Tribute to Eglington
September 11, 2001 - I’ve only known
Mike since 1997, but I do know that racing is and always
will be his first love. I can see it in his eyes and in
the way he moves his hands when he relives his every
moment on the circuits. When I look at the photos and
hear the stories of his countless races, I know that his
racing successes were due to hard work, dedication,
determination and an unwillingness to ever give up.
His pride in getting the HMSO sponsorship is evident but
there is also a sadness and a tinge of regret that the
recession brought such an untimely halt to his racing
days.
I realised from the start how much racing meant to him,
how much he missed it and how determined he was to race
again. So we made a “some day” pact – that some day he
would race again and be reunited with his first love.
All seemed to be going to plan when 18 months ago, I
sustained an injury that left me needing a wheelchair
much of the time. Mike’s racing was once again put on
the back burner although we kept our “some day” pact.
The initial break came when he was given the opportunity
to race as a sub-rider for Coyote Racing at the
Snetterton 8-hour Endurance Race on August Bank Holiday
week end.
Excitement and anticipation filled the days before the
race. I had never seen him race before and unspoken
questions filled my head. Would he still be capable of
racing after a 10-year break? Could he stand up to the
demands of an 8-hour endurance race on a bike he had
never ridden before? Would the leathers still fit?
During practice on the Sunday, it began to rain. Mike
took things slowly and surely, getting the feel of the
new bike. His lap times steadily decreased as he found
his rhythm and lines, but because of the rain, he wasn’t
able to fully explore the capabilities of the Coyote
Yamaha R1 bike.
Monday dawned dry and sunny and Mike was keen to get on
the circuit. Throughout his first hour, I had limited my
view of him to behind my camera lens, wanting to capture
every moment of his return to racing. On his second run,
I made my way to Riches Corner. Something prompted me to
just watch and leave the camera alone.
As Mike raced into the corner and disappeared onto the
straight, I caught my breath. I had never seen anything
so beautiful or spectacular in all my life. It was like
a finely choreographed ballet. He and the bike were one.
I was in total awe and in that moment, I understood
completely.
In the final laps of the race, the bike stopped again
but he would not give up. Running to Pit Lane with the
bike, he had the the pit crew by-pass the fuel pump and
with only minutes left, he jumped on the bike, did the
final lap and brought her home to the chequered flag.
The smile on his face said it all and 10 years melted
away; it was as if he had never stopped racing. “Some
day” had arrived.
Was he still capable of racing after a 10-year break?
Without a doubt. Had he stood up to the demands of an
8-hour endurance race on a bike he had never ridden
before? Like a teenager and he wanted more! Did the
leathers still fit? Ooooh yes and very handsomely, too!
And the next “some day”? It's got to be a full endurance
racing season for him next year.
Mike – this website is dedicated to all that you are and
all that you have achieved in spite of some pretty big
obstacles. I'm behind you 100% of the way! And thanks
for sharing Snetterton with me. It was pure magic and
I’ll never forget it.
Kailah
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