Freak
Is it still summer?
I only sent my entry for Mallory off the week before the race as I had said I wouldn't race until I had a job and I'd already had it in my mind that I would be missing Mallory... to be honest it wouldn't be any great loss as far as I was concerned as it wasn't a circuit I really enjoyed, but then the arm twisting began not only from Claire but also from FLAG racings team principal, manager, spanner man, tea maker... Bob, who also helped get me there on the grid thanks Bob! Much appreciated.
I still wasn't fired up come the weekend even on Saturday morning when loading the bikes, gear and numerous tyres and equipment for pretty much any eventuality with a view to getting to Mallory by early/mid afternoon.
With no pre-season tesing other than a cold day in the novice group at Oulton 10 days previously for a shakedown run after the winter lay off and rebuild we were away and as Lily has said our journey came to an abrupt halt at Derby services where a car driver destroyed the services exit thus blocking us and anyone else that entered them.
We sat outside the paddock for a few hours and it was great to see the familiar faces of the DD paddock which I hadn't seen since Cadwell and come time to let us into the paddock sure enough the heaven's opened and the wind speed grew and grew, I recall being asked by Jimbers (and friend) if I needed a hand with the awning and I replied along the lines of it'll be fine (in a Chris Woods kind of way) only to see the whole thing trying to tip a LWB, Hi-top Sprinter over!!! Thanks guys for the help! Bob and Viv were there in force to help and make a welcoming cuppa for when we eventually wrestled stuff into place.
The night became wetter, windier and pretty damn miserable and I was in a quandry over tyres, they'd been on since the races (Sat and Sun) and Cadwell, done a few trackdays also since then, we'd ordered tyres from Holbeach and my plan was to fit a new set immediated and scrub/qualify in the SV qualifying on them ready for DD qualifying but the best laid plans and all that meant DD qualifying was before the SV qualifying, there was 18 minutes between the two so I'd roped Bob in to perform an F1 style pit stop between the two sessions so I'd have new scrubbed rubber for the DD races. It didn't matter now as I was sipping Champagne, feasting on steak etc... hmmm steak.
Saturday morning arrived and I hadn't slept well I had heard the rain and wind die away so I'd had my fingers crossed as I looked out of the window and could see blue sky and the sun just coming up, yipee
off to scrutineering with the bike as we'd mislaid the van keys and all of our gear was in the back so couldn't get leathers, gloves, lid, boots done until they were found and then a quick walk up to the gate to drop off several tickets, I strolled up the track to have a view of the elbow, bus stop and hairpin after the winter mods and not seeing the track for 12 months since the last DD race, the track was already drying in places which boosted me a tad.
Qualifying came and I just circulated trying to remember braking markers, turn points etc, it was busy and I just wasn't pushing or really agressive just enjoying myself I knew it wasn't going to be an electrifying time coupled with the gearing through Edwina's and off towards the hairpin, when I came in I decided to just swap the rear tyre and try a different rear sprocket for SV qualifying, but alas what I wanted to stick on the back I didn't have so had to go out in SV qualifying with the same gearing. SV qualifying was simply scrubbing tyres in, well it was until about the third lap when MartinH came by going into Edwinas and I gave chase eventually diving under him entering Gerrards and wetting myself hoping the rear would hold.
I'd qualified 12th in DD which I wasn't happy with but suprisingly in SV qualifying I'd got upto 9th and knocked a second or two off my lap so I knew the extra laps had paid off pity about the running order I guess.
Race 1
I lined up behind Claire on the grid and we were on the inside and last year I remember getting boxed in on the inside around Gerrards and not being able to do anything other than play follow my leader, I wanted to get over to the left as soon as possible well that was my plan... the lights went out and another Mercer legendary bad start, Trouty howled past as ever to my left but I managed to drive past Claire on the inside... yes the inside, damn! as I tipped into Gerrards she came round the outside and so did 1/2 of the field like last year there were bikes as far as I could see ahead and I was more than a little dishearted. No idea what happened over the next lap or two but I think it was lap two I entered Gerrards right on the back of someone and went to pass on the outside but couldn't get the bike back over to the right for the exit, I ended up on the kerbs, then on the inlaid metal/wire matting then onto the sodden grass with a full lock to lock tank slapper,something I've never experienced! I'm doing around 90mph and I'm about to get fired off into space then I heard the wise words of Andy Ibbott come into my head to relax let the bike sort itself out and normality was restored, at least 3 bikes went bike while I readjusted my underwear for Edwinas and got my head down again and chased down Nick... entered Gerrards on his tail but was more cautious after my last lap experience only to see him run wide and do exactly the same, I saw the high speed wobble and then vanish backwards in my peripheral vision luckily he stayed on though. It was then a case of getting by AK47 into the hairpin chasing down Trouty and we had a ding dong to the line I would pass him here and he'd have me on the brakes somewhere else, I just didn't have the front end confidence yet....I was eager to get past as I could see Claire, Pete Yates and David Ainscough just ahead and I was sure if I could get past I could get up to the back of them... but the laps ran out and good old Trouty beat me to the line, he rode well and it was a safe respectful little dice, I came home in 13th so lost a place from my start.
