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ALEX GAULT - MAG SPORT RACING 2007 - European STK600 Championship Misano
As you may know Alex was to contend the European GSXR CUP this year however although Alex was well with in the international age limits for the championship the ACU refused to give Alex dispensation to race, as he was 8 months too young by their rules.
So the ride was given to someone else and Alex was sidelined up until now he has been contesting various rounds in various championships as by that time the decision was made contending one particular championship was impossible.
A chance arose to contend the European Stock 600 Championship but Alex could not raise all the money required for the ride and had to bow out of the running, with the ride eventually going to South African “Chris Lesson”.
Things took a turn for the better for Alex, when it was realised three rounds of the European Championship clashed with the dates of the South African Championships that Chris was also competing in; Misano in June, Brands Hatch in August & Vallelunga in September.
With help from his supporters Alex was successful in raising the money needed to be able to contest the first two and have an option on the last round.
The one thing about buying your place in a team? Every thing is done for you. All Alex had to do was get to the circuit, this was done by a flight from Standstead to Forli Airport, hiring a car and a trip to Cattolica where our hotel was, only 5km from the Circuit.
On our arrival at the “Misano World Circuit” we were immediately amazed by the show that is laid on at every round of this World Super Bike Championships, very impressive.
We soon found the MIST Suzuki set-up the team Alex was riding for and got Alex signed on and through technical inspections with the WSBK Inspectors.
After all the paper work was done it was back to the hotel.
Cattolica situated on the Rimini coast is like Blackpool without the promenade but with 30 degree temperatures. Hotel after hotel, this is the vacation capital of Italy, our hotel, which was keenly priced; was situated right next to the railway lines that ferried them all in!
However we were so tired it didn’t stop us sleeping Thursday night. It did however wake us up at 4.00, 4.30, 5.00, 5.30, get the picture?
Friday - Free Practice and First Qualifying.
Will not go into to much detail but the bike had some faults, the extreme heat only emphasised them.
However Alex set about learning the track in free practice making some adjustments to the set up for 1st Qualifying, his best time from Free Practice which was held around mid day with ambient temp at 31 degrees and a track temp of 35 degrees.
1.50.819 this put Alex down in 31st place of the 34 riders who took part. The other Brits “Gino Rae” was 2 places nearer the front with a time of 1.49.428. “Leon Hunt” who races in an Italian team and who had been at the practice day a fortnight ago was in 24th position with a 1.48.134.
The fastest time from this session, Italian “Antonelli” put in a time of 1.43.190
Qualifying One - Started at 16.30, track temp 43 Degrees, Ambient 30 degrees.
Alex managed to drop around 4 seconds on this his second time on track and put in a 1.46.620 Now I must stress we did not treat this as a qualifying session, Alex had still to learn the track and was approached rather as a practice session than going for a qualifying time, this would normally be a very big gamble, as if it rained in the second qualifying session; obviously the time from this dry run would stick.
But hell it’s Italy, the sun’s splitting the trees and tomorrows forecast was for more of the same.
Although Alex took 4 seconds of his time, the problem was every one else went fast as well Leon was in 23rd with 1.46.091 and Gino a place in front of Alex with a 1.46.057.
An old Pal of Alex’ “Billo” Gregorini who Alex had Practiced with when they both raced Minimoto’s took provisional pole on this, his home circuit with a 1.42.291.
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Alex #72 on the grid with Mike to his left in the red shirt, and fellow “Brit” Gino Rae with part of his team is on the left of the picture |
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Not many pictures form the weekend; we had too much on our plate to be farting about with a camera.
Sorry!
Qualifying Two - Saturday 12 .15 to 12.45, Ambient 29 degrees, Track temp 46 degrees.
Again although told otherwise Alex took this as a race practice, until we brought him back into the pits midway through the session and reminded him. He went out and managed to get a few laps being towed in the slipstream of faster bikes and put in a time of 1.44.788 a “Gnats thingy” in front of Gino’s time of 1.44.838 with Leon’s time of 1.44.590 gathering the three Brits together on the grid for the race!
In 24th, 25th, and 26th place. Pole position went to Italian “Michele Magoni” with a 1.41.612
I can’t say “I” was unhappy with that result as Alex races better than he qualifies (Something to do with me bullying him about crashing).
Remember Leon and Gino have been doing this all year on their own bikes here was Alex on a strange bike first time in a situation like this in front God knows how many spectators and riding in temperatures I couldn’t bare to stand in never mind exert myself.
For him to be only 3 seconds of pole on this very technical track, the first time in this company was Ok I think.
We had done all we could, fresh tyres, the suspension was not going to get any better, we cleaned and refuelled, the bike was ready, Alex was still not happy but under the circumstances we could do no more and as 17.15 approached it was time for the Race.
