a live interview. He asks about the weather. I thought that was it, but he knew me by name and that I've always raced VeeTwins around the Isle (the Aprilia is the only VeeTwin in the Senior race). The interview moves to the subject of VeeTwins and he then can't shut me up! I give my point of view on the rules for the Supertwins class and that the Kawasaki ER-6 has become the only competitive machine. The class rules should be opened up to allow other machines to be competitive... like Ducati. 2 minutes of fame!

The weather? Beautiful.

VeeTwins... aaaah, well now... you see... blah, blah, blah...

Thanks Kevan for the pics!

We get the final instructions from Clerk of the Course Phil Taubman over the tannoy. All's set around the course for a good race. We then push the bike up to Glencrutchery Road. Starting at number 21, there is less of a wait from when number 1 blasts off down the road. I prefer that. Hand-shakes, back-slaps, "See you back in Parc Firme" and "Have a good one." all around. Soon the first rider on the road is away and the queue starts moving forward.

I just love this part of racing on the Isle of Man. Up on Glencrutchery Road, your turn to go as fast as you can on the greatest race track in the world just minutes away. The tension, the focus, the excitement, the anticipation, the poignancy. I feel alive.

Steve and the Suzy V on Glencrutchery Road

Thanks Justine for the pic!

As we move forward, I start to block everything going on around me out. It's like someone turns the volume knob down and twists the focus ring on the lens of life. It's as if I'm in a dream, a movie, someone invisible and just observing. Everything goes quieter and into soft focus. Everything slows down.

We get near the penned off area just before the start line where only bikes and riders are allowed. I swing my leg over the wee Suzuki that my crew have already started, warmed up and are blipping the throttle on. Last fist pumps from the crew and I paddle past the crowd of white-bibbed photographers into the penned off area. I am aware of the crowds behind the barriers in my blurry peripheral vision, but all I see is the back wheel of the rider in front of me, all I hear is the burble of the 650 Vee Twin between my legs, all I am thinking of is twisting that throttle to the stops and holding it there as long as I dare. All I am thinking of is speed.

The moment...

Thanks Justine for the pic!

The rider ahead pulls off as fast as he can for his race start - I'm off in 10 seconds, 9, 8... I clunk the gearshift down in to first gear, ease the clutch out and roll the red bike up to the start line. The Starter places his hand on my shoulder. I focus far down Glencrutchery Road and on to the St.Ninians crossroads in the distance. "Flat-out!" I whisper to myself. I switch my vision to the man ten yards away on a small white podium holding a flag at his side and watching a stop-watch. 3, 2, 1... he flicks the flag. I'm easing the clutch out and feeding on the revs as he does this and the Starter simultaneously taps my shoulder...

Braaaaaaap! The tacho quickly sweeps to 10 000rpm... I hook second gear. Braaaaaaaaaaap! Third. Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap! Fourth. Focus on the hedge. Fifth. Sixth. The jump at St. Ninians isn't really a jump on the small bike from a standing start, but it's still pretty quick... 130mph quick. Down Bray Hill and I want another gear. I feel for one... but the bike just revs and the gear lever hits a dead-end. This is as much as she has... I hold her flat out all the way down the hill and up the other side until the trees close in - flat out through the right kink. I roll the throttle as I approach the hump in the road and left kink at the Alexander drive junction, then gas it up as I hit the hump. I normally go down one gear for that - today I take it in 6th.

Hard on the brakes, down a steep hill with a full tank and tyres not up to temp. Quarterbridge has been the end of many riders races. The wee Suzuki stops quickly, but not quick enough for the extra speed I'm carrying today. I run deep. Fortunately, Quarterbridge is very wide and I manage to turn the little bike through the middle and get on the gas as soon as I can.

A a number sections I can now do flat out on the little bike that I couldn't do flat-out in previous years... Ballagarey, DJ's, Gorse Lea, end of Cronk-y-Voddy straight, Alpine Cottage... and more. I keep that little bike flat-out as long as I dare. I catch the rider ahead before we get to Ballacraine. Just after Ballacraine, my tacho dies. Shit. No rpm, no temp... we're gonna have to fly by night. Just keep her lit.

