Second Race with Bemsee at Brands

July 23 & 24, 2004 - For this race we shared travelling and accommodation with Richard Norris who kindly helped out while our caravan is still not repaired. Racing at the Croix en Ternois circuit in France gave a holiday feel to the weekend and everyone seemed to be relaxed and enjoying the outing. We arrived Thursday evening and only just got the awning set up before a real downpour and lightning storm. The lightning and intermittent showers carried on all night. The weather started drying on Friday morning and was good for the rest of the weekend. Although I had not booked into the Friday practice day I’d heard that there were a few riders that couldn’t make it out. I shot off to the race office and was very lucky to get the one single slot available, in the Powerbikes class. This was really great news as I could go out and learn the track. The down side was the cost for the practice and then also needing a new set of tyres for the race, but with an advantage of having new tyres to race on.


Friday practice:

The first session was spent riding a centre line to learn the circuit. My right hand suffered from pins and needles by the end of the session from all the braking, and being tense. The following sessions all went a lot better and I was happy with my progress by the end of the day. Scrutineering was done at the end of the day and I took my wheels off to have a new set of tyres fitted.


Saturday Practice:

This was the 10 minute session that I was originally going to use to learn the circuit. Instead, it was just used to scrub in a new set of tyres.


Saturday Race 1: Grid 10 – Finished 7th

Starting from the third row of the grid I got a good start for a change and held 5th place for a few laps, then lost two places towards the end of the race. I was pleased with my result and also my lap times having knocked a second off my best on Friday.


Saturday Race 2: Grid 7 – Finished 4th

A good start from the second row saw me get into the first corner holding position seventh place. I passed a couple of bikes on the first lap to move into fifth. I had a few incidents of being passed but fought back each time. Towards the end of the race Phil Seaton pulled out with bike problems moving me up to fourth. It was a close race with me in fourth leading a group of five bikes across the line covered by only 1.3 seconds. Also, I was the first Yamaha R6 across the line with a couple of Honda’s and a Suzuki in front. My 1998 R6 is a little down on power against these 2004 bikes but still holds up amazingly well for it’s age.


Sunday Race 1: Grid 4 – Finished 5th

This was my first front row start at this level for over 17 years. I had decided to see if I could get into the lead at the first corner. A mediocre start saw me getting to the first corner in about seventh, but being on the inside I could force my way in on a tight line. This got me up to second on the exit, and although not the lead I wanted it still felt good. I held onto the place for most of the lap but was passed by the faster bikes on the straight. I held fourth for most of the race eventually losing one place towards the end. I was very happy with the result but a little disappointed that I wouldn’t be starting on the front row again. Phil Seaton had put in a superb ride from the back of the grid to finish just a second behind me, so he was starting the next race next to me on the grid. Phil wasn’t even born the last time I was on the front row for a race. I was also pleased with my best lap time being only 0.2 of a second off last years lap record. This time I was the second R6 across the line.


Sunday Race 2: Grid 5 – Finished 7th

I was looking for a good start and intended to try to stay with Phil Seaton as long as possible. Plans don’t always work out and I had a really bad start, getting swamped by the rest of the grid and putting me into about 20th place coming into the first corner. I tried a late braking move and for the first time this year got the bike fully out of control with the back wheel sliding from side to side. I could hear the tyre howling even above the noise of all the bikes around me. I was very lucky to get it back under control and turn in without taking anyone out but lost all the places that I’d just made up on the brakes. I passed five bikes by the end of the first lap to be in fifteenth place. From there I settled down and picked off as many bikes as possible every lap. I was really pleased to have made up so many places to finish in seventh. I was riding a lot harder, about 95 percent, and had a couple of moments, one from a slight high-side on the power and one where my front wheel picked up slightly from grinding the left hand engine casing on the circuit.


General Comments:

Overall impressions were a great weekend with a holiday atmosphere and good racing. I feel that my riding is improving all the time but still need to be a bit more consistent to let my safety reserve out. I am starting to get the feel of the bike and getting some good power slides but find I am still a bit slow on the exits. Entry and mid corner speed are as good as the leaders with braking good and well on the limit.

The next race is at Cadwell Park in a few weeks time. I don’t know the circuit well so I will try to get in on the practice day the day before to get some track time. If I do I hope to place in the points for all the races to build on my overall standings. With no practice it will be difficult to get my pace up to do as well as I would like.

Special Thanks & Recognition

A special thanks goes to Richard Norris for helping with transport, accommodation and a great weekend.

In the Supersport 400 class Richard rode really hard all weekend and even with some cramp problems on Sunday, causing gear shifting difficulties, still pulled in good results to maintain his second place in the Championship.

Greville was a bit off the pace in the Friday practice but stepped up a gear for the Saturday and Sunday races to put in some great rides.

Phil Polden was looking smooth and good on circuit at his first, and much looked forward to, outing at Croix.

A special well done to Allan Russell, from A&R racing and one of the Adopt-a-Racer sponsors, for outstanding rides and the lap record.

Ron Fry was nearly untouchable at the front for the whole weekend.

The SS400 was the class that I intended to race in this year. It doesn’t get the credibility it deserves even though the top riders are as good as any in any class. The overall pace and the depth of field are amazingly competitive giving close racing from the front to the back of the pack.
 

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