Athena Road Races - June 2005

It was a long weekend, which started and finished in Belfast, with almost 18 hours driving in between, just to get to Athea (which is close to Limerick). We arrived on the Friday evening in some really warm weather which continued all weekend.

The circuit is basically made up of 4 roads, with two very long straights. I knew I was not going to get brilliant finishes, as I was up against 750cc bikes in the 600 race and GP 250 machines in the 400 race.

But the circuit looked like fun, with and interesting chicane and a very fast corner just before the start finish line.

Practice went very well on the 600; the gearing was right and I was still learning my way round the 3.8 mile circuit, but I still qualified 7th out of 45. On the 400, the gearing was too short and meant it was banging up against the rev limiter for a while on both straights, so we changed the gearing before the race. I qualified 15th out of 40.

There were a few incidents with the new chicane as the bollards, used were a little high and people had caught them with their knees and one with his finger.

The race morning was beautiful, and it became a really warm sunny day.

The Support 401-750 race was first and after a good start where I kept up with the lead group through lap 1, it was stopped as someone had come off going through the village (there were some really bad potholes and manhole covers through the village bends and it was difficult to do anything else than cruise through them almost upright !)

The re-start went well and I got ahead of the 750 beside me on the grid, braking into the first corner. This happened a couple of times until I got past him and managed to stay in front. I got my head down and put in some good laps. I clipped the chicane on lap three and I still have the bruise (a week later)…ooops !

going up the hill on the second last lap, I was passed by the 750 and he left me, going down the long straight, I had too much to make up and never caught him again, despite some very late braking.

I finished in 9th position, which made me 2nd 600 home and I was very pleased with the result for such a power circuit. My lap times were 2 seconds faster than practice.

The 400 race was great fun (despite the lack of power in the bike). I got a good start, but there was no way I could keep up with the fast bikes, so I put in as smooth fast laps as I could. On lap three I managed to slipstream and pass another 400 on the back straight. It seemed to take forever to get past him but I managed it and stayed ahead. My lap times were a whole 7 seconds faster than practice and I finished in 10th position overall.

This again was very good considering the nature of the circuit and I was more than happy.

The last race for me was the 401-750 non championship race, which is other wise known as ”The Dash For The Cash” (the only prize being money).

I got away very well and from the first corner was in front of the 750 which beat me in the first race. I knew if I could stay ahead of him and get some good laps in, I could finish a place or two higher. I stayed with the lead pack for 2 laps, before the 750’s began to pull away a little and I had some clear track to put in some good laps and do some late braking.

The hill and corner over the start finish line was great to get right and can be taken flat out in 5th on a 600cc bike (even although its a blind corner). It is such a good feeling to get it right, without having to back off on the throttle at all.

Even at the end of the race the lead bike were not that far ahead and it turned out that it was only 14 or 15 seconds, so I was really pleased to have kept so close to them at my first time on the circuit.
I could hardly believe my result when I heard….4th !!

I thought I was going faster and I was. I had got sub 2 minute laps, which is over 100mph. It just proves that the more lap time I can get on a new circuit, the faster I can go……..!

It turned out there were over 30,000 people at the race that day and there was a real festival atmosphere all weekend. What an amazing place to race !

It was a great end to such a great weekends racing. I cant wait until Skerries on the 1st and 2nd of July.

Thank you to my main sponsors this year.