Down Cronk-y-Voddy straight and Jamie Hodson, rider #22 powers past me. Bugger. The 12 year old, carburettor fed little Suzuki is outgunned by just about all the bikes in the Supertwins class. Her 77 horse-power against the 85 to 95 of the other bikes is like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Time to be street-wise. I tuck into Jamie's slipstream and hang on.

Jamie holds me up a bit through a lot of the twisty sections, especially 11th Milestone all the way to Kirkmichael - a section I love. I can't make a pass... the wee Suzuki just doesn't have enough oomph to make a pass stick. This continues as we pass a few other riders all the way to Sulby Straight. I hang onto Jamie in his slipstream down the long straight. I'm giving the little Suzuki all she's got. Twice I pull within a foot of his back wheel and pop out of his slipstream. I gain a wheel on him and then start falling back rapidly. I tuck back behind him and wait.

I set-up a pass on the brakes at the end of the long Sulby straight. He knows this is coming and brakes later than usual. The little Suzuki may be one of the slowest bikes out there... but with an Aprilia Ohlins/Brembo front-end and at only 150kg, she is one of the best stoppers. I get level with Jamie at the tip-in point, am on the inside and nip ahead of him. I go like a scalded cat, trying to gap Jamie before the next straight.

I manage to stay ahead, but up the Mountain Mile I hear the drone of his Kawasaki pull beside me and drive past. I tuck in behind again. I know I'm strong over the mountain and just wait for my opportunity. It comes at the next set of corners. Later off the throttle and onto the brakes into Mountain Box and I'm past again. I know I can gap him over the mountain and back to Douglas. I get me head down and crack on.

First lap is 106.8mph from a standing start. I press on. Bray Hill flat-out and the little bike is going well. Jamie powers past me again down Sulby Straight on lap 2, there is traffic and I can't get past at the end of the straight. It's only as we approach Ramsey that I can push past the other rider, Jamie is in the distance. Frustrating. I reel him in over the mountain and am on his six by the time we're blasting down Glencrutchery Road again.

I was so focused on getting tucked in behind Jamie for the roller-coaster of Bray Hill, that it was only when he popped up and braked for his pit-stop that I remembered that I had to do the same and have a pit-stop. It took a second for me to realize this... I stayed on the racing line to avoid rear-ending him and hit the brakes hard... harder! Jamie and another rider just ahead of him were on my left at the entrance to pit-lane, track to my right. I didn't want to swerve in and risk hitting them. I tried to get past on the brakes. Rear wheel in the air. Oh shit! This isn't working.

Too fast! Two bikes on my left, live track on my right, pit-wall straight ahead. I knew that if I overshot pit-entrance and paddled backwards on the live track I'd probably be disqualified. I tried to steer the bike into pit-lane, but with the brakes at maximum and the rear wheel skipping across the tar, that wasn't happening. I pushed my weight as far back as I could in a half-endo. The foam-pad wrapped pole at the entrance to pit-lane was approaching very fast. I gritted my teeth and braced for impact.

Clunk! The rear wheel hits the road and the bike stalls just as the front fairing of the little Suzuki kisses the foam. Just a kiss. Fuck! That was close. I quickly find neutral and paddle the bike backwards, fire her up and cruise into the melee of pit-lane. My little pit-wall adventure was all over the live commentary - they saw the imminent crash, lost sight of me behind the foam padding, ten seconds later I'm cruising down pit-lane. They were confused and I was pissed-off that I'd lost time. My crew were wondering why it took me so long to get to them. They had no idea what had just happened.

Cruising to my pit-box... as if nothing happened ;-)

Thanks Justine for the pic.

A good pit-stop with Mike Minns manning the fuel-cap and visor/screen clean, Kevan on the refueling and Steve with the paddock stands and drink. I'm a bit angry with myself for cocking-up the second pit-stop in a row. I channel this into riding that little bike hard. As hard as I could.

