2nd August 2003 - Brands Hatch

I realised after Croix that my new Rennsport tyres had worked quitewell as I didn't have any slides or anything and the whole bike felt very planted. As I hadn't used them anywhere else I wasn't sure whether that was just down to the surface at Croix or maybe the slow speeds I was running. Having put the basics of the bike back together and ordered a few spares I decided to enter the SuperTwins round at Brands Hatch. The Mini Twins weren't running hear (although three others did enter to get some practice as well) andI could make sure the bike was working without any additional pressure.

I couldn't afford to do the practice day but went down on the Thursday evening to make sure I got a garage for the weekend. I returned on friday afternoon to do some more work on the bike. I had noticed that in previous races the radiator had been leaking very slightly so I had got hold of another and set about fitting it before getting the bike scrutineered.

I was very nervous as although it had only been a couple of weeks since I had ridden a bike I was still fairly badly bruised after Croix and knew it would take a while to get my head back in to racing. It would also be the first time on Rennsports at Brands so it woul dbe a learning experience if nothing else. Race day was sunny which was a relief and I wobbled out in practice to get a feel for the place again. The bike seemed to be working but my lap time started at well over a minute and i was only down to 0:58.xx by the time we were shown the flag. This was not a good start as I was surrounded by a whole grid of powerful Super Twins, some with over twice the horse power I had on tap.

Race 1 - Super Twins

I was lined up beside Gary Nicholas with another couple of SV650s behind me. I made an okay start to the practice lap and managed to go straight out and do a reasonable lap. The actual start was pretty good also and I got by Gary when he got boxed in and tried to stay out wide in to the first corner. I had the opportunity to block the Mille that started on the other side to me but in the end let him through on the way in to the first corner. I managed to stick with a bunch of Super Twins although what they made up down the hill I got back on the brakes. in fact I used exactly the same manouevre that I did on Red the last time we were here and went round the outside of the whole pack on the way through Druids only to be blocked by Gary on the way out!

A couple manage to get back on the way down the hill as I was still a bit nervous having crashed at Graham Hill the last time we were out on the Indy circuit. My crap line let another couple through on the way down towards Surtees although I got alongside the Mille that was next to me on the grid on the way out and underneath him through Clearways. I was right on the back of the Ducati in front until they both got upright enough to open the throttle and I went backwards very rapidly! I was back with the Mille by Paddock Hill and went round the outside of him at Druids. He had a better line for the next corner but I was back with him and alongside through Clearways.

This continued for the next six or seven laps. There was a train of us with five Super Twins ahead with me hanging on to the back. I could get alongside the Mille rider on almost every corner but couldn't make a break so that he didn't get be back on the straights. I am sure I could have gone faster had I been able to get some clear track and the guys in front certainly weren't pulling away. I tried to work out the best line and save it for the final lap but I made a small mistake going through Surtees and could only get alongside him on the exit to Clearways. He crossed the line just half a second in front of me with only two and a half second separating me from a guy on a bored out Ducati in 22nd place! I did get down to 0:55.94 which is about three quarters of a second off my previous best but I was quite happy after recent events.

Race 2 - Super Twins

I was expecting a repeat performance for the second race so I was determined to get a better start and get ahead of these guys. My start was certainly better but the drive these Super Twins can get on the way in to the first corner is amazing. My biggest problems wasn't to be the Super Twins though, it was the line of cement dust covering oil on the way in to Paddock Hill that went right across my normal line (and favourite overtaking place)! I did manage to get in front of the Mille on the start but as I slotted in behind the next Ducati he barged his way up the inside to relegate me down a place.

I did my usual trick of taking the Mille and the Ducati round Druids but they were both back in front by the time I completed the lap. I stuck with the Mille for a couple of laps before he managed to outdrag the Ducati down the back straight and I had a new rider to play with. His lines were a little different to the other guy so it took a couple of laps to get the hang of where he was going. he was harder to get alongside in the corners but wouldn't pull away so much down the straights. I was pretty sure I could get by on the last lap but things didn't go quite to plan as the leader managed to lap me a couple of corners from the end and Ididn't manage to get in tot position to make a move stick. I bettered the time from my previous race but was still about 0.2 seconds behind my best. Grrrr! I had managed to hold on to 26th place which was where I started so it wasn't a total loss.

The temperature seemed to have picked up as the rear tyre was sliding around a lot through Clearways and Druids which it hadn't been doing before. When I looked at it after the race there were a few places where bits of rubber had broken off so it was obviously time to change it. Strange that it had only done practice and a few races at Croix but they were all in the blistering heat and it was the very soft compound rather than the medium one so I wasn't too worried.

The bike ran quite well although I would have done better with different gearing I was more interested in making sure the radiator wasn't leaking and that everything else was working okay. Off to Mallory Park next week to instruct with the Motorcyle Folly and then on to Cadwell Park for the next round of the Mini Twins series. Quite looking forward to it as I want to get as many points as I can before we get caught out by the weather!