Fourth Race Day
Snetterton
New ERA MCC Rounds 4+5 with MSV Testday
After managing to finish work early on Friday, it was nice to get on the road for the long trek to Snetterton. A journey none of us were looking forward to but 3 days of track action means we’ll travel anywhere for it. Fortunately this time there was hardly any bad traffic and so we managed to get into circuit at about 8:30pm. Still glorious weather we cracked open a few beers and settled down for the night.
A slightly different track day awaited us on Saturday as this time it was an MSV track/test day so all the ACU racers would be n the one group. This meant that fingers crossed we could pick up on lines from the other racers a bit quicker than a ‘normal’ trackday. It also meant that we could legally use our lap timers which by the end of the day became really useful as we kept ticking of the seconds. I know I complain about the weather quite a bit, so you’ll be pleased to know that once I tell you it was scorching all weekend that will be the last time I mention it in this report.
So there we are, brand new circuit to learn with a load of fellow racers all gagging to get out on track. As is normal, the fastest group always goes out first so that meant 9am sharp, we were out on track. Learning a new track is always exciting but can be tricky especially when you’re thrown in at the deep end with plenty of 1000’s on what’s basically two big straights followed by a few corners. What it does mean for me though is the fact generally 1000’s are a bit slower through the turns than my agile little R6 so I could follow some of them through and get to learn the lines a bit easier than picking up in them myself. Something I always struggle with is how quick my bike can change direction and after the first session, that is my biggest problem, early apexes causing me to lose drive onto the fast bits and not having a decent line to the next corner. As the day goes on, I start to get a bit more speed and have much better lines. Times not overly impressive but considering its still the morning I’m happy with my progress and really starting to love the first bend as it’s a case of go in much faster than thought and use the extra corner speed to line up for the slower 2nd bend. My favourite is Corams Curve though, a very fast right hander just before the chicane leading onto the start-finish straight. Just hope someone taken some pics of that as I’d love to see the lean angle I was getting.
After the dinner break we’re out first again and with a few tweaks to the bike and a sprocket change to improve my rev range through a few bends its starts clicking together so much better. Studying the MCN/Dunlop track guide helps with some of my problems and enables me to make the most of the bomb hole’s positive camber which I knew I was quite slow with. The gearing change was stunning though, as I was bogging down coming out of a few bends meaning extra work low down. The one up on the rear meant it was just on the bottom of the torque curve and able to pick up much quicker and fire me down the straights. Excellent…just gotta find out how to do these two chicanes that are causing so much problem and we’re ready for race day. After speaking to a few in the paddock I have some ideas to try and find myself braking later than I ever expected to and it does help with the line but its still a tricky corner to get right and the transition fro left to right and drop a gear unsettles my bike quite a but heyho I’ll keep at it.
The day draws to what seemed like an early end but a quick check of the clock and its bang on 5pm so this is it. No more practise just racing to get on with. I ended up with a 1:18 something from the practise day and I was more than happy with that seeing as my team mate could only manage a 1:15 so 3s behind him after a day isn’t bad considering the lack of spec on my bike. Although I would have preferred to be closer I can hopefully grate a bit more time off during the next two days of racing.
A few jobs to do on the bike before Scruteneering and its ready for Sunday racing. Just leathers and sign in to get done on Sunday morning and that’s the admin work all finished with for the following two days. Well it would have been if I had remembered re lock wire the sump bolt after changing back to my std exhaust ready for the strict MSV sound checking. Not too bad and a quick job before heading back up there. Finally ready to settle down on Saturday night the beers get cracked open and time to chill out before racing starts.
A good breakfast is essential for me to get on with racing so a bacon and egg sarnie goes down a treat on Sunday morning(thanks Jacqui) and before you know it, it was getting close to our practise/timed qualifying session. So get changed and quick check of bike to make sure everything is still in order, which it is.
At the start of the day we had someone join us in the other side of our garage. A nice couple of lads and after speaking to them I found out the rider also qualified on the 3rd row with a time slightly quicker than mine. So with a new challenge to beat the garage mate the banter during the day was great. Plus the fact he was American so even more pride at stake.
Right here we go, almost thirty 600 bikes on track at once and as per usual the intensity of it is way more than I expected. After the first couple of laps I realised I needed to pick my pace up quite a bit still and really start trying again. I must admit my first session of the day is never the best and I seemed to be struggling with a few places compared to other riders but try to tag onto the back of a few that pass me. This helps as it brings me forward a bit but nothing like what I had hoped to get. I ended up with a 1:17.35 and very disappointing 12th on grid. Not too bad but I know I can go better.
