Hmmm, weather looks like its going to be wet. Hope it isnt like it was when they ran the GP that is definately falling over time.

God damnit, stupid weather.

This is the worst part, just the day before when you have to think about it. New leathers with the uber armour arent ready either so will have to fat around in the old ones again.

I want to get on with it. Not happy.

Here's the track...



While Donington Park is popular with the riders it tends to lack atmosphere which makes it unappealing to the viewer.
The short circuit is wide and flowing, repaying fluent riding as much as outright power. There is a predominance of medium-speed bends.
The GP circuit is something of a contrivance, a ploy to cram the necessary extra GP distance into the available space. In contrast to the sweeping character of the rest of the track, the result feels very stop-go and artificial. The Melbourne Loop, as the extension is named, adds a slow chicane and two consecutive hairpin bends. It is thus extremely tough on brakes, probably as hard as any circuit in the world.
Grip is good, although the surface does tear rear tyres if the suspension, particularly the compression, is set too hard.
In the wet it can be treacherous, sometimes offering good grip, other times not. This could be down to the flight path and dropped aviation fuel although a good look at the track will show very small weeds growing in the surface, in particular at Coppice.
Although not an airfield circuit, cambers are slight. Most are neutral, but Goddards, in particular, is significantly adverse.
Riders don't think of Donington as being bumpy, although bumps are a major feature at Goddards and McLeans.
Since curves comprise so much of the track, gearing is a compromise between straights and corners. It is essential to strive for the best possible drive out of each of them, although this may not always be possible.

is treachorous
is down to the flight path

Please dont rain

 

I hate the left into Schwantz Curve. I always overshoot it. I think it's my controller. Damn Xbox.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ScareyH22A &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I hate the left into Schwantz Curve. I always overshoot it. I think it's my controller. Damn Xbox.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Doesn't hurt when you crash either eh!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luke &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Doesn't hurt when you crash either eh!!</TD></TR></TABLE>

But my left thumb hurts after a couple of hours.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ScareyH22A &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I hate the left into Schwantz Curve. I always overshoot it. I think it's my controller. Damn Xbox.</TD></TR></TABLE>

you are taking too much of the track on the exit from the old hairpin.

Maybe I'll go live later and hack a few squids off

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luke &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you are taking too much of the track on the exit from the old hairpin.

Maybe I'll go live later and hack a few squids off </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yup.. I cut the apex too early instead of slowing down like a good boy.

 

Good luck Luke

 

That's it, I'm packing up and moving to England when I'm done with school.

 

good luck...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmeg951 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">good luck... </TD></TR></TABLE>

Back. Hell of a day.

 

more details!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .paul &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">more details!</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes!

I will probably be in the UK (Leeds to be exact) sometime in Jan. Let me borrow one of your bikes so I can do a trackday at Donington

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by big pete &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

yes!

I will probably be in the UK (Leeds to be exact) sometime in Jan. Let me borrow one of your bikes so I can do a trackday at Donington </TD></TR></TABLE>

Heh...only have one and if the plans work out I will have a different 250 for next year, and no-one will be allowed to touch it, unless they put the asking price down before they set off

 

So the weekend started pretty well. The new race truck was nice.


Would have been even better if was ours amazing really they are a BSB team and run a full on 125. It is a full factory TZ125, not a customer kit a factory kit. How does £20K sound, well try another £5-10K on top of that and you'll have your golden number. The worst of it is the girl riding it is pretty average (some would say shxt), still if my father in law owned a chunk of nvidia.......enough of that on to the real world.

Had a fair amount of rain on the way up. There was a meeting on the Saturday and it was wetter than an otters pocket by all accounts. Donington is a nightmare in the wet due to being on the dumping ground known as a filght path.

Woke up early as normal on race day. Was much nicer being in a caravan not a van for a change. You can only take sniffing race fuel for so long during an evening. Unfortunately had a headache, last time I drink more than I should the night before. Its too easy once you get there and sit at the BBQ with a bunch of mates, before you know it you're all Valentino Rossi and half wasted.

