Brands Hatch 28th October
Round 12 MRO RSV Cup
Brands Hatch 28th
October
Well, after yet another horrific journey to the other side of London on a Friday afternoon, sat stationary in the Frettons company van for 5 hours, I arrived the same time as Steve Chatwin who’d flown in from Sweden to be with me for the last race of the season, and left Heathrow 2 hours after I’d passed it. There he was at the gate flashing his lights on the rental car. Boy this man is keen. He bought me the wets on wheels half way through the season to give me the best chance of keeping up with the changeable weather, and you guessed it, to date I’ve only used them once, and never in a points race !
We set up in the garage reserved for us with Team
IXION, one of the members, James Denning was taking the RSV away at the end of the weekend. I wish I had gotten to
know these guys earlier in the year, they are just up my alley.
Like Roger, for
instance. He does all his own mechanicing, tyre changes and warmers on/off, the
lot, just like me (except when I'm spoilt and have a few friend s along for the
weekend) and all dozen of them are like minded, all race, all help each other
out whenever possible. I have a lot of time for people like that, not twats who
get everything paid and made for them.
The morning broke damp, but it didn’t matter because we weren’t racing
until the Sunday having failed to get an entry for the Saturday Club races.
Instead I entertained Ed and his Girlfriend, our visitors from Laser tools and
we played Photographers for the day.
Saturday night it rained, but I had already decided to stump up for a Brand
New set of GP207’s just in case the weather turned nicer as per the forecast,
and I didn’t want to blow the last race of the year on the knackered set still
on the rims from Lydden !
We spent a cosy night getting remotely drunk and eating fish chips and toast to
the small hours whilst having a bit of a laugh.
Practice.
Sunday morning was definitely wets so Lydden's set up was just about right, but
I added a turn of Pre-load onto the back just to help it turn better than it did
down there, and I felt confident that new "Sprint" steering
damper would be able to tame any wild behaviour that the steeper steering might
generate. I was right, the new damper with it's 14 adjustment positions was
exactly what the bike needed to feel safe and stable in all conditions. Why
didn't I get one of these at the start of the season ? Well, we live and learn.
(Check out www.sprintdampers.co.uk
to see what they can do one for your bike)
Still geared On 15/49 I was a little concerned that it might be under geared, and after my first two laps of Brands in over a year, in the wet, I was running out of revs in top gear and hitting 128mph on the straights . So for Qualifying I went down 2 teeth at the back (it's great having the full range of Talon sprockets to hand for every occasion, a quick look at the instrument Vmax then the gearing chart, is all it takes to make a decision) For peace of mind we fitted some new GP207’s because the track was drying rapidly and even if it was still damp I’d need to scrub them in for the Race if it stayed dry.
Qualifying.
Sure enough there was a lovely dry line for Qualifying, we gathered in the
holding area and were told to turn our engines off. I broke the general mumbling
and moaning silence with a satirical comment. "They can’t let the RSV’s
out yet, we are all on dry tyres and it isn’t raining yet. The forecast says
we have to wait ten minutes because we are ahead of schedule" That got a
laugh all be it far too near the knuckle.
We finally got going and I set about scrubbing the tyres in for three laps
before beginning to push. It was like learning Brands Indy all over again. Every
time I got one corner nailed, it would completely throw me out for the next. I
finally got into the groove by the end of the session and had a few scares as I
ran out wide onto the damp at Druids Hairpin and again at Clearways trying to
drive out hard onto the straights where it was now topping out at 133mph way
before it hit the rev limiter, much better.
We raised the gearing yet another tooth to help the drive out of the hairpin and also out of Graham Hill bend where I was running out of revs and having to change up and immediately down again between 3rd and 4th . Thanks to Steve for doing all the graft while I sat back and relaxed ready for the race, putting the fact that I’ve already sold the bike, completely out of mine mind, determined to just enjoy the day and not worry about binning the bike and ruining an otherwise definite sale.
How many sponsors would fly over rent a car and help out spannering, all because he enjoys it ! Not many. Thanks Steve.
The Race.
For the race, the crew gathered round and
pummelled me in a mock boxing ring, just to try and get my gander up. It worked,
but in revenge I went for the smallest of the lot and got "Diddy" Dave
Rossiter. Great fun and everyone stares because they think yet another team has
just gone bang in the pits, not knowing that we are just having a
friendly punch up just because we are completely mad.
