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Snetterton Race Weekend Report

The weekend started on Thursday night when we trudged our way off up to the circuit towing the caravan. We stopped at some services on the A11 and bumped into a few other racers on their way to the circuit. We arrived at Snetterton race circuit at about 21:30. Blowing a gale but at least dry. In the dark and windy conditions we set up the caravan and put the awning up ready to house the bike. With the basics all set up, it was slumber time.

Friday morning, woke up to nice wet conditions, slashing it down with rain and still blowing hard. I spent some time unloading the van and setting everything up. All the tools, fire extinguisher, petrol etc all had to be to hand.

No sign of it drying up so I put the wet wheels on the bike. I thought I had better see what the SV is like in the damp on wet tyres as I have no experience of it. Missed out the first session but went out for the second. Had lots of visor misting up problems but seemed to be going ok out there.

Went out again with some cunning gaffe tape design to stop the misting up, it worked a treat. I was putting in a reasonable performance compared to the others in my group. The track had started to dry but I still went out on the wets, I had to keep finding the water laying on the circuit to keep the tyres cool but I was generally having a blast and enjoying it.

When I came back in, I swapped to the Super Corsa’s, I did a couple of sessions on them, again, I seemed to be doing very well. Practice had been a success.

My mechanic had turned up by now and we were swapping the exhaust back over to a Hindle system to get the better ground clearance as the Akrapovic is lower. He did sterling work changing it over. I had the bike shod with nice new SC’s ready for qualification in the morning.

Saturday morning, it’s wet again. I took the bike up to scruitineering and it passed with no problems. Back to my camp, decisions, decisions. I select wets against mechanics advice. It was very wet where I was standing. Off for qualification, I had made a bad choice, the previous two groups had dried most of the track, too late now. Off on the wets I went, five laps I put in, the bike was sliding and I came in. I had put in a 1.31.962, enough for 14th on the grid.

Race one. I lined up in the collecting area, now on SC’s, the circuit was dry. Feeling full of trepidation but knowing that I had gone well in testing on the dry tyres I thought that I stood a good chance of doing well. Off on the parade lap we went, back to the grid. Behind my line I went. Under starter’s orders, lights go red, they go out, and off we go. Well the first corner was unbelievable, 8 bikes abreast all jockeying for position. There are three bikes going across the grass. Round the corner I went, crammed in but ok. 2nd corner, someone underneath me but made it round ok, getting on the gas, thinking its going to spread out now and I know I am quick down the straight, fourth gear, fifth gear, accelerating nicely. Someone had gone wide on the second corner, they rejoined the track and came straight across, straight into me. I had a bike down the inside and nowhere to go. I went down hard and skidded for eternity, finally landing up on the grass with the bike. I felt ok so ran and jumped the barrier. Really peed off at this point as it was a no fault accident on my part and had just ruined my race plans. The marshals rescued the bike and I had a quick look at it, not good as far as I was concerned. It was coated in mud and grass, there were no foot runners left, no rear brake pedal, no gear change, the seat unit was cracked through and hanging off. There were cracks and damage to the main fairing, the front brake lever had relocated itself, the brake reservoir was upside down to name the first bits I saw. I was silently swearing and cursing in my head.

At the end of the race the marshals had to push my bike back to the corner where the van was waiting, apparently they had not picked a bike up so far down the straight before, not that that was any consolation. Due to the distance that it had to be recovered, I had to wait for the next race to run before being taken back to scruitineering. All I wanted to do after the crash was to phone the people waiting for me to tell them that I was fine and not to worry.

Back I went, through scruitineering with a list of things to do before I could go back out. My mechanic and my friend Duncan did a great job of fixing the bike up. I did my best to stay out of the way really as I was sure I would hinder the repair process. Once the fairing was off, the bike didn’t seem so bad so we cleaned it and put spare foot pegs and the bits on, straightened out the levers at the front, taped up some of the fairing and went back to scruitineering. Through it went, sorted.

Now I had to start from the back in the next race, I thought this would be good for me, a biggish accident, a fixed up bike that I had not tested, the back was the place to be to bed myself back in. Warm up lap went well, the bike felt ok. So it was line up, starter’s orders, lights on, lights off and away I go. I am sure that I managed to get through the row in front before they even moved. Well slowly but surely I picked my way through the field, I was actually enjoying this, more like a track day, scything through traffic. I managed to finish 17th, not too shabby as I started 37th.

