Friday, April 29, 2011
Motor Biking: Race Two
Motor Biking: Race Two: "I’d finished in 11 th place so I had passed 15 riders over 12 laps, I was pleased with that and the top 3 were lapping quicker than my fast..."
Race Two
I’d finished in 11th place so I had passed 15 riders over 12 laps, I was pleased with that and the top 3 were lapping quicker than my fastest lap. So the chances are I would have gone backwards and that really would have pissed me off. The Titty Twister was packed and the talk was all about what could have been in the race if only........... .
The place was so busy there were no steaks left, Jnr was not happy but made do with calamari and two baskets of bread with a really nice red dip. Stephan laid out the basics and it seemed fairly straight forward. Both bikes used the same transponder, so it had to be changed over when we came in. That was the job for the boys, Stephan was going to start and do the first half hour. The start was a Lemans style start with the bikes on the other side of the track with their engines running and facing the pit wall and the riders with their backs against the pit wall. The grid was decided by the fastest rider in the team, our change over on the half hour would be indicated by Chris or Cameron holding the fuel funnel over the pit wall and that would be your last lap. It all seemed straight forward enough. The Titty Twister emptied quickly and no one really hung one on, Janette and Ouly did a good job on the Valentines and bought a bottle for Ron (lateron).
Peter never showed up so I assumed he was working late and changing tyres ready for tomorrow. By the time we arrived at the B & B Peter was there and more than willing to help Janette and Ouly with the Whiskey.
The following day was wet and I wasn’t keen on going out. To put it bluntly I’m pathetic in the wet and I constantly feel like I’m out of control. Luckily for me the sun came out and the track started to dry out, it was decided by the race organisers to delay the start by an hour. As the grid formed up the track was still damp, I was so glad Stephan was starting. The green flag fell and the track was full of men and women trying to run in leathers. It’s a very strange sight, most people can’t walk, let alone run and running fast was just out of the question.
Stephan made a really good start and was flying round, it was drying out fast and as it did so the lap times were coming down. I told Jnr to get ready with the funnel and Chris reminded me that he had another 10 minutes to go. All of a sudden half an hour was a long time and 24-26 laps was more than I thought. The funnel was out and Stephan acknowledged he had seen it, he came flying in and the boys changed the transponder over to me, it was very quick and I was away. I didn’t have time to think and the track was dry. I hadn’t done half a lap and I had been passed, he must have been nearing the end of his time and on hot tyres. I followed him round and sure enough he pulled into the pit lane, I was feeling better and my nerves had calmed down. I couldn’t remember what lap I was on but I wanted to see the funnel. I thought this lap, this lap. Had I missed it ? I was starting to flap.
How hard could it be to see an orange funnel, I couldn’t make out the boys, Janette, nothing. I didn’t want to come in, in case I was early, we would have been penalised for one rider doing more than the other and likewise if I stayed out longer than I should. I had to concentrate on what I was doing, I had 4 bikes in front of me and my goal was to pick them off one by one. I was starting to hurt. I came out of the last bend level with the 2nd bike, the funnel, I saw it with both my boys jumping up and down and waving their arms franticly, I battled with the same bike all the way round until I pulled into the pit lane. No sooner had I stopped and Stephan was away. The first question I asked was had I missed the funnel ? I was relieved to discover I hadn’t and we were doing well. 30 minutes flat out knowing every place counted was hard work and to sustain the same pace for each lap and if possible improve each time was even harder.
It was great to get off the bike and remove my helmet, my bandana was soaked with sweat as was my T-shirt. My pit crew were fantastic, the bike was up on her paddock stands and the tyre warmers were going on. A rag was thrown over the tank and fuel was going in, I was passed a bottle of water and a banana from Janette. Jnr cleaned my visor as I stretched my legs, Chris was taking the tyre warmers off. That’s never half an hour, my god.
I had just about got my gloves back on when Stephan pulled up alongside me with his back wheel lofted into the air. It came down with a right clatter, Chris slapped me on the back and I dropped the clutch. I think I pulled a wheelie the full length of the pit lane, I joined the track and right into a mêlée of about 8 bikes. I was just hoping that most of them were about to pull in, as we reached the entrance to the pit lane only 1 bike peeled off. It was going to be a battle to get past this lot, they were all quick and just as quick as me in my favourite parts of the track. I was just going to have to push that bit harder and pray I didn’t over cook it.
I was hounding the bike in front of me and letting him know I was there when he missed a gear and I just about avoided running into him, one down six more to go. As we came down the start finish straight I stayed close to the pit wall in an attempt to get the apex for corner one and out brake the bike in front of me. I cut his nose off and entered the corner far too fast, I just about stayed on track and flicked her into corner two. As we came out of the corner the two bikes in front of me went wide, I wasn’t sure if they had touched or what but I was passed them. I could hear the pair of them all over my arse. Now I knew what pressure felt like, one mistake and I’d lose places or end up in the gravel trap.