<U>Practice</U>


I love looking down the main straight at Donington. It is a proper circuit and only a few weeks ago the GP boys were fighting each other on this very same stretch.

Its been over a year since I raced there. Dont know if any of you remember but it was my first race on this bike. My time last year was 1:27 which is, well wont say anything about what it is but the quick boys are about 1:20 and very quick 1:18, there was room for improvement lets say!

First lap warm get everything warm, feel what's going on. already some tube is trying to stick it to everyone up the inside, let him go and stick to what you want to do is the policy. Down through Craner is awesome. You exit Hollywood and hold it tight to the right then the track goes downhill, very downhill. look for the turn point and as you go through the apex you can really 'feel' the scenery, its weird. Flick right and on to another fun corner The Old Haripin. You are carrying some speed so you need to get it into the corner quickly. Up through Schwantz curve left and left again then into Mcleans. When you get here you need to brake. Its more like noooooo stop, stop, stop on the way in. You have to be careful or you go straight to the kitty litter.

Then the second great corner at Donington, Coppice. Blind uphil entry, you are travelling off the back of the straight. If you get this right it is the difference between hitting peak revs in sixth or being in fifth over-revving on the back straight. I didn't get this right at all in practice, in the race it was better. So scamper down the straight get behind the fairing front lifts under the bridge flat in sixth. Dont know why but I noticed the fairing screen flapping more than normal, maybe speed, maybe I left something loose, perhaps this is what started me thinking?

Brake late and hard into Goddard's, we dont use the loop as the GP does. Its a quick flick right then left. I was not smooth enough. Poxy leathers, cant move in them. The bike shimmied as I got back on the gas, just to let me know what it thought of my ragged style. Things were not well already Second lap got on it a little more. All over the plae through Craner, almost outbraked myself into the Old Hairpin then thought I'd do the same at Coppice. Down the back straight the front felt a bit weird, wonder if the wheel is tight? Thrid lap a bit better, still dont feel I know where I am going. Better into Coppice, i.e slower and a controlled exit. Down the back straight, this isn't right, I looked around the tank at the wheel. Wheel is stil there...check, not wobbling...check, wheel nut still on.....check. Thought I'd pull in and take a look, it was in my head there was something up.

There wasn't.



Mike, on his first outing. Road based RS125 Aprillia. He did ok. 1:47 then the gearbox broke.

<U>Race 1</U>

Blinding start. 5 laps to do. It was pretty good overall. Had a battle with some 125's and went around the outside of an ex European 250 rider, well happy with that. The guide was spot on. Turning into Redgate on the penultimate lap I felt the front move a little, followed by the back. It just drifted ever so slightly, fantastic feeling. Was flowing more now, not so much aggression with the bike. The two danger turns Mcleans and Coppice were working for me better. Especially Coppice. Uphill blind entry, look for 100m marker brake then as soon as you see the corner throw the bike at the apex, no second guess, it feels way to quick as it all arrives from a view of nothng at all but it sticks and in you go. Start getting back on the power and.......fxck me a 125 straight under me, nowhere to go, cant brake, the 125 runs out wider I have the better line and am back on the power. Dont think I am going to miss the bike so I go foe the inside of it. As I go through her knee (yes it was a girl) comes out to tip in right on the side of me. That woke her up, cheeky monkey trying to do me there anyway. Finished 18th, beat a few of the mid pack. Time 1:24, pretty happy.



