I knew from word go that I was in for a good weekend at Cadwell, I couldnt wait and I knew that from testing there a couple of times earlier on this season really was going to benefit me as I had raced with MRO in there Stockspo600 class and came away with a bag full of there points, trophies, some decent times and most importantly a smile on my face!
First and only practice session and I was finding it tough to find those 1:34s that I had set a month or so before with MRO, I think it was mainly because it was so hard to find a clear bit of track with 50+ angrey and determined young men flying round the track! I came in the pits for a quick breather and made a few slight adjustments to the suspention to make it easier to turn. I went back out got into a groove, found some space and in the last dieing minute of the session I stuck a 1:35 in which to my surprise was enough to make me 4th fastest! I was over the moon.
It was time for my first Qualifying session and I knew now that everyone had dialed them selves into the track and was going to go a lot faster, I just had to match that! I stuck a few reasonable and rugular 1:35s in which put me in the top ten after 10 mins. I found a clear bit of track and stuck a good time in, a 1:34.8 infact which was enough to put me on pole for a very long time. Some of the boys started to chip away and I started to dive back down the pecking order again to 6th infact in time for a red flag after a fellow competitor took a very nast tumble over the mountain and ended up in the armcoe due to a techical fault, I was quite worried for him as he was a mate of mine but I knew I had more important things to worry about at the time as I was too scared to of been doing so well to of then gone back out and gone further down the field.
That was not to be though, I didnt really post any good times in for a while as I kept getting held up, luckilly for me there was a very large bit of empty tarmac behind me with no one else around so I simply just help back for 2 laps and then went for it big time. I have never had so much fun in my life, riding round the track that I use to dread the most of and now I found myself riding this one lap just how I had intended it to be, the bike was moving all over the show underneathe me at every corner but it was great as I did not feel out of control, I came accross the finish line knowing that it was going to be a good lap time. I came around again to find P2 on my pit bord with 2 mins to go left of the session, I had mixed emotions at this point, one being that I was buzzing! and over joyed with what I had just ahieved but the next being be feeling dreadfully worried that a few other riders were going to pip me off of the front row if the grid and I knew I had no time left to hold back and try another balls out all or nothing lap because there wasnt enough time nor enough room infront of me as there was a gaggle of riders fighting to the lead as though it was a race!
I came into pitlane and watched on the monitor nervously and very closely… All the riders had eventually crossed the end of the session and I found that only one person had pipped me which left me in 3rd position! I had never finished this high up in a British Championship session before and it felt all the more rewarding than any thing that I had managed to achieve before.
Saturday came and the track was damp but there was a thin dry line for our session, I had a confident feeling that I did not have to push harder because of this as I thought nobody would go quicker because of this which therefor would mean that I would be set and ready on the grid in 3rd position for the race. As it turned out I did try pushing just like everyone else! and in doing so I clipped the tiniest little bit of dampness on the last corner I ran the smallest bit off line which was enough for the tyres to loose grip and me to be trying to hole the bike on its side with by knee wedge into the ground underneath it and my elbow down trying to pull her up again, it wasnt gonna happen! After all I not Arnold Schwarzenegger! so I simply just pushed away with one of my legs and away we both went slidding down the road and onto the wet grass, after we had just painted those nice shiney new fairings.
I got back to the paddock to find out I had been pipped by one rider which was enough to shuv me of the front row, which left me in fourth, I was very frustrated actually becauase any other track you go to it is four riders per row where as here it was 3! Sods law I say!
Race day came and we had a 10 minute warm up session in which I done 3 race starts which means me near enough pinning the throttle and slipping the clutch out to get of the line as quickly as possible, big mistake, this was more than enough to totally demolish my clutch and clutch plates which I didnt bother to tell the team that I had done 3 practice starts. So unbeknown to us all I had entered the race with a mangled clutch! My actually race start was appauling, I just could not get the thing to go, I found myself about 10th after 5 corners! the clutch just got worse and worse and started slipping down the straights so my top end was terrible, In the end I just casually coasted into pitlane totally depressed and gutted after having the time of my life qualifying 4th on the grid, ahwell, another lesson learnt which really payed the price in the end!
I would like to say a massive thank you to: MSS Kawasaki, My dad, Shaun and Al. Gearlink Kawasaki, Mark Davall Motorcycles, D.C. Butler Motorcycles, Linxcel, and also thank you to Gary at Pro Clean.
Tags: mro, Aprillia, Race, motorcycle, racing