Pit-stop. Steve checking the status of an oil leak. "Fine mist. You're good."

Thanks Justine for the pic.

For the next two laps, I ride that little bike as hard as I have ever ridden. With no tacho I was just revving her by ear and kissing the 10 500rpm rev limiter. She was working so hard, I expected her to blow up at any second. I kept pushing. I knew I'd lost loads of time to Jamie Hodson and catching him again on the road spurred me on.

Great pit-stop from the crew!

Thanks Justine for the pic.

I flew through the Grandstand and onto the last lap. "C'mon girl... just one more lap". I said to the Suzy V as I stroked her tank and revved her for all she was worth. Half-way through the last lap and I caught Jamie again. I got past him on the brakes into Ramsey Hairpin. I wrung the wee Suzuki's neck to try gap him before the Mountain Mile, I pushed as hard as I dared in every corner. Faster than I'd ever been before.

Mike Minns making sure I get going. Thanks for your help Dood!

Thanks Justine for the pic.

I knew if I could hold him off up the Mountain Mile, I would have a clear run home. I must have pulled enough of a gap before that long, flat-out section becasue I didn't see Jamie alongside me again. I pinned my ears back. Up, up, up... over Hailwood's Rise. Downhill to the finish... the under-powered Suzuki could roll home now. But the race wasn't over, I knew Jamie was only a few seconds behind and I kept her lit.

I went so fast through the 33rd (a very fast, sweeping double left-hander) that the wee bikes rear 160 Supercorsa started sliding. Go fast, turn left. Almost like Dirttracking... but with head down, feet on the pegs and at 120mph! Onnit! Oh man, that felt sooooo good! A huge grin on my face.

Finished!

Thanks Justine for the pic.

I keep it steady for the remaining miles to make sure we see that checkered flag. For those 4 laps and 150 miles of racing, I rode the wheels off that little bike. Under-powered and outgunned, she was an absolute champ to put up with that cable-stretching hammering I gave her. She didn't miss a beat and just kept on going and going and going.

Thanks Justine for the pic.

Back in Parc Firme and Warren is disappointed to miss the podium by only 5 seconds. A fantastic ride - Warren's second race of the day and only second year on the Isle. A brilliant result! I congratulate and console him at the same time.

We finish 9th in the Supertwins race. The first Suzuki home and a fastest lap of 108.8mph. I am thrilled. After so many years of trying, I finally prove to myself that I can ride around the Isle. I feel that I have pushed to the limits of the machinery. I couldn't have ridden that wee bike any harder - I gave it all I had... and it paid off. Another personal best and another Replica for the shelf.

Two top-ten Supertwins finishers - who would have thought?

Thanks Justine for the pic.

Big thanks to Kevan Flanagan for all the help over the fortnight and slick refuelling, Mike Minns for crewing, Steve Mann at MTS Classics for crewing and helping me with all those little jobs, fabrication and bike prep, Gary Smith at SDC Performance for getting the most out of that little bike. Mike Dickenson for setup help and advice, Warren Verwey for the friendship and motivation, Justine Verwey for the pics and all those who helped and supported. And, of course, to my beautiful wife Alex for all your love and support. I couldn't have done it without you!

She worked hard. Job done!

IOM 2013 - Day 13 - Final Prep

Spent today getting new tyres fitted and doing final prep on the bikes for tomorrows races. Check, check and check everything. Then check again. Also made a few small changes to the bikes. Going about half a tooth shorter gearing on the Suzuki... mainly to get 11mm more wheelbase to try stabilize her a bit. I've been easy on her during practice... tomorrow she'll have to work a little harder. Also added 2mm of pre-load to the Aprilia to try stop the forks bottoming out.

 
Weather forecast is iffy. I have inters fitted to the Suzuki that I can run in the dry and a set of inters on rims ready for the Aprilia in case we need them.