Race one isn’t until after dinner but the time passes quickly and so off up to the waiting area I head. For this first time, we have one lap until the grid and then another warm up lap before the race starts. This gives me even more time to warm up the tyres and more confidence going into turn one. Having been watching the start lights all day I notice they are some of the fastest I’ve ever seen, so make a mental note to make sure I’m ready for it. The marshal walks off the grid with his red flag and no sooner have the lights come on, they are out again and racing underway. I don’t get the best start slipping the clutch way too much but still moving forwards at a decent rate. Yet again the power of my R6 enables me to re pass the couple that had shot past. As we tip into the first corner one rider upsets himself and stands it up causing all kinds of confusion which holds up everyone from about 5th place backwards. I was hoping to tag onto the fast boys as they headed up to the second corner but already a gap has emerged but I’m the second rider in chasing pack. We tip in and I’m heading for a very early apex so have to keep the throttle low as I try and turn enough before full gas for the Revit straight. Another rider comes past but my bike again allows me to pass him and chase down the guy in front. I get almost level before we have to brake under the bridge for the tricky first left. My braking wasn’t the best and two riders shoot up the inside before we flick it back right and head up towards the bomb hole. Again I feel a bit slow through that but manage to get awesome drive out and towards Corams where I make up a bit of ground only to lose that on braking for the chicane. I manage to hold the position for a couple of laps when one of the GSXR Cup boys shoots past me. I try and tag onto the back of him but as he pulls a little bit each lap yet more come past and by the time I get chance to take a look over my shoulder another 2 had come past me and I was now on the last lap. As I tip into the second corner leading onto the back straight I hear someone very close behind me and its not until we get under the bridge on the Revit straight that I get out braked and find yet another GSXR cup lad going past. Again I manage to hold onto him for a bit but as we head round Corams for the last time I go for the wider line allowing no other than Lloyd Magruder, our garage partner, to come up the inside and take the line through the last chicane. Knowing that he is on a stock Triumph I give it full beans as I exit the chicane only to find that I hadn’t dropped it down enough and was left in 3rd gear so lost a lot of drive to retake him on the start finish, but we do cross the line almost together. Gutted, I come home not knowing where I had finished but quite pleased with the way I had raced. Managing to pick up on other people’s lines through some of the corners and gaining time in a few sections I hope for a better fastest lap than in the qualifying.
When the timesheets had come down I wasn’t disappointed to see I had managed to not only get consistent 1:16’s but also managed to drop in a 1:15.74 and finished 15th on track and 5th in Superstock and 3rd Novice. Superb start considering the competition here today and only one way forward now. I refuel the bike and put an extra click of rebound on to try and sort out the slight tearing I’m getting on the rear tyre. Hopefully be able to get a bit more positive drive out of the slower corners too.
Race two starts and again I cock up the start, this time not enough gas and it bogs down a little but picks up nicely and the pack heads down to the first corner. This time I made sure I was on the wider line in case anything like the first race carnage happened. It didn’t and we all got round ok. Using some of the F600 lads for brake markers I did out brake myself slightly and went quite wide onto the back straight. This lost me quite a few positions initially but the R6 powers down the straight passing what feels like 3 riders before we brake into the first left hander. I take the inside line to try and protect what I had got back but end up going way too slow and lose out on drive up to the Bomb hole and round to Corams. Another couple pass me as we tip into Corams but with them being way off line I manage to hold onto them through the chicane and pass one back as he misses a gear or something. As we continue to dice with one another its apparent that he is much faster through the corners but I can make it back up with the power of the R6. This is until about the 5th or 6th lap when braking for the left hander at the chicane three GSXR Cup boys come shooting past me. I don’t know how they all managed it but two up the inside and one round the outside before we flipped it back right and up to the Bombhole. I stay with these GSXR front runners for less than a lap and again as we head under the bridge I try to brake as late as I thought possible when yet again another one sticks it up the inside of me. This time I make sure I stick with him and again repass on the straight only to lose out on braking for the first corner. I stay with him all the way round Riches and up to sears where I get pushed out wide as he has the inside line. This loses me the drive onto the Revit straight and he immediately gaps me by about 2 seconds as I recover. Now back on my own race again I fly round Corams only to be out braked up the inside by Ben Phillips again. This time I cant manage to catch him up on the straight and he starts to gap me slightly. Nothing I do or try seems to make any difference to my lap times and I start to feel myself drift backwards. This was until I see Ben looking down to his left on the Revit straight on the last lap. Unsure of whats happened to him I sail past and take a look behind to see what else is coming, thankfully not much. I keep my head down and press hard for the last lap and manage to stay where I was. Knowing I had beaten Lloyd and Ben was a good feeling but I thought that I had raced well below par and felt quite bullied out there for once.
Sulking as I go up to race control my mood quickly lifted as I see that my overall race time is less than 2 seconds lower than the first one. my fastest lap wasn’t quiet there but with a 1:15.93 I wasn’t as slow as I had first thought. Finished 13th on track and 4th Superstock and again 3rd novice. Considering the company and the state of tune of some of these bikes I was more than happy enough with the first days racing and confident about Mondays two races.
Over night we had the usual good fun, cant say how nice the people are in the New Era paddock and with weather as scorching as it was then the beers go down even easier.
With New Era running the same format on both days, this meant another chance at qualifying and hoping to get a better grid slot for todays racing and as I headed up to the assembly area I could feel the nerves kicking in again. I can honestly say that the session had passed before I had started to get into a groove. I knew I had some ok laptimes from the people I was chasing down but checking the on board laptimer from time to time I kept seeing 1:17/18’s’s which was not good. I came in dejected and fairly pissed off with myself at how I had performed but yet again the time sheets proved me wrong. Although one or two of the really quick boys had gone home, I was still surprised to see myself 7th on the grid. A much better position for me and being on the 2nd row have the chance to sneak by anyone on the front row who has a poor start.