Sunday, warm up time, quick 4 laps. I was aching nicely and needed to bed in. I shot round the four laps and felt much better for it. The fairing seemed to be moving a lot. My mechanic changed the connection for the front fairing bracket and this did the trick, much more solid. Off on the parade lap, feeling confident that I could move up the field again. Adrenalin pumping, away from the start I went, another good one. No issues on the first two corners and into a rhythm. Passed a few people which was good, I was making progress. I landed up behind a battle between two others, from where I was it looked like one of them was trying to take the other one out. I erred on the side of caution to start with to see what happened. I managed to nail it past one on the straight, the one I considered dangerous! Round a few corners, and he came back past me at the chicane. Out of the chicane with me in hot pursuit, I stuffed it over him before the first corner and never saw him again. Only a couple of laps to go, can I make further progress, I have no idea where I have got to but I have done well so far, or so I am telling myself. Well I managed to hunt down another couple in the last two laps and finished somewhere. Where this was, I had no idea, but when I came back to the paddock people we congratulating me on coming 12th. Not as good as I had hoped but at least it was a move forwards. Turns out they were all confused and I was actually 9th. A top ten finish in my first weekends racing, awesome stuff!

One more race to go, one more race to survive, I had my crash for the weekend and I was staying upright now, that was the plan. Into the collecting area where we sat and sat with the tyres getting colder and colder. One of the stars of club racing was retiring and he was taking in a lap of honour. Once done, we were allowed two warm up laps. So off we went, no issues. Gridded ninth now, I wanted a good start and to get over to the right of the track from the left, in my mind it was safer over there. Well I totally bodged up the start, bikes swarmed into that first corner and I am afraid, the inevitable happened. There was some banging together of bikes, someone in the pack went down just in front and to my right. The bike was sliding, the guy in front and left had no chance, straight into it he went, somehow I missed the lot despite the fact it was right in front of me. Thanks to that crap start, it had probably saved my bacon. Race was stopped. We sat down at the chicane for what seemed an eternity. You could see the flashing blue lights up the track, not a good sight at all. Eventually we were called to the grid again. Now we had two warm up laps followed by a 5 lap race. A complete sprint then.

Round we went, two laps completed. Lined up on the grid, I was absolutely bricking it now, I was on the left and wanted to be on the right. A poor start, but, I managed to slice my way over to the right. I had gone backwards but I was away and round the first corner. The relief was incredible. Well I got my toe down and hammered it round that track, I was passing the odd person, but, had no idea how far back I had got or to where I was now. With absolute elation that it was all over I went across that finish line. Five laps of hammering it and the weekend was done for me. Well, the result was that I finished 9th again.

Not sure what happened to everyone at the start of that second race but I pray that they are all ok, it was not a nice thing to witness.

A big thanks goes to my mechanic, Martin Jarvis, he fixed the bike when it broke and gave me the confidence to keep going when I was down. Big thanks to Duncan, AKA Biggus for being there and helping out, what a great mate to have. Thanks to Justine, aka Chief Wobbler or Storm-In-A-D-Cup for actually being there, I know she was not happy, nor well, but at least she came and watched. Thanks to Mark, AKA Baloo for turning up to support. Thanks to Justine’s parents who came to support. Huge thanks to the Marshalls, this weekend could not have happened without them, they are the unsung heroes of racing. Thanks to everyone in the paddock for their encouragement and praise etc, paddock life is great and I love it.


A few snaps on the net of yours truly

http://www.racing-line-photography.com/BZ_shop.asp?event=CF&gallery=3&image=pvsa5232.jpg

http://www.racing-line-photography.com/BZ_shop.asp?event=CF&gallery=3&image=pvsa5212.jpg

http://www.racing-line-photography.com/BZ_shop.asp?event=CF&gallery=3&image=bs2a9104.jpg

http://www.racing-line-photography.com/BZ_shop.asp?event=CF&gallery=3&image=bs2a9134.jpg

http://www.racing-line-photography.com/BZ_shop.asp?event=CF&gallery=3&image=bs2u0792.jpg

http://www.racing-line-photography.com/BZ_shop.asp?event=CF&gallery=3&image=bs2u0832.jpg

http://www.racing-line-photography.com/BZ_shop.asp?event=CF&gallery=3&image=pvsu6174.jpg

http://www.racing-line-photography.com/BZ_shop.asp?event=CF&gallery=3&image=pvsu6222.jpg

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=39

Not being nasty about this but this has made me smile, the following pics are of the one who took me out, here are a set of pictures of him doing the same to someone else! Lucky escape, I was 3 bikes infront of all this.

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=40

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=41

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=42

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=43

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=44

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=45

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=46

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=47

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=48

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=49

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=50

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=51

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=52

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=53


And this one shows the one I reckon is the biggest headcase out there, on the grass yet again.

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=64


A nice one of David H

http://www.swaffs.co.uk/index.gallery.php?gid=45&img=96