Need to be up early to load the bikes solo and get them through skrootineering. Man, I'm missing having Nic around to help. In the paddock, Ian and Steve will help out and be in the pits for tomorrow's two stops. Will certainly need the help if I am to change the Aprilia wheels between races.

 

 

Time to get some rest... going to be a busy day tomorrow!

Follow the races live

Supertwins: 10h15-12h00 #31 'Suzy V'
Senior: 13h15-15h00 #50 'Betty'

ManxGP 2012 - Day 12 - Supertwins Race

Was up early to get everything loaded and up to the paddock by 08h15. Little Suzy V sailed through skrootineering... topped up the fuel, pressures checked, tyre warmers on and she was all ready by 10h00.

To try cure the wheelie-prone flightyness of the big bike, I adjusted the front ride and rear ride hieghts (again) and wanted to add a link to the chain to lengthen the wheelbase - I measured about 0.5mm of space before we ran out of space on the swing-arm. It would be close, but I was confident we could do it.

It's been so wet on the Isle this year... that there's moss growing on the van...

I didn't have any spare master links with me and none of the race shops had links for an RK Tagaso chain. So Dennis Trollope helped me out with a new chain that he would help fit in the paddock. While the wheel was off, I managed to source a new Pirelli Supercorsa so treated the bike to a new set of tyres while Ian topped up the fuel for the pit-stop.

We managed to get the big bike all done and through skrootineering by 11h30 - giving us a bit of time to get the van hauled out of the mud where it was stuck, get some lunch and get everything ready for the race. It was a busy, busy morning and I didn't have much time to focus or prepare the way I would have wanted to for the race (not many pics either). No worries. Just get out there, give it sum beans and see what happens.

Put a wheel on the grass of the day-paddock...

 



By 13h18 I found myself focusing a thousand yards down Glencrutchery road with the starter's hand on my shoulder. He taps and I'm off for the 4 lap Supertwin race. As I pull away, the bike doesn't feel right. I almost stall as she fails to pull. I clutch her a bit and give her full throttle. She get's going and I'm flat out towards the first jump at St Ninian's crossroads. She feels slow... real slow. No acceleration. For fuck's sake!

I hit the jump flat out... but the wee bike doesn't jump. I'm going too slow.Things are not what they should be all the way down Bray Hill. It felt like my brakes were binding or something. It's like driving a car with the handbrake on. Everything is sluggish and slow. Like you're stuck in a jar of molases in winter.

We needed a tractor to drag the van out the mud

I get to Quarterbridge and a hundred possible problems are playing through my head. I need to check if there is anything wrong that could be dangerous so I pull over at the marshall's post. I hop off the bike and check as much as I can. I can't see anything wrong, nothing leaking and there is no excess heat from the disks or callipers. Strange.

I've lost a minute by the time I get back into the race. She's dog-slow and sluggish... the other bikes pass and leave me in their dust. I wringing her neck, but she's just not pulling... she sounds fine but is just not pulling. Everything happens a lot slower.

It plays on my mind and I keep her pinned, but constantly feel the footpegs for oil and have my hand down the fairing feeling for oil. I decide to push on for a lap and see if she gets worse. She doesn't, so I fly down Gelncrutchery road in slow-motion for my second lap.

Through the Bungalow

 

I'm not learning anything on the course. It's just frustrating. I'm going so much slower, all my braking markers are different. I try carry corner-speed... but it's an unknown to me so all I can do is keep up with other bikes through the turns but as soon as we hit any acceleration, they're gone. I figure that at least it's good practice for the pit-stop... and a finisher's medal is better than going home empty handed like last year. So I push on for the finish.

Those were the longest four laps of the TT Mountain Course in my life. I tried to enjoy it as much as I could... but knowing something is wrong with the machine you're hurtling around at speed, just feet from stone walls is a bit disconcerting. Whenever I saw a big group of spectators, I would wave... and I was playing games with myself to try keep concentration.