We went to the holding area at 17.20 temp 31. track 46 Sighting lap started at 17.25, as the riders returned to the grid it was tyre warmers on and crash helmets off. We hid Alex under an umbrella searching for that little bit of shade from the blazing sun, as the 3 minute board came up it was back off with the warmers and clear the grid for the start.
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Opps………How did that picture get in there? ;-) |
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This is my version seen through my eyes, backed up by information from Alex after the event, so no doubt will be open to interpretation
The Race
As the lights went out Geno got the mother of all starts being two rows nearer the front before the bulbs were cold, Alex fluffed and as the bikes passed me he was back in last place, however he pushed from the off and as he came back round he had made it up to 18th place.
Alongside Belgian “Lonbois” and Italian “Poma” the three swapped paint for 4 laps, at one point Alex was up to 16th place and he also told me he had been physically pushed wide by one rider as the rider passed him, Alex said,” I just did the same to him at the next corner to retake the place”.
Toward the end of lap 4 “Poma” who Alex was slipstreaming missed a gear forcing Alex to sit up and brake to avoid running into the back of the bike, four riders got by Alex, who from braking had lost so much momentum and that, as they say; thar was that.
Alex’s bike could stay with them when being towed up the straights but could not punch a whole in the air; when out on his own.
The Russian Rider “Leonov” passed Alex under Yellow flags on lap 7 (which you are not supposed to do) Alex managed to chase him down and at one point got passed him for 21st place but Alex could not get the power down coming out of the corners and was re-passed going up the straight.
Alex finished in 22nd position angry at his performance.
Of the other Brits “Gino” finished in 15th and “Leon” in 24th.
There was also one of the most destructive crashes I have ever seen in the race, a Yamaha ridden by Italian “Petrucci” absolutely destroyed itself, the rider was unhurt but the bike? Front wheel detached, forks ripped off, chassis at one point was at least 20’ in the air and coming back to earth crumpled into a ball, carnage, I think they might have only been able to salvage the internals of the gearbox!
Then on lap 7 another Yamaha crashed and landed “in” the grandstand! Again luckily no one was hurt. As the Grandstand was still under construction and no one had been allowed into it.
Spectacular racing!
I must comment on the French winner “Berger” who had a stunning race long fight with second place Italian “Magnon” Fantastic talent, Superb race! Well done to both of them.
To Sum Up
The trip did its job, I always try to look at the big picture; Alex finishing in 22nd is not a true reflection on how well he did.
In the de-brief Alex told us how close he’d been to coming off at least five times in the race, when he had to take to the grass going round the flat-out right hand kink, when another rider used him for brakes, how he was so close to crashing into the back of the rider who had missed his gear change and twice when applying the power coming out corners.
He said for sure it had been close on many occasions but those times but the two times he counted, he’d been out of the seat and how he just managed to avoid the debris of a crashed bike.
We entered this knowing very little of what goes on or what happens, before we left, obviously we set targets. Our target had been to finish 15th, Don’t ask how we came to that conclusion as we didn’t know who he’d be up against. I suppose it was based on the past performance from the other Brits in the class.
Looking for excuses? Ok the bike was not as good as it could have been. Which did annoy me, I have always insisted only after the bike is perfect do you spend money on frills.
I suppose the WSB Paddock is one that you wouldn’t want to be walking about in rags but you’re here to do as good as you can and until the bike is as fast as it can be, I see now point in just looking good (In 6 years off racing I have never had the money to waste on team uniforms etc).
This was the first time Alex had raced in this sort of company, the first time he has been on a track with a temperature of 45 Degrees (he said the amount of grip between the tyre and track was amazing, which I know sort of contradicts his claim not to be able to get the power down coming out of the corners but believe me, that came from the suspension set-up).
He also said, “he’d got the bike moving around under him” and it was difficult to gauge if the movement would just get bigger or if the grip would just let go instantly and result in a crash (I suppose he’ll have to crash to find out the limit but we didn’t want him to crash someone else’s bike; not this weekend).
The first 10 or 12 riders to finish are professionals i.e. this is their job inside very professional teams ala “Ducati Xerox Junior team” etc and every one takes it very, very seriously!
On the plus side again looking at the big picture, I do honestly believe Alex could have finished around 15th if you look at the ground he had made up and the lads he was with in the opening laps, they finished 13th & 14th. More importantly; I believe with the set up and equipment we have got ourselves at the moment (we’ve just got some more trick bits for his Suzuki), I could have him finish constantly top 15.
To get into the top ten would need an injection of cash and more experience from both Alex and his crew.
Alex learned loads in a very short period of time and constantly got faster as his confidence built.
We got to meet a few old friends and hopefully some new ones.
We would like to thank the MIST Suzuki team for the effort put in.
Also Our good friend “Carlo B” for his efforts and the introductions he arranged, to all of you who contributed to make this trip possible.
Yes it was very worth while, despite the result Alex did a good job and Mike was right when he said after racing in this championship you will not want to race anywhere else.
He was right……shame we can’t afford it!
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