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Mallory Race Report

Ok, my race report from a weekend at Mallory Park that I really do not want to write. All I really want to do is forget an absolutely terrible weekend.

Having got to the circuit at lunchtime on the Saturday, I joined the queue of racers waiting to get in. There was an everyman car event at the circuit, some really nice machinery going round track but not exactly quickly. A couple of D type Jags were running, nice to see.

When we were eventually allowed in to the circuit at nearly 17:30 it was a stampede to get through the gate, how there were not any accidents at this point I have no idea!

Fortunately, I had a reserved space in the paddock, I have a friend who was already in the paddock and he looked after an area for me. I managed to block up loads of space to get another couple of friends from the same class in the paddock with me.

So we set up camp for the weekend, bike out and prepared, everything given the once over. Caravan sorted, everything in its place. Off to scruitineering to avoid the rush come Saturday morning, sailed through that.

Time for a beer and a wander round the track. I suppose it was good to see it but I somehow now wish that I hadn’t. Looking at all the dodgy repairs in the surface did nothing to instill confidence at all. The new chicane just looked like a joke, I really can’t believe they have put it in. So we walked all the way round, discussing things, looking at various points and trying to envisage what it would be like at speed.

Quandry time, what gear ratio to run. Selected 15/46, apparently this runs ok on the new circuit. Some people had managed to test on the Wednesday and some had done a track day on Friday. As for me, I was going in to it blind.

Off for the warm up on Sunday morning, fifteen minutes to try and find a line etc. I didn’t like the gear ratio, but, things didn’t seem too bad.

Race one, backwards from the start, an absolute nightmare. That first new chicane, I got hit by someone, there were bikes all over the place, fairings bashing. Everyone somehow stayed upright and off we went. I could rapidly catch people coming into all the corners but I just didn’t have the confidence to go past many. There were near misses and strange lines all over the place. Coming into a chicane with people all over the place in it is absolutely no good, there really is no way round or through. Somehow I finished the race, 16th and fed up but thinking that things could only get better now. I had a line, had started to know where I needed to go etc.

I watched some of the other races, trying to see lines and braking points etc. The morning seemed to pass of without too many accidents really, the afternoon however was a completely different ball game. 250GP bikes race got stopped due to a crash at that first chicane. Whoever ran next, there race was stopped twice, again due to a crash at the first chicane. The next class to run, another 2 stops at exactly the same place.

For my 2nd race, I had decided to change gear ratios and went for 14/45 as it appeared to be the consensus of opinion that this was best. Well another bad start, the bike just didn’t want to seem to pick up at all. Off I went into that first chicane, backwards again. This time I did start to make progress, but it was only five laps due to the previous racing carnage and it was all over way too quickly really. The bike was a misfiring heap of junk and I had no idea why. I came in 17th, absolutely depressed.

My mechanic, along with help from Duncan (aka Biggus), myself and a few fellow racers worked at the bike trying to work out what the issue was. It would appear that it was a dodgy connection at the fuel pump relay. This was nice and green from corrosion and it would appear that it was only loosely connected as well.

We fired the bike up, it sounded much better and seemed to be running, the proof would be on Monday.

Three laps warm up on the Monday, a damp but drying track. Out on the SC’s for a bimble. The bike felt good, much, much better. Obviously with damp conditions and SC’s, it was not time to be large with the throttle but I tested the drive out of the corners and it was definately back.

Due to racing being cut short the day before, the days events had changed. We were now race 10 and down to 8 laps from 9. Not good news but I was expecting to go forwards a few places. The weather did its best to upset the whole day, showers, sun, more rain, sun etc. There was a huge downpour around 12:00 and they called lunch. The track didn’t dry, wet racing ensued. I really don’t mind the wet on race tyres so I was thinking that this was going to be good, I should make up more places. So full of confidence I lined up for the parade lap. Off we went, not a bad practice start, round gerrards to the first chicane, not trying at all, round the right 90 degree part, into the left, the front washed straight out for no reason that I could determine. Not on the brakes, not on the power, hardly leant over. We slid off the track together. I picked the bike up, a little mus but otherwise ok. Fired her up and off I went, only to be flagged off. No race for me. I was now even more distraught.

Well the day continued with me in a bit of a foul mood to say the least, I am really sorry for those that came to see me for the way I was, I owe you guys for coming all that way to see a very despondent Chuffy.

Anyway, the racing continued, as did the weather. We watched the sky, the rain was coming, do we go back to dry’s, do we stay on wets? Well I made the call, dry tyres and my supporters did a stirling job of changing the wheels over for me. Off on the parade lap, now starting from the back. Great practice start. There were a mix of wet tyre and dry tyre runners. I had a feeling that this race was going to be interesting and reasonable progress could be made to cheer me up a bit.

I formed up on the grid, number 27, loads to do but I was confident that progress was going to be made. Going under starters orders, flicked into first, the bike cut out. Try as hard and as fast as I could, it would not fire up. The hand went up, everyone was away. It still would not start, even trying to bump it, that was that. Well I could have kicked lumps out of the bike, I was now even more distraught than ever and I never want to go back there at all. That’s being that distraught as well as Mallory Park. We are not sure as to why the battery had died, but the bike has fired up with no problems now.

So now I have to get my head back in gear for the next round in France. How do I go about this? I am currently toying with the idea of running at Brands in a different class. I will be in with more powerful bikes and don’t expect to do all that but it would be good to check that the bike runs properly. Brands is right near to me, its tempting, oh so tempting. I would have to start at the back of the grid which is not a lot of fun. But actually to get out there and hopefully have a rumble with a few people could do me the world of good, or it could make me more depressed, decisions, decisions.

So I did not do myself any justice whatsoever. I feel like I have let everyone down. I am at the bottom of a deep black hole really. I shall rise, I shall find the light, I am just working out how to do it and its not easy.