Approaching a corner so much slower made it hard to judge how fast to take them - I erred on the side of caution.

I didn't spend the last few months, time, effort, money and whatever else it cost to get another D.N.F. I do not know those words. I kept the trottle wound as hard as I could. The Wee bike reluctantly carried on. More than a week earlier, she was pulling 9500rpm down Sulby Straight... close to 140mph. During the race I think I saw 8200rpm once... I doubt she was doing 120mph... and she took forever to get there.

The best part of the race was our pit-stop... probably one of our best. Stop, cut engine, gas cap off (it was there!), fuel, gel pack, visor, screen, gas cap back, start and off. Thanks Ian and Stephen for a great stop. Two laps later and I was so glad to see the chequered flag. We finished! Hurrah!

Great photography from Dan Kneen

It didn't all go my way, but I got away with finishing 30th out of 35 finishers (don't know how I didn't come last) and 47 entrants. Lap-by-lap here. Fastest lap 98mph... I did 104mph last year with rubbish breaks.

Earlier in the day, Ryan Farquar won the Senior Classic race. But that afternoon we were saddened to learn that his uncle, Trevor Ferguson, lost his life at The Nook while running second on lap two in the Supertwins race. I don't know Trevor, but knew his face from the paddock. Condolences to Trevor's family and friends. This place can be cruel.

Back at Brands... Again!

Sat 10thMarch 2012

Early start for the two hour drive to ye olde Brandishing Hatchets to get there for 7:30. Then it all goes into fast forward...

Park van, unload bikes, wheels off Candy, queue at tyre changers, unload rest of gear, back to queue at tyre changers, go for a shite, back at tyre changers to give instructions, get my gear on, Wee Monster to the other side of circuit for scrootineering, kit scootineered, back to Candy, hook-up battery, gas her up, back to tyres changers... they're not finished, warm up and stretches, warm Candy up, finally get wheels from tyre changers, fit wheels, get Candy across circuit to scrootineering, then get her to the other end of pits for signing on, first call for practice, race program stuffed down leathers and we trundle out for Classic Superbike qualifying...

Wee got no more power Capt'n... I'm givin' it all she's got!

Out in qualifying I do 3 steady laps on cold, untried tyres. Then I'm right back where I finished off a week ago. Short-shifting a bit more than usual because of the deafening roar as Candy comes on song – I forgot my ear-plugs. I put a couple of progressively quicker laps together. The rear is sliding out of Druids more each lap. I come into the pits half-way through the session, happy that I've qualified reasonably well without taking more risks.
Only later do I realise I didn't check tyre pressures... 45psi is a bit more than the 28 I normally run on the rear. Probably explains the slidey-slidey Druids. Doh! I still qualify 3rd in the Classic Superbikes :-)

A van, jenny, paddock stands, a box of spares, jerry cans of gas, leathers and kit... and two bikes on teh way to do sum racin'... early morning delirium!

After a short break and I'm out on the Wee Monster for the Desmo Due qualifying. I get to the assembly area first... looking for a clear track. This plans goes wrong when the Wee Monster doesn't fire up on the button. I eventually get her chugging over after the first riders are already on track. I’m at the back of a big field of 33 bikes. Bugger!

I hang way back on the first 3 laps... coaxing warmth into the tyres until the lead guys on track are bearing down to lap me. Then I get the hammer down and put in a some flying laps with no traffic. I catch a a gaggle of slower riders and pull in, unlikely to get a clear run for the rest of the session and saving my tyres. I did two rounds on these tyres last year... and I’m too Scots to buy new ones for the season. Old and past their prime, I save what’s left of them for the race where a tenth of a second could count a lot. I qualify 5th :-)

Hitting traffic in the Desmo Due Qualifying session

My race prep for the Wee Monster since racing her almost a year ago was: hooking up the battery and sloshing some fuel in. The tyres had a half the pressure they should have had in them! After correcting tyre pressures on both bikes, refuelling and a little fettling I'm out for the one-race Classic Superbikes on Candy. Lining up on the front row, I stare down the throat of the beast that is Paddock Hill Bend... I WILL be first through there. I can see it clearly.