The Blade passed me coming out of turn 7 and we battled round the track changing places at turn 1 and turn 7. My problem was he would pass me at 7 and beat me to the line. Once again I had no idea what lap I was on but this time I was racing to the flag. I came out of the last bend and the chequered flag was waving. The Blade had beaten me to the flag, it had been a hell of race, every corner, and every straight had to be perfect. I was down on power but I had managed to hold my own through late braking and getting the power on early.
Stephan was waiting for me as I entered the pit lane, as I got off the bike he gave me a manly huge and said we had come 12th. Not bad for a field of 32 teams and my first 2 hour race. It had been a really good experience and one I’d love to experience again. We packed up the paddock and loaded the bikes onto trailers and into vans. Some of the lads set of straight away and the rest of us went to the Titty Twister for a well earned beer and some food.
Our next race meet was going to be at Zolder, a great race track that we had been to before. I liked Zolder, it has one the fastest bends I’ve ever been round. 5th gear flat out with my boot and knee on the floor all the way round and onto the back straight were you can get into 6th before the chicane. It also had a great blind ridge that lofted the front wheel all the way down to the next chicane. But first the long journey home and the rebuild of my now warn out starter clutch.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Motor Biking: Race Day
Motor Biking: Race Day: "I’ve got no idea what time we left the Titty Twister or how much beer I consumed, one thing was for sure. My head hurt but not as much as ..."
Race Day
I’ve got no idea what time we left the Titty Twister or how much beer I consumed, one thing was for sure. My head hurt but not as much as Peters or Ouly’S. I went down to their room to wake them up for breakfast and then I woke the boys up. Janette was going to join us at the track later.
We had a couple of hours to blast round the track before the races started, I made the most of it as the lads sat in the paddock and complained about their heads. Ouly said Janette was banned from the Titty Twister and he wasn’t racing today. Peter was changing tyres for people who had left it to the last minute and he was getting very frustrated.
The track was very quiet and I got a few good laps in before the masses rolled out. I was still having problems between 5 & 6. I was just going to have to red line her into 6 and hope for the best, it was only for a matter of seconds but changing up screwed up 7 for me. I was doing something wrong and I just couldn’t work out what it was. I pulled in to the pit lane and stopped outside the paddock. I wanted a quick refill and off again. Cameron and Chris were there waiting with water for me and fuel for the beast. Cameron held the funnel and Chris poured with a little help from me. Jnr was well into the swing of things and wiped the tank down with a cloth and put the fuel cap back on. They worked like a well oiled pit crew. I pressed the starter button and nothing happened, I checked to see if the kill switch had been hit but it was fine.
Peter checked the bike over and told me the starter clutch had gone. There was no quick fix and impossible to jump start an Aprilia. I was done for or so I thought, I was just about to throw a wobbly because that always fix’s the problem. When this very well built German grabbed my arm and took me into his paddock. He pointed to the floor and said I could use his external starter. He was racing a Buell and what a beast it was. A full on race bike with no starter motor and straight through pipes. I thought my bike was loud but when he started his up people ducked and came to see what the noise was.
The boys pushed me back onto the starter, I put her in gear and pressed the foot pedal, the back wheel spun up and I dropped the clutch. She burst into life with a roar and I was away grinning from ear to ear.
I had enough time for a couple of laps before the first race. Janette arrived at the track with a load of sandwiches and pop for the lads. Peter came back with a list of the race starts and timings. I was horrified, my name wasn’t on the start grid for race two. I ran down to the timing both to sort it out. They’d missed my name off and it was too late to change it. I was now starting at the back of the grid. I walked back to the paddock a wee bit pissed but my bike was working and I was in the race, it could have been worse.
Peter and Ouly had qualified 5th & 8th and the rest of the lads were spread out across the grid. 31 starters on the grid and it was loud. To be honest I can’t remember much about the race, I was to busy thinking about my own. Peter finished 2nd and Ouly a respectable 6th. 12 laps seemed to go by very quickly, I could feel the nerves building. It was like I had never been on the track before, I needed a nervous pee but it was too late. The buzzer sounded and I set of from the pit lane on my warm up lap. I couldn’t believe I was last on the grid, I wanted to shout over to the pit wall that it was all a mistake and I should have been on the front row.
A lonely BMW pulled up alongside me, I wasn’t last after all, I didn’t feel so bad now. Then I looked at the BMW, I was last and I felt just as bad. The track official was out front with his red flags and riders were starting to rev their engines. Not to be left out I joined in and looking along the pit wall I could see Janette and the boys, Cameron was shaking his fist at me like an angry farmer. I just caught the back end of the red flags leaving the track. I looked right and the green flag was up, my revs were at about 8000 as the flag dropped.
