Well, where do I start?? firstly sorry its a bit long....
I wasn’t supposed to be doing the Assen round as Jon was on the bike, but through a change about I was able to get an entry and the excitement kicked in. After much organisation and planning the logistical nightmare finally came together and after picking up our repaired van late on Tuesday we packed it to the roof on Wednesday lunchtime and set off for the ferry.
Met up with the rest of the team and our travelling party (all 13 of us) on the ferry, had a few light refreshments and then got some sleep. Early wake up call for disembarkation and we were half excited, half drowsy but met up outside the gates ready to get going. After a light panic where one of the other drivers failed a breath test we finally got going and Assen bound.
Arriving at 1pm on Thursday we got our first taster of the heat and the excellent organisation from the Dutch Ducati club. All registered we set up in the paddock backing onto the track so we could lie in bed and watch the racing. More beers, a walk of the track (blimey it’s long!) and a late night before being woken by the birds tweeting and the thrill of riding one of the greatest bike circuits!!
Friday was a track day with our allocation being two sessions late afternoon so we had bike checked over and chilled out for most of the day watching the paddock fill with all manner of exotic and beautiful Ducati supported by some really tatty numbers. Caught up with Sarah and Steve Jordan sneaking their SV into the twins class and standing out with their blue Suzuki truck in a sea of red and white
First session in afternoon and taking it very steady scrubbing in tyres and pads and checking that the gears were going to work after some issues at Oulton last week. All seemed good and got a feel for the layout and which curbs were good, ready to rock for the second session.
Second session and everyone is pushing to get out on track, I head out second in the second group with Harriet out in front. I stayed behind for first lap, happy to warm the tyres and get into the feel of it before getting ready to get on the gas. I knew I was quicker out the far end of the circuit so decided to wait for a nice pass on lap 2. Jon passed me into one of the right handers out the back of the circuit and then passed cleanly underneath Harriet into the left. Harriet took a wide line and I had to brake quite hard so was upright and back on the gas and able to take a fast straight line down to the fast double apex right. Just about to brake when suddenly something hits me from behind right and catches my hip and back of seat unit and I get a bit of a wobble. I then hear locked brakes squealing so I just tried to stay upright, relax and keep going as I didn’t know if I was gonna get skittled. Further round and red flags are out but as we pass back I see Harriet is down. Basically she had taken a wide exit from the left then swung back across track ready to tip right but obviously had not seen that I had passed and was in front so bumped into me, grabbed a handful of brake and locked it up before low siding. We were held for a while before getting just two more laps on track, but my head was a bit messed so I didn’t really get anything from it. Harriet went off to hospital and has had broken collarbone plated but is ok.
Onto Saturday and we get up nice and early for scrutineering before getting two practice/qualifying sessions. My first session I am ambling round pretty much on my own so not getting any tows or challenges to get my times up. Come in about 17th so a bit fed up. I got chance to see the video from the bump the day before and this helped clear my head that I had made a good safe pass and was just unlucky that Harriet had swung back as she was committed to her turn in point.
Second session and I plan my target as Nick, knowing he is quicker than me but that if I work hard I should be able to keep him in sight so I make sure I get out on track behind him, I chase him and although a bit ragged and quite a bit of traffic I improve by 2 seconds, but so have most others so I am in 15th for grid.
Nice early night ready for Sunday and race day!! I get up for the loo in the middle of the night to thick fog and drizzle..eek!! the morning came and the fog had gone but drizzling slightly. Luckily this clears mid morning and we are set for our race at 12.40 wooohooo!!
By this time the paddock is packed to bursting and the grandstands are probably ¾ full on the start finish line with hundreds of spectators and other racers/teams, this was truly awesome to experience.
The heat had really come on now and getting into leathers was a real challenge, I decided that chilling my vest and gloves would be a good idea and it certainly helped.
Everyone is tussling to get out on the warm up lap and before I knew it I was rolling into place on the grid, but a bit confused as Jon should be directly in front of me but there is another rider there?? Next thing Jon is stopped next to me with nowhere to go, the marshals are getting confused and we are being held. Eventually they just tell Jon he has to start from there. Lights go out and I am off, but rider in front has stalled so Jon has nowhere to go. I am a bit slow off the start, but get my head down and dive down the inside, figuring everyone else was going wide and deep and I needed to make up some ground, this seemed to work and I made a few places. Things were going well and I was getting into my stride with a good few targets in front that I started to pick off. Into second lap and red flags are out, as we get to the far corner two riders are down and not moving.. not good!! Back into pit lane and we sit waiting to see what next, all nicely cooking in our own juices!! We are told to come back in 15 minutes!! I dash back to the paddock, whip my leathers down and make a dash for the loo, before coming back, dousing myself down with cold water and then struggling to get my leathers back on!!
All too quickly we are back on grid and this time Jon is in his place and we are ready for off, this time with just a 4 lap race. The lights take ages to come on then an eternity to go out. I bog down completely and get mugged!! I try my tight line and get a few, but the complex is really tight and everyone is nudging each other and I have my toes and knee down all the way round both the right and left hairpin, this is really not good!! But.. I have passed Jon and I am off!! Start dicing with Cleggy who is one of the seriously quick boys in Class B. I have the drive on him and the speed, but he is just so goddam fast into the corners and doesn’t give an inch on his line so I am taking some interesting lines myself (really must be more assertive here
). I have a good first lap playing chase with Cleggy and getting the pass (maybe a bit too close) to Rich Cashmore and we are into second lap. I am tipped in for the right at the end of the back straight, on the curb, knee down when Jon comes underneath me, I sit it up slightly, but still make the left before cursing him and starting to chase. Next thing he is trying the same on Cleggy into the left, but Cleggy’s corner entry speed catches Jon out and Jon is locked up and skipping into the apex, god knows how, but he makes it round and I am stuck to his back tyre. We both dive underneath another rider which was a good choice as he ran wide…wider…wider…wider until he was shimmying across the Astroturf and grass
Onto lap three and Cleggy has pulled a bit of distance through the complex so I am chasing Jon, next thing he dives into the left and is sliding across the tarmac in front of me. I try not to watch but also want to know he is ok..not great for the concentration, but he seems to be ok!!
My head is a bit messed now and the group in front pull a bit on me. I start to chase but my lines are off and I am untidy so I decide safety is the order of the day and I drop back into cruise mode, doing just enough to stay in front of Rich and make the flag.
The warm down lap is something to behold as all the marshals come out and wave flags and cheer and clap you round the track just like in GP, it was amazing and everyone was stopping and waving and doing burnouts…how flipping cool is this.
Back to the paddock and the usual post race analysis and back slapping/commiserations before a rushed packing of the van and head off for the ferry feeling very sleepy but over the moon.
I managed 11th overall and 10th in class A with Cleggy riding out of his skin to get 9th on his class B bike.
Fantastic weekend with tons of great friends, some brilliant riding and the best paddock atmosphere you can get.
Huge thanks to Jon for crashing well and not scaring me too much. To Chass and Alec for running around after us and changing everything over every time I changed the gearing
Thanks also to CK and AK for just being cool, to Nick for pulling me round and making me smile. DCR, Tom and Chris for being great paddock mates. Jane and Andy for letting us know Harriet was ok, Kim for doing my nails, Birdboy for just making me giggle and everyone else for just being great :thumbs:
I had a great time and can’t wait to go back!!