Start lights go out, I'm off teh line well and Candy pulls like a train. The pole starter is alongside, but fades as I hang on the gas as long as I dare before tipping in and falling over the precipice of Paddock Hill.

Taking 2 bikes racing: it’s twice the work, twice the hassle and everything takes twice as long.

Paddock Hill bend is one of the most awesome corners I've ridden. It can be a bit scary. But I love it - it's my strongest corner at Brands. A great feeling knowing that you have this baby in your arsenal.

Through Paddock Hill and Candy is leading a race for the first time... ever! It’s my first time leading in the dry too :-) I defend through Druids - my weakest corner. I know they're tripping themselves up back there in the melee. I have a clear track. What a feeling!

Candy leads her first race... follow me boys...

Mark Dicken gets me across the line on his 1999 R6 that must be tuned to the moon. I hang onto the back of him and then get mugged going into Druids by a blue Triumph. A Truimph 955! The bastird hangs me out to dry. I square the turn, fire Candy out at him and get back on the case. Soon, through Paddock Hill bend and he's mine. Easy-peasy.

He gets under me again through Graham Hill. No problemo as I pass him again, way before the apex of Paddock Hill. Now the leader has gapped us. Damn this guy on the old R6 is quick!

I push, but the best we can do is maintain the gap the leader has. He is merciless through the lapped traffic and gets away. I keep pushing till I pass the chequered flag. Candy gets her first podium after 8 years of trying! Damn, it feels good. No wild celebration... just quiet contentedness as I enjoy the cool-down lap.

The first piece of plastic Candy has earned

Candy is a stock-engined 1998 RSV – she’s only making 128 bhp. Since I got the old gal in 2004 she has been losing out on speed and power more and more every year. Racing is so much more fun when you’re not creamed by more power and can fight a fairer fight.

An hour and a half later and I’m lining the Wee Monster up on the outside of the second row. Start lights go out and I give her beans, pulling a nice wheelie off the line. I storm through Paddock Hill in third and take second on the way out. Yeah!

From 5th and on my way to 2nd in one turn... should be doing this every race!

We push hard on warming tyres. After Candy the Wee Monster feels like a rapier through the corners but an engorged slug between them. I hit the rev limiter a few times just trying the get more go out of her… but she’s got a completely standard, high-mileage roadie engine with only 60bhp… and feels pretty gutless. I hold second for 4 or 5 laps and then the inevitable… I get passed down the straight. I pass back immediately into Paddock Hill.

Then I make a mistake in the transition from Surtees to Mcleans. With a 5-speed gearbox the gearing is a bit off for this section and I have to change down as I’m tipping her in – far from ideal. I miss 4th and hit neutral… I run wide while clutching the stomped down-change. Two riders take the invitation and are up my inside. I get on it again and push to make up the gap… honing in on the bike ahead – “That’s MY podium!”

Paddock Hill is kind to me again. I pass easily.

Ruling Paddock Hill Bend!

Next lap and I get passed down the straight again… but this time a rider on each side! As we near the entry to Paddock Hill, I know they’re going to bottle it before me. There’s a bike half past me on the inside. I roll the throttle before I get to my marker to let him get ahead and I dart to his inside. They hit anchors and I brake only after passing them both and I crank the Wee Monster toward the high inside curb. Whoooohooo!

This is a dog-fight and I’m lovin’ every moment of it!

Somewhere in the fight the red flag comes out. Race stopped. There are enough laps run to call a result at the end of the last lap. I’m unlucky that the start-finish line is at the end of the straight, before I make my Paddock Hill moves and I land up with 4th. No trophy. My poor bike needs more power but I’m still beaming from some great fisty-cuffs during the race… and knowing that in both races I owned Paddock Hill Bend.

Shizzle-mah-nizzle! Now that was gaddamn fun!

