21st July 2001 - Cadwell Park

After the recent bad weather it was quite refreshing to have a dry track to race on for a change. Got to the circuit having spent my customary night in a local hotel in plenty of time to go through scrutineering and get some breakfast. Still can't get over the lack of facilities at the track but I suspect that it's one of those places that once you work out where it goes the racing will be fantastic fun.

Race 1 - Rookie 600

Started from 25th position at the start of row 7 - with Mandy Wheeler on the row in front and Andrew Miers on the row in front of that. Managed an okay start where I think I overtook as many people as came past. Slowed a little early going in to the first corner only to have Andrew try to come up the inside after his customary awful start. Wasn't having any of that so got back on the gas and made sure he had to take a wide line in to the next couple of bends. He did manage to get by here but I got a better line and outdragged him up the hill towards Park corner.

Had a fairly uneventful time for a few laps until Andrew managed to get his act together and he showed me his front wheel a couple of times. I had pretty much been riding round on my own after losing the tow from the group in front. Picked it up a bit but he managed to get alongside coming out of Mansfield, the hard left at the bottom of the hill. Got on the gas hard and took the racing line pushing him slightly wide. Braked as hard and late as I could for the entry to the Mountain complex and got my head down.

Didn't see him for the rest of the race and finished in a disappointing 19th place having caught up with the two guys in front. Well, disappointing given my recent performance but not too bad for my first race on the circuit. Turns out Andrew had tried to out brake me going in to the Mountain and overcooked it rather and taken to the grass - Tee hee! He eventually finished five places behind me.

A shame I had problems early in the race but the last few laps where quite good fun when I thought Andrew was right behind me. Had some problems with the brakes but figured that was just the new pads that I had put in after having the callipers stripped the previous week. Managed a best lap of 1:44.68 which was okay as a starting point but hoped to improve as the weekend wore on.

Race 2 - Rookie 600

Having gained a fifth row start thanks to my previous finish I was hoping for a good second race. Mandy Wheeler wasn't able to start after crashing out on the last corner of the last lap in the morning race. Hope she gets some good luck soon as she's been having a few problems recently. You can read her race reports and wish her luck via a guest book at http://www.mw-racing.com if you want.

Another average start, I really must work on these, saw Andrew Miers try to come by again on the first couple of corners. It took me a lap or so to get by and I just got my head down and went for it. Didn't see him again but got passed by a couple of guys when I made a mistake at the Gooseneck left hander. Managed to get catch them up again and get by one of them before the end of the race but just ran out of laps to get the other.

Ended up slower than this morning with a best lap of 1:45.79 - Also disappointed to finish 19th again as that is where I started. Then again, there were a couple of very fast guys who crashed in the morning race and came by so I must have passed a couple of extra people to make up for it.

A good first day although still very intimidated by the Mountain where the front wheel would come up with the slightest hint of throttle going over the top. There are still a lot of places where I know I can improve but whether I can string it all together is something else.