Race 2
I didn't bother with the SV race as it's a bloody long day at Mallory and wanted to try and remain fresh (in hindsight I should of done it, to at least get another start and maybe get me up to speed faster and more aggression which I'm certainly lacking at the momdent). So I lined up for DD race two and again planned to go left and go wide around Gerrards and it was pretty much an instant replay of the first race start, Trouty flew off to my left which pushed me right up the inside of Claire and then boxed in, deja-vu again! So god knows how many places I lost from the start and before long I was on the back of Ali (Bisson) who I had a very good enjoyable dice with for a few laps, I'd outbreak him either at Edwinas or the chicane then he'd get past me again, I think we did this for 3 laps and everytime I stuffed him at the hairpin good old Ali would dive underneath me or around me on the run to the bus stop, no disrespect to Ali but I knew I was quicker around Gerrards and I needed to make a pass stick before I'd got onto the start/finish straight so I could pull a gap around Gerrards, I think from what we both recalled I'd got by between the hairpin and the bus stop and that's the last I saw of the big fella, although I'm sure they'll be more of the same throughout the year. Then Trouty and Claire came into sight and they were holding each other up and I was soon on the back of them, I dove past Claire into the hairpin and chased down Trouty around Gerrards, but I couldn't make a pass stick and after two laps of this I tried to go around the outside of him at Gerrards as the exit appeared he ran wide and taking me with him towards the grass something I didn't want to repeat so rolled off the throttle and as soon as I did that I saw Claire blast by the pair of us into Edwinas, damn I'd lost the place I'd only just gained, the red mist was flowing but I knew the laps were nearly gone, the last lap flag was out and Trouty and myself gave chase into the hairpin, I tried to outbreak him but he was so good on the anchors there, we were both by then on the back of Claire he went to the left and I stabbed up the inside to pass her back but ended up being behind Trouty for the line and finished 14th, my lap times were faster but ended up further back, hmmm.
The good stuff though is that I bagged points and didn't DNF and the bike ran well, the bad stuff is that I need to sort these starts still and be more aggressive same stuff as last year really, up my game in general!!! ......maybe more Magners will help?
One final thing, big thanks to Bob and Viv for being the unseen stars for us both, our sponsors, all the people who came to see us yesterday nice to see you all and finally my Claire for pushing me to enter and get me out there when I wasn't expecting to.
I still wasn't fired up come the weekend even on Saturday morning when loading the bikes, gear and numerous tyres and equipment for pretty much any eventuality with a view to getting to Mallory by early/mid afternoon.
With no pre-season tesing other than a cold day in the novice group at Oulton 10 days previously for a shakedown run after the winter lay off and rebuild we were away and as Lily has said our journey came to an abrupt halt at Derby services where a car driver destroyed the services exit thus blocking us and anyone else that entered them.
We sat outside the paddock for a few hours and it was great to see the familiar faces of the DD paddock which I hadn't seen since Cadwell and come time to let us into the paddock sure enough the heaven's opened and the wind speed grew and grew, I recall being asked by Jimbers (and friend) if I needed a hand with the awning and I replied along the lines of it'll be fine (in a Chris Woods kind of way) only to see the whole thing trying to tip a LWB, Hi-top Sprinter over!!! Thanks guys for the help! Bob and Viv were there in force to help and make a welcoming cuppa for when we eventually wrestled stuff into place.
The night became wetter, windier and pretty damn miserable and I was in a quandry over tyres, they'd been on since the races (Sat and Sun) and Cadwell, done a few trackdays also since then, we'd ordered tyres from Holbeach and my plan was to fit a new set immediated and scrub/qualify in the SV qualifying on them ready for DD qualifying but the best laid plans and all that meant DD qualifying was before the SV qualifying, there was 18 minutes between the two so I'd roped Bob in to perform an F1 style pit stop between the two sessions so I'd have new scrubbed rubber for the DD races. It didn't matter now as I was sipping Champagne, feasting on steak etc... hmmm steak.
Saturday morning arrived and I hadn't slept well I had heard the rain and wind die away so I'd had my fingers crossed as I looked out of the window and could see blue sky and the sun just coming up, yipee
off to scrutineering with the bike as we'd mislaid the van keys and all of our gear was in the back so couldn't get leathers, gloves, lid, boots done until they were found and then a quick walk up to the gate to drop off several tickets, I strolled up the track to have a view of the elbow, bus stop and hairpin after the winter mods and not seeing the track for 12 months since the last DD race, the track was already drying in places which boosted me a tad.Qualifying came and I just circulated trying to remember braking markers, turn points etc, it was busy and I just wasn't pushing or really agressive just enjoying myself I knew it wasn't going to be an electrifying time coupled with the gearing through Edwina's and off towards the hairpin, when I came in I decided to just swap the rear tyre and try a different rear sprocket for SV qualifying, but alas what I wanted to stick on the back I didn't have so had to go out in SV qualifying with the same gearing. SV qualifying was simply scrubbing tyres in, well it was until about the third lap when MartinH came by going into Edwinas and I gave chase eventually diving under him entering Gerrards and wetting myself hoping the rear would hold.