I pack up with a big smile. Picking up my trophy for the classic Superbike race before heading home early because of the endurance race in the afternoon. I haven’t felt this good about short-circuit racing since 2006!

Season Opener - Brands Hatch

Been mad-busy the last few weeks - little time to post. Got some catching up to do. So, with the help of dates...

Sat 3rd March 2012

Headed out to Brands Hatch with Candy (1998 Aprilia RSV) for the road race season opener with the ThundersportGB club. Funny how things turn out...

Almost 8 years ago... on the 6th March 2004 at Brands Hatch, I popped my cherry and did my first ever race with the BMCRC (Bemsee) club. Dave and Bernadette Stewart who now run ThuundersportGB were then running Bemsee. And... I was riding the same goddamn bike!

6th March 2004 - Same bike... anyone recognise those leathers?

Then we were in the 'Supertwins' class... time has passed up both by and now we are 'Golden Era Superbikes' class.

This guy's day started badly... he lowsided on cold tyres before he even made it to qualifying... fortunately he had spares to repair and he got out to race.

I get to the circuit and it's gloomy and cold... same as it was 8 years ago. 15 minutes before practice and it starts drizzling lightly... I decide not to change wheels becasue a) I'm by myself and the job will take at least 10 minutes b) I think it'll stop drizzling and I'm too schnup to wreck a set of wets for one qualifying session. 2 minutes before we go out and it starts raining. Doh!

Normally don't mind the rain... but it sucks when you're on the wrong tyres

Turns out that I've lost a spacer from one of my wets and couldn't have changed the rear wheel anyway. Everyone else except another punter is on wets... I'm on super-slick Dunlop GP211s. Ho-hum...

I take it easy... just feeling my way around. I only need 3 laps to qualify. By lap 3 and it's pelting it down. I'm slithering all over the place... but just keeping her steady. My biggest concern is another rider flying around on wets harpooning me in to a corner. I do 2 more laps to make sure I qualify and then pull in.

Keeping her upright...and wobbling around

I qualify 18th out of 22... waaaay at the back. Sure enough it stops raining and starts drying for race one. It's still damp out there as we line up on the grid for the first time in 2012.
The guy ahead of me jumps the start by a mile... I'm thinking that they will red flag and restart. I relax. As the jump-starter is passing the start-row ahead of him, the lights go out and they're off. I'm caught napping... Doh! I'm last into Paddock Hill Bend... same as 8 years ago!

Druids action

It's slippery but the track starts to get a dry line after a few laps. I'm still on my dry-weather Dunlops and after the morning's qualifying just build my confidence lap after lap. I make up a few places before deciding to get the hammer down mid race. I make up more places but too little, too late. I finish 13th.

More Druids

It's glorious sunshine as race 2 soon rolls around. I get an okay start, the track is dry and I pile on the coals from the first turn. I gain a handful of places through Paddock Hill Bend and Druids. The rest of the race is one-way traffic. It's a busy race - catching and passing. Awesome to be racing against simmilarly matched machinery that doesn't leave you for dead down the straights.

Graham Hill Bend - in 2004. Who is # 11?

The same bend 8 years later on the same bike... at least we look faster! 

The race is over all too soon... I was really enjoying it when the chequered flag comes out and I take 5th. Eight years ago in my first two races I finished second last and last... good to see I've improved a bit after a few years racing.

ManxGP 2011 - Day 14 - The Big One - Senior Race

Woke up to rain, got our shit together and headed to the garage to pick up the bike, fuel, tools etc. We were in the Day Paddock by 08h00 when it stopped raining. Candy through skrootineering, into Parc Firme, under a cover and tyres warmers on. The 10h15 start is delayed 30 mins... this flies by and pretty soon were doing final checks and warming the bike up in Parc Firme.