My front wheel lifted about 4 foot as I lurched forward, I passed 4-5 bikes from the line before my wheel hit the floor and 2 more as I entered the first corner and another as I came out of the corner. I had no idea what position I was in and at that point it made no matter, all I could see was a line of bikes in front of me that I needed to get past. The next left was the best corner on the track and as long as everybody stayed hard into the corner I could get a couple more by passing them on the outside. A dodgy move but I had no choice. I was moving forward in the standings but it’s the hardest thing to do, I was struggling to get past the riders in front of me.
I seemed to be static for ages and then out of the blue the chequered flag was being waved. It was all over and I was just getting started. I couldn’t believe I had just done 12 laps. On the slow down lap I suddenly felt very fatigued and hurting all over. Where had I come ? I hadn’t been overtaken so I was pleased with that and I’d finished the race. As I pulled into the pit lane I could see loads of bikes in front of me. I pulled up outside our paddock and I sent Jnr down to get the results.
The rest of the day was going to be taken up with qualifying for the 2 hour race the following day. I was kneeling in front of my bike changing the front brake pads when I was tapped on the shoulder. It was Stephan, the rider of the Ducati who I had been battling with earlier. He asked me if I would be his partner in the 2 hour race. I was chuffed to bits, I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Stephan was quick and was an old hand at racing at Rijeka. He said we would talk tactics that evening in the Titty Twister over a few beers. That sounded good to me.
End of Part 3
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Motor Biking: Red Flags
Motor Biking: Red Flags: "My tyres were going off fast, it was a fast technical track and very hard on your tyres. I’d already lost the back end coming off the star..."
Red Flags
My tyres were going off fast, it was a fast technical track and very hard on your tyres. I’d already lost the back end coming off the start finish line. I lost a place as I lost grip and went wide coming out of the corner, because I’d lost drive there was no way I was going to catch the Blade before the next corner. The next corner was a long fast left, a man’s corner, fast balls out speed, just my kind of corner. I couldn’t get my bike any lower. My left foot and knee were firmly on the track and the sparks were flying as I took the blade on the outside. I just couldn’t hold the line for the next left and the Blade was away again. We battle like that for the next 5 laps until I lost total confidence in my tyres. It was time to pull in for fuel, tyres and a well deserved rest.
As I pulled in my boys were ready with the paddock stands and the tyre warmers. Not this time as I needed new tyres. The boys got the tools ready and I went down to check on the lap times. My dice with the blade had held me up, Peter was well in front of me but I was still ahead of the rest in the pack. I had two hours of track time left to get some good times in for tomorrow’s race. Callipers off, wheels off and new tyres on. I had to take the next few laps steady to scrub them in and to get the temperature into them.
I joined the track and there was nothing behind me and as far as I could tell the track was clear to my front. By the start of lap 3 I was at full speed, I could see a bike in the distance, just the way I liked it. Something to chase but not get in my way, I was pushing hard but as I got faster with each each lap I was finding it difficult between corners 5 & 6. The short run between them was enough to red line my engine in 4th but not long enough to get into 5th gear. The last thing I wanted to do was blow my engine and I didn’t want to slow down.
The bike in front of me was a Ducati, I had caught him but I couldn’t get past him. He was very good into the corners and braked very late. I just didn’t have the bottom end to get away from him out of the corner. It was going to come down to who could out brake who. We were neck and neck as we thundered down the finish straight, I could feel my back tyre lifting as I tipped into the corner. We were still fighting for space on the track, it was fantastic. The Ducati had the inside line for the next corner, I had no choice and I backed off very slightly but it gave me the drive I needed to come out of the corner. Once again we were fighting for the same piece of track but this time I had the racing line. I out braked him into the corner and my knee skimmed the track as I eased the power on.
It was my favourite two corners 5 & 6. I buggered it up big time as I attempted to change up then down again for the corner. He was away and the chase was on again. I was all over him at every bend and as we entered the last bend he indicated to move into the pit lane. Had I pressurised him into pulling in or was it just that time. I didn’t know and I didn’t care. 3 laps later and the red flags were out, I coasted round with a smile as wide as my helmet. I couldn’t wait to see what my standings were going to be. I pulled into the pit lane and into the paddock. My boys were waiting and on went the paddock stands and the tyre warmers.
One of the track officials walked in with the results, bike number 47 had qualified in 3rd place. My God that was me, the best I had ever done. I had another Aprilia and my mate the Ducati in front of me. I was the only one in our group on a twin so I wouldn’t be racing against them, this was going to be my first official race with a grid start.
That evening we all went down to a local bar and steak house. It looked like the Titty Twister out of the film Dusk Till Dawn. The food was fantastic and the bread was the best I have ever tasted. The beer was too nice and I didn’t want to kick the arse out of it. Peter, Janette and the lads were on the local Whiskey Valentines. There’s a good chance I could win this tomorrow, keep going Janette, you’re doing great.
End of Part Two
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Motor Biking: Rijeka
Motor Biking: Rijeka: "The day had finally arrived, the car was packed and the bike was on the trailer. The ferry ticket was in my hand with the passports and al..."
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