I made a poor start, getting into Paddock Hill bend to be faced with a wall
of near stationary bikes as they fanned out trying to get around each other, I
turned tight to avoid any mess that would for sure drag anyone on the outside
clean off into the waiting gravel traps. No one crashed, in fact no one slipped
off in the entire race which was a surprise because the pace was red hot
throughout.
Hanging onto a pack of 6 I kept my head down and pushed as hard as I could,
going faster and faster each lap as my lap timer told me I was exceeding my own
expectations lap after lap. The pack were keeping station, the only chance I got
to make up ground was as they attacked each other, costing both parties speed on
the exit of each corner they were fighting over. As the pack settled into a
rhythm I was able to concentrate on the guy ahead, Roger Ford, last years 250
champion, and see what he could teach me about Brands Indy Circuit. I reeled him
in inch by inch, braking later and later into the hairpin, and driving earlier
and earlier onto the start finish straight with the fairing bashing the tarmac
as the tyres scrabbled beneath me. Absolutely brilliant fun.
The last three laps I was closing on him just as fast as he was closing on
Neil Simpson #22 ahead of him. We closed up and Roger pounced on Neil into the
hairpin on the last lap, I had to have a go while he was still flustered, so
drove as hard as I could out and down to Graham Hill bend. Neil went wide to
drive out faster and catch Roger back up, but that left me the option of diving
up the inside for the pass. I didn’t hesitate one inch, in I went, hard on the
brakes and JUST got a nose in front as he turned in, he lifted, I was through,
YES ! That felt brilliant. I couldn’t resist a little apologetic wave as we
straightened up, just in case I’d upset him further. It’s not worth falling
out on the last round of the championship, we’ve had some good times through
the year and he’s a great bloke, for a scouser ! Sorry Neil, Couldn't resist
that !
I held Neil off all the way to the line, right behind Roger in 10th
place. The pace had been so hot that just 25 secs covered the gap between myself
and the winners bunch, and my best lap had been only 1.4 secs slower than the
fastest lap of the race. By far my best effort of the year if not my best
result. Knocking 4.5 secs off my best ever lap of Brands Indy must count
for something !!
The bike and all the spares were bunched up in the garage to be taken away
and I couldn’t watch them go, so left before it was loaded into a strangers
van, cheque firmly in pocket. Sold to James Denning. The caravan was sold too,
for a far smaller sum, and I ran home empty and alone to an empty garage. What a
strange feeling, exultation and bereavement at the same time.
My heart felt thanks go out to Steve Chatwin
(Left) of Chatwin Consulting, Dave
Rossiter of MMS (above), Nick Christian of Manx Cat, Jamie and Graham
Stevens who spare me all the time they have between Sidecar Motocross
meetings (they weren't at Brands because they were finishing 10th overall at the
Weston Beach race. Well Done Lads !), Warren (Video and hands on), John
King (Video), Sprint Dampers, Talon Sprockets and all my sponsors that have done so very much to make this difficult season as bearable as
possible. Frettons, Castrol, E2E, Design-A-Graphics,
and last but not least Laser Hand Tools. (See Links Page Where
Applicable)
My number 1 achievement this year (apart from having fun), was like last year. I was the only guy to score points in EVERY SINGLE ROUND of the Championship. so my final position of 11th overall was a little disappointing, but having seen some of the guys smash themselves and their bikes completely to pieces I think I've achieved something more than they have.
Races that stick out in my mind were Oulton Park, Thruxton, Wet Snetterton, and this last Brands Hatch. All for different reasons, all of which will be with me for ever. What a year.
What for Next year ?
Short of a big bag of money or a new RSV1000R falling from the sky, I'm looking
at a couple of endurance rides, and maybe a few outings on my Old VFR750 Race
bike in the Spring Cup, Post TT and Craig Mason Memorial races, just for fun.
Maybe I'll put the VFR800 in the TT again, maybe I'll do the Manx Grand Prix instead,
who knows.
Lets face it, any plans this early on are simply Pie In The Sky !
But
I'll be watching the clouds.
I'd hate for the huge wedge of Dosh to catch me by
surprise, I'm sure it's on it's way down already !!!