I'd qualified 12th in DD which I wasn't happy with but suprisingly in SV qualifying I'd got upto 9th and knocked a second or two off my lap so I knew the extra laps had paid off pity about the running order I guess.
Race 1
I lined up behind Claire on the grid and we were on the inside and last year I remember getting boxed in on the inside around Gerrards and not being able to do anything other than play follow my leader, I wanted to get over to the left as soon as possible well that was my plan... the lights went out and another Mercer legendary bad start, Trouty howled past as ever to my left but I managed to drive past Claire on the inside... yes the inside, damn! as I tipped into Gerrards she came round the outside and so did 1/2 of the field like last year there were bikes as far as I could see ahead and I was more than a little dishearted. No idea what happened over the next lap or two but I think it was lap two I entered Gerrards right on the back of someone and went to pass on the outside but couldn't get the bike back over to the right for the exit, I ended up on the kerbs, then on the inlaid metal/wire matting then onto the sodden grass with a full lock to lock tank slapper,something I've never experienced! I'm doing around 90mph and I'm about to get fired off into space then I heard the wise words of Andy Ibbott come into my head to relax let the bike sort itself out and normality was restored, at least 3 bikes went bike while I readjusted my underwear for Edwinas and got my head down again and chased down Nick... entered Gerrards on his tail but was more cautious after my last lap experience only to see him run wide and do exactly the same, I saw the high speed wobble and then vanish backwards in my peripheral vision luckily he stayed on though. It was then a case of getting by AK47 into the hairpin chasing down Trouty and we had a ding dong to the line I would pass him here and he'd have me on the brakes somewhere else, I just didn't have the front end confidence yet....I was eager to get past as I could see Claire, Pete Yates and David Ainscough just ahead and I was sure if I could get past I could get up to the back of them... but the laps ran out and good old Trouty beat me to the line, he rode well and it was a safe respectful little dice, I came home in 13th so lost a place from my start.
Race 2
I didn't bother with the SV race as it's a bloody long day at Mallory and wanted to try and remain fresh (in hindsight I should of done it, to at least get another start and maybe get me up to speed faster and more aggression which I'm certainly lacking at the momdent). So I lined up for DD race two and again planned to go left and go wide around Gerrards and it was pretty much an instant replay of the first race start, Trouty flew off to my left which pushed me right up the inside of Claire and then boxed in, deja-vu again! So god knows how many places I lost from the start and before long I was on the back of Ali (Bisson) who I had a very good enjoyable dice with for a few laps, I'd outbreak him either at Edwinas or the chicane then he'd get past me again, I think we did this for 3 laps and everytime I stuffed him at the hairpin good old Ali would dive underneath me or around me on the run to the bus stop, no disrespect to Ali but I knew I was quicker around Gerrards and I needed to make a pass stick before I'd got onto the start/finish straight so I could pull a gap around Gerrards, I think from what we both recalled I'd got by between the hairpin and the bus stop and that's the last I saw of the big fella, although I'm sure they'll be more of the same throughout the year. Then Trouty and Claire came into sight and they were holding each other up and I was soon on the back of them, I dove past Claire into the hairpin and chased down Trouty around Gerrards, but I couldn't make a pass stick and after two laps of this I tried to go around the outside of him at Gerrards as the exit appeared he ran wide and taking me with him towards the grass something I didn't want to repeat so rolled off the throttle and as soon as I did that I saw Claire blast by the pair of us into Edwinas, damn I'd lost the place I'd only just gained, the red mist was flowing but I knew the laps were nearly gone, the last lap flag was out and Trouty and myself gave chase into the hairpin, I tried to outbreak him but he was so good on the anchors there, we were both by then on the back of Claire he went to the left and I stabbed up the inside to pass her back but ended up being behind Trouty for the line and finished 14th, my lap times were faster but ended up further back, hmmm.
The good stuff though is that I bagged points and didn't DNF and the bike ran well, the bad stuff is that I need to sort these starts still and be more aggressive same stuff as last year really, up my game in general!!! ......maybe more Magners will help?
One final thing, big thanks to Bob and Viv for being the unseen stars for us both, our sponsors, all the people who came to see us yesterday nice to see you all and finally my Claire for pushing me to enter and get me out there when I wasn't expecting to.
All the best to you both for the rest of the season. 
so you have my full admiration 
