REPORT:

Getting Ready

"Who needs a table when you have a racing bike .... Shrimps on the Barbie" (Photo copyright Greville Ball)

I had decided to race at Mallory Park in the Thunderbike class as a bit of practice since the Superbike 400s had a 5 week gap between Lydden Hill and Brands Hatch in the middle of May. It was also for a bit of fun both on the track playing with different bikes and off track with a bit of extra socialising.

Mallory Park has had a new chicane added to extend the circuit for the British Superbikes series so I had to learn a 'new' circuit as there was also another chicane put in since the first, and only time I had raced there.

WEDNESDAY

Test day

I travelled up for practice on the Wednesday afternoon as that's the only time Mallory Park allows approved bike testing.

It's actually quite a simple circuit now. The two chicanes have taken away the exit to one of the very fast corners so you have to pick it up earlier to start braking for the new chicane and the second chicane has taken away a nice fast right hander.

It has really become a stop start circuit.

I got fairly comfortable with the circuit even though 2 of the 3 sessions were cut short due to crashers, but I found it quite hard work, for the first time this year I feel my fitness has been questioned. That is something that I'll have to step up a bit now.

SUNDAY

Practice

The Thunderbikes went out with the Rookie 600s so it seemed quite a busy session with the slower riders. I don't think I gained much apart from working out some overtaking places.

Race 1

I was 7th on the grid and got a good start going into the first corner in second. I was chasing the championship leader who was managing to pull a gap on me coming out of the corners on his tuned SV650.

Another SV650 got past me and then another. I was finding that it was impossible to stay with them coming out of the slow corners although on the start finish straight I gained a bit on top speed.

I found that I could catch them up on the brakes but just could not get close enough to attempt an easy move.

As this was not my main championship there was no pint in taking a risk so I settled for the fourth place, 20 seconds in front of 5th.

Race 2

I got a good start but the got cut off by two of the SVs in the first corner causing me to back off.

The plan was to not allow any twins get close enough in the corners to power past me coming out, but unfortunately this caused me to exit the first corner a little slower than I would have liked and the third SV650 managed to get on the inside of me into the first chicane.

I could clearly see where I was faster and I think with a clear track I would have been able to put some quicker lap times in but with the grunt of the twins coming out of the corners once again I couldn't get close enough for an 'uneventful' passing move.

I again settled for 4th.

MONDAY

Race 1

I had already decided that I would not race if it was raining and the forecast was bad so I wasn't expecting to go out. I had heard a lot of rain during the night so was surprised to find the track dry when I got up.

However it was just starting to spit occasionally before the Thunderbikes race but I thought that it wouldn't make any difference as it was very light.

How wrong I was.

I got a good start and was running third when the second placed rider fell right in front of me which I just managed to avoid without losing it myself. This put me in second place and I thought I may be on for a pot.

Another 400 rider, Ben Palmer came past me but as I came round for the second lap I could see yet another faller. I gave chase to Ben but he was obviously on a mission.

The rain came in waves at different parts of the circuit at different times.

It was light but it was incredibly difficult to judge where it was wet, how wet it was, and it appeared to dry at times.

At that point I decided to conserve myself and the bike as this was not 'my' championship, I was there for testing and a bit of fun. The last thing I wanted to do was crash and risk hurting myself and damaging the bike and jeopardising my chances in the SB400 championship.

I carried on but backed right off and ended up 11th.

Race 2

There were some torrential showers and high winds after the first race and I had decided not to race if it was wet.

Although the track seemed to dry very quickly it was still quite wet just before my second race was due to start so I decided not to go out.

Ben Palmer had won the first race but did not appear in the second as far as I could see. It later transpired that he had crashed in the warm up lap.

I had made the right choice not to go out !

All in all I was disappointed not to have raced properly on Monday but it turned out to be a really enjoyable weekend.

It was good to see some other people that were not racing and we were able to relax a bit, have a lovely BBQ and a few drinks.

Thanks to Sooz for saving me a nice spot in the paddock, with some occasional power, and the use of her marquee.