Lap 1 into the Cregg Ny Baa

Wet an damp roads all round the Isle... not quite what we'd hoped for... but at least it wasn't raining. We wait for the first rider on the road to scream down to St Ninians before wheeling Candy up onto Glencrutchery Road and taking our place in the start line. Focus. There is a gap in the numbers ahead of me (a few not making the start line) and I have to wait 40 seconds after the rider in front has set off. Great... a good clear road.

Parc Firme fuel top-up

I get the 10 second signal. Starters hand on my shoulder. Revs rise. The flag drops at the same time as he taps my shoulder and I get away cleanly with a little wheelie. After getting the 'flat out till the left after Ago's right in practice, I'm disappointed that I have to roll the throttle through St Ninians and down Bray Hill because of the wet. Tip-toe through Quarterbridge, Braddan Bridge and Union Mills where it's not as wet and then flat-out.

Ale, Me and the old war horse Candy... She was the oldest bike out in the Senior and in her 4th Manx GP

I take it cautiously through the wet sections and nailing it as if in the dry through the damp sections. I'd only managed 3 laps of practice on Candy and hadn't ridden her in nearly ten days. But with the great work done by Dave at Evo Moto, she pulls like she's never done before. I think part of my lack of top speed on her in previous years was the clutch slip. The run onto Sulby straight was wet and taken real easy, despite this she knocks out her fastest yet through the speed trap - 157mph.

View up pit-lane... pit crews filling the fuel bowsers

She's handling well too - the chopper/razor compromise is spot-on. She shakes her head when she weelies over the big bumps and get's air over the fast jumps. Nothing major... I make a mental note to wind the steering damper in a few clicks during the pit stop. It's wet and a bit hairy over the mountain... but we take it smooth and steady... already catching riders that started a minute ahead of us.

Lining up on Glencrutchery Road

The driest part of the track is the last section, the usually slimy Governor's Dip. Back onto Glencrutchery Road and down Bray Hill again for lap 2. Feeling comfortable in the poor conditions, I pick up the pace as dry patches and lines start appearing. Still very wet through Glen Helen... but mostly dry all the way through to Quarry Bends. We get the hammer down where we can and Candy is singing in her Vee Twin barritone "Brrraaaaaaaaaap" all the way.

Hammering past the pits and grandstand into lap 2

Onto the mountain and I catch my mate Neil Vicars who started ahead of me. He's not enjoying the conditions as I fly past on one of the fast, wet bends. I just "make a rhythm" and concentrate on being smooth. Faster as the conditions improve. Pretty soon I'm slowing up and hurrying down pit lane at 30mph (speed limit in pit-lane with time penalties for infringement) for the pit-stop. I see Graham, and stop infornt of him, hit the kill switch and sit up so he can get the fuel cap.

Defuelling and packing up while the race is still being run

"There's no fuel cap!" He exclaims. I look down at the tank and see a big hole where the fuel cap should be.  I get that sinking feeling just as my visor goes dark as the visor cleaner foam Alex has just sprayed on is doing it's work on the bug carcases. I just open my arms to show I don't have it... Graham looks around the bike but it's somewhere on the 37.7 miles of TT Moutain Course. Probably close to the pit because I couldn't smell petrol and don't have any on my leathers. By then the skrootineer is onto us and tells us "I can't let you out without one".

Lap 2 into the Cregg... Neil behind me

I think. I'm sure I saw a gas cap of the same fitting in one of the race shops. Vaughan who is helping out to heads off to the paddock to try find one. One after another of the riders I have passed start coming in to pit... get refuelled, visor and screen cleaned, a drink and are off down to St Ninians. That sinking feeling gets deeper. We try bargain with the skrootineer and come up with McGuyver solutions. He's not having any of it. I just want to finish the race...
 

Candy into Signpost Corner during practice week

A few minutes laterVaughan appears with a few gas caps complete with fittings from the race shop... but none of them will fit a 12 year old Italian bike. We run out of time. Our race is over. I push the bike out the pit area to Parc Firme... it's no way to finish a race.

Suzy V from the inside of the Cregg Ny Baa on Wednesday

Suzy V around Cronk Na Mona on Wednesday