2nd May 2004 - Snetterton

Thanks to everyone who made suggestions about the bike jumping out of gear. I changed the oil to double check that there weren't any stray bits of metal floating around to indicate something serious and all I could really do was adjust the clutch to see if that would help. Despite some generous offers to help pull the engine casings off for a closer look I was doubtful that there was anything I could do so I should just learn to live with it and push the bike harder.

Race 1 - Mini Twins

I had an okay start and only got mugged by a few bikes from the row behind in the first corner. Sarah Jordan had made a worse start than me and we were soon back to our old ways with me gaining in the corners and losing on the straights. I was convinced I could get the better of her this time until the bike started coming out of gear again out of the chicane. It didn't happen often but losing any drive on to the straight is a problem. I finally lost the tow and any chance of getting back when it came out of gear four times in quick succession on lap three and I'm sure I counted eight bikes came by.

Fortunately I was still feeling fairly confident as we went in to the Esses and after a bit of a bundle I managed to go round the outside of another bike to make up one of the places I lost down the back straight. I know the riders must be getting better drive out of the corners but it really feels like the newer fuel injected bikes have more power where it counts. Obviously being 6'2" and 14 stone (1 stone lighter than last year - Yay!) may not be the best plan on a bike without a full fairing and screen but I guess that's the price I'm going to have to pay for riding something different.

Despite the lack of power/excess of weight problems I had a thoroughly enjoyable race - I don't think I've ever overtaken so many people in my life. Obviously most of the time I was just overtaking the same person a number of times but I managed to improve my lines in places that have always scared my before (mainly through Sears and the right hand element of the Esses). I did lose a bit of the tow from the pack I was racing with after slowing to avoid some dirt on the track between the Esses and the Bomb Hole where Lawrence Harrity had chucked it up the road avoiding someone but soon got my head down and caught them up again.

For the next three laps I overtook at least one bike through Corams and quite often another in to Riches. A couple of laps from the end I had managed to get through the group and found some clear track. In the distance I could see Gary Morris who I had some great races with last year and was amazed at the speed I was able to close the gap. I guess nothing focuses the mind as much as waving on the way past somebody like that :-) I had beaten Gary in the second race on Saturday but he had an appalling start so it was hardly anything I had done. This time I was catching him up and trying to work out where I could get by when I saw the last lap flag come out.

I'd been in this situation before with Gary when we raced here last year and I was determined not to mess it up this time. I was right with him on the back straight and made up a bit more through the Esses and the Bomb Hole. I had enough drive to ride round the outside of him in the early stages of Corams and the dived inside the rider in front approaching Russells Chicane. Some mad last minute braking persuaded Will Jobbins that I had the corner and I despite it jumping out of gear once on the way out I managed to keep it in front to beat Will by 0.22 seconds at the line.

An excellent race that did wonders for my confidence and I also managed to knock 0.63 seconds off my best from last year by lapping in 1:24.05 - Okay so it's not the 1:19.43 I set in my Rookie year but that was on a tuned CBR600. I finished 23rd after starting in 26th place which more than made up for my disastrous start.

Race 2 - Mini Twins

I had resolved myself to riding a bike that was jumping out of gear and still wouldn't go in to top gear down the back straight. Being an idiot I hadn't managed to get any different rear sprockets organised yet and being an Italian bike they made sure that nothing else fitted so there was no way I could change the gearing to improve the top end in fifth without ruining my acceleration so I would just have to live with it. I decided to be a bit slower changing gear out of the chicane to see if that would help.

I watched the start lights for a couple of races before mine and worked out that there was around a 1.5 second gap between the lights coming off and them going off to signal the start of the race. I decided that I would wait that long on the grid and hope they were consistent. I made probably the best start of my racing career and made up about six places before the first corner. Just to prove my luck wasn't going to hold the guy in front of me then almost fell off and entered the first corner hanging off the bike with his leg sticking out to the side. Being cautious I backed off as I was convinced he was going to crash as he careered across the track but, unfortunately for me, he stayed on, the guys around me didn't notice the problem and bundled round me demoting me back a row or two. Sarah did have to say that she had to duck to avoid my elbow though so maybe there is some advantage to these unfaired bikes!

Back in to the swing of things I set about making up the time I had lost. I could see Sarah up ahead and Gary Morris in front of her. I stuck with Sarah for a while but gradually grew tired as the lack of sleep and exertion from the weekend took it's toll. We were both catching Gary and the bike he was dicing with but a couple of gear problems let Les Holloway and Will Foster get by on the way in to the first corner and despite lots of overtaking at Corams and Riches I couldn't make a break whenever I managed to get by so they would overtake me at the next opportunity. I did a couple of out braking manoeuvres at Riches that worked but a change of line caught me out and I had to brake hard and run wide to avoid a collision which then proved to be my undoing.

At the next corner Nigel Voyce pushed me wide and I knew I was in trouble. This is the guy that ran straight in to me at Brands Hatch earlier in the year and also ran in to the back of me at Cadwell punting me on to the grass, okay mud, at the new chicane. The Brands crash destroyed my swing arm (the total damage cost over a grand to put right), caused me lots of additional problems with my bad leg, dislocated my little finger and caused some tendon damage in my right hand. Maybe I was being over cautious (can't think why!) but as many times as I got along side him or even a little way ahead he seemed to do his best to run in to me or run me off the track. Three meetings in a row was getting a bit personal and although I did have the line for a couple of corners he deliberately stayed off line longer than necessary causing me to brake hard to avoid an accident.

After a couple of laps I decided that I would much rather live another day, especially as we were only fighting for 27th place at the time, and let him go. On the very last lap Lawrence Harrity came by on the way in to Riches having started at the back, yet again, after crashing in the morning race. Determined not to lose another place I got alongside him on the brakes for the Esses and at this point I really have to thank Paul Whitby for getting lapped as there was just enough space to get between Paul and Lawrence in the middle of the corner. I had hoped that there wasn't room for Lawrence to follow me through but some how he managed it and we charge through the final couple of corners to the flag. Somehow I managed to keep the bike in gear and beat him to the line by exactly 0.3 seconds.

A frustrating race in many respects, particularly losing so many places after such a good start, but my best lap dropped to 1:23.66 so I must take heart from that especially with the gearbox problems I seem to have suffered from. The one thing I really appreciate is being able to have some really close racing with guys like Lawrence and Gary Morris in the knowledge that they will be hard but fair and nobody will deliberately try to punt someone in to the scenery just to make up a place.

Hopefully I can get the bike sorted in time for Lydden and can build on the positive things from the weekend. Thanks to everyone who offered advice and support with the bike problems and get well soon to Tim Jones who highsided the 125GP bike he was testing on Friday when the engine seized. Well, that's the official line, I think it was just to save embarrassment at being overtaken by me on the way in to Corams! :-)