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 Race Report April 2003
It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was wheeling the bike into the shed after the 2002 season but here we are again for another summer of mayhem, mishaps, and maybe the odd good result or two!
Pre Season
We didn’t have much to do to the bike over the winter as, hopefully, the engine will last a while longer after being rebuilt in June 2002 following the major blow up in Scotland. A quick lick of paint to brighten up the fairing, it’s now gloss black instead of matt black, a new chain, oil, plugs and base gasket and it was time for pre season testing:a quick blast up and down the street just to let the neighbours know that Spring had sprung!
Aghadowey 29th March
Aghadowey is an old airfield circuit which is always windy, freezing cold and usually wet so it was a pleasant surprise to eveyone that the sun shone and the rain stayed away. Was this an omen for a good season ahead or just wishful thinking on my part?
Practice
As usual I spent the only practice session riding like a granny. I just can’t go quickly in practice as the wee voice in my head is always saying “don’t wreck the bike, no-one wins practice!” although I did manage to overshoot one of the chicanes. Oops!
Race 1
I was on the front row and got a good start and tucked in behind the leader for the dash down the straight to the first chicane, which resembles a lay-by, all the while knowing the more nimble 350s would nip past me as I tried to muscle the ‘bomber’ through. Just as I predicted, I was second on the way in and fifth on the way out! It stayed like that the rest of the race as the leaders disappeared and I was left circulating with no-one near me. To stave off the boredom I started leaving my braking later and later for the hairpin just to see how much I could get away with. When the bike went sideways I decided that was enough silliness, I’d found my limit and that I’d leave the sideways heroics to Valentino!
Result: 500cc class 2nd , Overall 5th
Race 2
The second race was a carbon copy of the first race with me in fifth place and no-one near me. So rather than scare myself at the hairpin I decided to see how big a hole I could wear away in the fairing at the ‘Chicken Run’ which is a slow second gear left hander. I managed to take about three inches out of the fairing before I reckoned it was getting silly and I was in danger of sliding off but by that time the race was over.
Result: 500cc class 2nd , Overall 5th
It was a good days sport which leaves me second in the championship and hungry for more.
FIRE!
One week later my season nearly went up in smoke! As I was starting the van to go to work one morning the starter motor shorted out literally blowing the solenoid apart and the sparks set light to the wiring! All I could see was black smoke rising from the engine! Two fire extuingshers later the fire was under control until the Fire Brigade arrived. It was a close call though as the van was full of diesel and parked at the door of the shed where the bikes are kept! It took a sizeable chunk out of my race budget to fix it so the tyres are going to have to last another race or two!
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