TIM CAPPER  JULY - AUGUST- SEPTEMBER & END OF SEASON

Lydden July 15th 16th

We should have been at Oulton Park this weekend, but because of the distance we decided it would be better if we went to Lydden, as it is not far from where I live, and I would get more track time.

However the track time I managed was shortened when I was unable to miss a M Z that had parted company with it's rider on the exit of paddock bend, and I rode straight into the middle of it and managed to get away with just a broken wheel. We still came away happy that I had improved on my lap times.

Cadwell Park August 11th 12th 13th (FullCircuit)

We went to Cadwell on Friday for practice so this gave me lot of time to get to no the circuit, boy did I need all the time I could get, the track is the most demanding I have rode yet with it's wide range of different corners.

To start with you have the up hill left right onto the back straight, then you are into two fast rights joined by a very short straight, then a down hill right left toped off with a adverse camber sharp left, along a short straight and a tight left right flick and you go up a step short hill know as the mountain.  Along the shortest straight ever one more left right for good measure and two more slow rights joined by you guess it one more straight and then you are onto the start finish straight and that's all there is to it!

After Fridays practice I had some idea where the track was going and had soon improved my lap times by 15 seconds A lap! I still needed to improve some more but this was a good start.

In the races on Sunday my best lap was a 1.54 seconds improving my times by 11 seconds and more and finished the races 26^th and 29^th for the Croft re-run.

I am back at Cadwell on 27^th 28^th August and to start the weekend lapping in under 2 minutes and get to finish a race in the top twenty.

Mallory Park August 20^th

I couldn't wait to get to Mallory Park again as I have got much better as a rider, and it was also the track where I achieved my best results.

I had a different set up for the bike this weekend, including replacing some of the foam we originally removed to lower the center of gravity. Unfortunately this meant my leg was bent in such a way that an old injury was being aggravated.

 Once the changes had been made it was fine!

I was pushing myself harder than I had all year and as a result I overshot the hairpin and lack of brakes didn't help either. I couldn't understand why I couldn't keep up with the others but when I came back to the paddock I found we were running completely the wrong gearing.

A very bad weekend for me as I only came 26^th.

Cadwell Park August 28^th

This was the best race I have had so far. My Dad had tweaked the suspension as I was murdering tyres and sliding all over the place.

With the new set-up I went out and immediately went faster than I have ever been before by about 2 seconds a lap.

I did loose the front going into the Gooseneck but I dug my knee into the ground and yanked on the bars and as I straightened up I went into a tankslapper. Thanks to my steering damper I recovered and carried on pursuing the pack.

I managed to gain on the people immediately in front of me on the twisty bits but lost out to them on the straights, but this is when being bigger than most riders in 125's is a disadvantage.

I caught them again and went for the outside line into one chicane and made it stick only to miss a gear coming out of the hairpin!

The last lap was close. As the corner before the mountain, one rider got taken out by a back marker and I nearly followed but managed to pick it up. I pinned it and made it to the flag, just gaining a place to finish 20^th!

Lydden Hill August 16^th & 17^th

Day One

It has to be said that this is the worst possible scenario for a race meeting! Slashing down with rain, cold tyres, no shelter and no practice.

The no practice was an accident. I usually go out with the 125 & 250 GP bikes on my road-based, under powered 125, and it was only after the MZ 250 practice was out that I realised that I should have gone out with them.

I went out for my first race raring to go as I usually go well in the wet, but I was soon taken out by a stray MZ and I went down like a sack of spuds!!

I got up humiliated and frustrated and waited to be picked up by the van to cart me back to the pits.

I very apprehensively went out in the second race and finished even though the tyres would not touch the tarmac due to the amount of surface water, but I did manage to improve my style and vowed to do better on the second day. Fingers crossed!

Day Two

Determined to do better after the disappointments of the previous day and with the good position of 15^th on the grid I was hoping for a good start but the bike bogged down and I dropped back a few places.

I did not let this phase me and I regained 15^th going into the first corner on the brakes. I caught up with the next two riders and watched them for a lap or two. I knew I could have them round the outside on Chessings Drift – I did and left them!

My confidence got a little too high and as I reached the same bend on the next lap I nearly lost it coming over the brow of the hill. The suspension went light and I went for a sideway session mid corner.

I managed to catch up with the next man, who turned put to be the rider of the MZ from the previous day! We were still trying to have each off but it got a little too close for comfort and for safety I backed off and pursued him as we both gained on the 11^th placed man. By this time it was the last lap and I nearly had them both on the penultimate bend, but as we all jostled for position I lost out and found myself at the back of this pack to cross the line in 13^th.

Unlucky for some but definitely my best race so far!

Brands Hatch September 3^rd

I used to love this track but now find it far too short compared to Cadwell Park!

I used the same setting from the first Brands outing and worked well. I just couldn't understand everyone was leaving me behind! It was so frustrating!

I nearly broke the throttle as I was so violent with it. I wasn't braking for Paddock or Clearways and I wasn't braking much for Graham Hill or the Hairpin, but every lap there seemed to be a different problem arising. I got held up by the same backmarker about three times.

I was doing about the same times as the others but I wanted to give up! I was so annoyed but I didn't give in – I just gritted my teeth and gunned it.

Not a good weekend for me only finishing 25^th but it was more track time. And I told myself that ' I will go faster'

END OF SEASON

DONINGTON PARK FINAL ROUND

Arrived Friday afternoon in pouring rain. Tim went out in practice to just get a feel for the track. No point trying too hard and falling so late in the season. Saturday turned out to be just as wet, so qualifying was treated as just more practice. Even so, Tim seemed far happier than earlier in the year, going quite well. Unfortunately, the race was to be held Saturday evening, so lad's didn't get to race in front of big crowd. To cap it all, 3 lap's into the race, the bike developed a misfire, so Tim had to call it a day. This was the only race Tim did not finish all season, not a bad record as it turn's out.

 ACU ACADEMY: DARLEY MOOR

As to be expected of Darley Moor, it was pouring down with rain. We started to set up our equipment when we arrived. Just as we finished, Mick Walker and his two riders turned up in his large setup. It made us look stupid but we remembered that they were only looking for riders that can learn more, not riders that are already winning races. The morning after was just as wet and a bitterly cold wind also made things worse. There was deep puddles of water everywhere on the track and it was very, very slippery. We went out in small groups and we just had to show that we were smooth. You cant be anything else but smooth in the wet else you'll be skidding on your backside down the track. I was going fine and I thought things went really well. Some people went down and the rules were if you crashed, you didn't get through although some of those who crashed, did get through. As I said before, they weren't looking for the race winners, but for those who can improve. In the end, they picked people like Chaz Davies and Craig Jones. Both of these have been winning races and Chaz came second in the Aprilia Challenge but that didn't bother me, its the fact that they lied to us. In the end it was still track time and you can never get enough of that so it wasn't so bad after all.

That's about it till next season, speak to you again soon. Thank's. Tim and Darren.