As we lined up for the start I adjusted my clutch in slightly and this is what I believe helped me to get a much better start. Tagging onto the back of the leading pack of 5 riders we headed up through Richies corner and Sears where I went a touch wide losing out one place but kept it all the way through to the end of the lap and again on the start finish straight I managed to pass another rider before tipping in for Richies. On through to Sears I manage to get a nice drive onto the Revit straight and catch up to the next guy who I stick with all the way through the complex before getting to the chicance where I see its Ben Philips, taking a bad corner, I manage to just about sneak past up the straight and into the first, Richies corner again. Head down and riding harder than I have ever done, I manage to keep in front of the two guys up my chuff for a good couple of laps. This was up until my front brake reservoir bracket snaps, not a problem I thought, with enough fluid in the master cylinder and pipe I didn’t think I would lose the brakes. How wrong I was!! On the fastest straight at Snetterton I go for the brake under the bridge and start tipping left when I realise that my lever has in fact come all the way back to the bar, another quick pump sees me scrub off enough speed but with a wayward line I lose out to a rider who shoots up the inside. I carried on with this, praying that it does keep slowing me, but start to have to brake earlier and earlier for each corner so I can scrub off enough speed. This undoubtably loses me time each lap which considering my pace I was devastated but had to continue as I wasn’t going to miss out on championship points. I thought to myself, if I have to, I’ll jump but there was no was I was giving up and pulling in because of it. The rest of the race I slowly lose time and as more riders come past I try and keep with them but having no confidence in the brakes lasting didn’t help and saw me drift back quite a way, thank god those GSXR Cup boys didn’t assault me this time though otherwise my position on track could have suffered even more.
Into pit lane and I see my best mates girlfriend and mum clapping me, so I thought I must have done ok but little did they know how much I had lost with my brake problem. After coming into the garage and quickly assessing the damage, it was fixed and the brakes bled off to make sure all was well. Now a quick refuel before off up to race control to see how I’d done and how far I’d dropped back.
How can I describe this feeling, stunned doesn’t come close enough and amazed seems too much. I’m not a big money man and therefore don’t have new tyres etc for each round (or race as some people do…god knows how). So for me to be able to get a 1:14.53 on tyres that had done the test day on Saturday and also one days racing already I was pretty damn pleased with that. The bike didn’t move underneath me so I was even more confident for the next race. Finishing 8th on track and 3rd Superstock along with 3rd novice again so was more than pleased just wished I could have kept it where it was as I was apparently in 6th for the first three or four laps before the disaster struck.
Super confident for race two I couldn’t wait to get back out there. This time I wanted a better start and better second corner so could try and hang with the really quick boys down the back straight. Sadly this didn’t happen, I got murdered off the start and never managed to get with them. Still, head down and pushing hard I was still behind my closest rival, Anthony Haywood, and on similar machinery I tried my best to stick with him for as long as I could. This didn’t last long before Ben Phillips had sneaked past but I pushed even harder and managed to keep with him for the next couple of laps. I managed to get past him again on the back straight (he must hate my bike) and hold him all the way to the last chicane where he dived up the inside only to make a right mess of it and lose out to me and another rider behind me. With clear track ahead of me again I pushed harder than ever to try and catch up to the rider I cold just about see in front of me. Sadly as the race went on my bike started to get all squirmy underneath me and I’m not really very confident when the bike moves so could feel myself not applying power soon enough through the corners. Not really losing out too many places but slowly going backwards as the front running GSXR Cup lads got past one by one. Trying to keep up with these guys was even harder this time with a shot rear tyre but I concentrated on corner speed and smooth throttle application to try and make the most of what I had. It helped me by adjusting the way I was riding but I knew from my lap timer that my times weren’t exactly what I had been expecting. After a couple of really big slides through Corams I decided to try and come home in one piece instead of pushing hard to regain the places lost and had sufficient gap behind me to almost cruise home.
Not the best race I had ever had but certainly learnt a lot from it and that’s the main thing. Brakes had been ok too which was a bonus but I think the last few laps of race one being slower it started me off that way in race two. Anyway with the days racing over we packed up and then headed up to race control. Knowing I could have gone better is always a feeling I hate coming away from a race meeting and ending on such wasn’t going to make for a good journey back home so all I could hope for was a bit of luck on the lap times hoping I had got close to the first race of the day. Sadly not, but every cloud has a silver lining. New Era base their Novice trophies on aggregate times for both 600 races, and by luck for me and bad luck for Ben Scranage, who had failed to finish race 2 because of a broken gear lever, I had managed to get 10th on track finish, 3rd Superstock and 2nd novice. But the bigger picture meaning that I had bagged myself another trophy, 2nd Novice in 600’s for Monday!! Wow, yet again overjoyed with it and unexpected. Awesome result and makes the whole weekend worth it!!
Cannot begin to thank Jody and Midland VW enough for getting me on track and now really looking forward to Mallory Park twice next month.