If only you could hear the noise of this lot. Here are the 125GP grid. There were a couple of BSB kids there, they sound like 250's, making 53HP+. Oh and there is the nvidia rider, she was 4th from last, what a waste of a ride

<U>Race 2</U>
Poor start got stuffed into the first corner. Tip in, no there's a bike there, tip in, no antother one....Craner curves hesitated as some muppet was very slow, big mistake. Two of the people I wanted to beat went through, one RS, one TZ. Fxck, this isnt how its supposed to be! Lap 2/3 started to work harder. Then that girl on the 125. 'Will you fxck off' I muttered inside my lid. She took me on the inside of Mcleans, I took it back on the exit, she took me on the inside of CoppiceI took her round the outside on the exit. Time to get a move on pull a lead down Starkeys, cover the inside through the Chicane onto Wheatcroft. head down and try to carry as much speed as possibel through Redgate. Really wish I had slicks, I am the onlu one on inters out here and they are old worn inters, how they are hanging on I dont know! I can hear another bike next to me through Craner, turn into Old Hairpin, yep it has to be that 125, tip into Mcleans, right accross my nose she comes, had to pick it up then take a second bite, another 125 pick it up run wide onto the rumble strip, right so. Now I am behind two of them.

Lined them up into Coppice, slow into the apex get all the braking down and on the throttle early, get right off the bike, power, shift mid corner, here comes the tailpiece of the first 125, will I miss it, power, chuck it at the apex aim for the rumble strip on the exit. Nearly took the first 125 off he had to go south as he had no line. The girl, well took her just out the exit. It is hard to miss another bike when you are laid over, knee down looking at the apex. Its like tunnel vision, pick the apex point and go there, others are just things around your peripheral vision. Thats why its a shock to see something come back on you line I guess.

The extra effort of keepng the 125's behind me saw us as a group of three catching the bulk of the midfield at a decent rate of knots. Here was a chance to make up for my over polite first lap. Gave it loads, started stretching the power to 12, held gears longer and longer. Out of Hollywood power push on the sliders to get it settled, shift, power, this is the where I can lose the 125's. I am right on matey infront. This time no competition into Mcleans or Coppice, braking into the hairpin before the main straight I took loads out of him. This lap I will have him. Turn into Redgate round the outside of him but run out of room, he knows I am there now though. Through Mcleans into Craner got him, run up the inside but then miss a gear ont he exit. He pulls past and gets a bike length on me. go for a big outbrake into the haripin, early on the power, there's the flag half a length in us, power, whoaaa, snap sideways, off/on, damn. within a tenth of each other.

So that was it, well some. I need slicks so badly, I am in the right area now, probably never be a really quick bloke but am fast enough to lap at the front of the middle pack. Oh, and I got the signature. I have 10 race starts with 10 finishes, I can upgrade my licence.

All in all well happy with the weekend. Started at 1:27, down to a 1:24 and then 1:22 in the final race. 1:20 is pretty serious in my book and I am still improving there having only raced twie at that track including this time. Plus I am told slicks gove you a big edge. Maybe just a head edge, an edge all the same. Will link to the pics when the photographers get their asses in gear.

Next week attending a BSB round, cant wait. Then onto Pembrey with some new leathers and some new tyres, they are a year old after all

 

Awesome write-up Luke! Nice progression with getting your times down over the weekend. 2 seconds off the fastest guys without proper slicks is pretty damn nice

Brian

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Brian*E30 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Awesome write-up Luke! Nice progression with getting your times down over the weekend. 2 seconds off the fastest guys without proper slicks is pretty damn nice

Brian</TD></TR></TABLE>

They were the quick boys at 1:20, the ubers were at 1:18 and beyond. But thats 50/50 racing as I see it

 

Awesome post.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Luke &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Poxy leathers, cant move in them.</TD></TR></TABLE>

In a recent column Keith Code claimed he switched leathers and lost a second a lap. Funny how things like that can affect your race.

 

Theres no way I would have remembered all that if it were me.

Now all the Pope needs some stickers to knock off a few more ticks.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PGK &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

In a recent column Keith Code claimed he switched leathers and lost a second a lap. Funny how things like that can affect your race. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'll tell you being comfortable makes a huge difference. I know I am a little more er....well filled than last year only a few punds but I never used to wear a back protector. I wouldnt go out without one now. They make the leathers mega tight over the shoulders and pull on the crotch area. The two big problems are when you are tucked in the screen the leathers squeeze the back protector and it pushes up. It pushes my lid down over my eyes so I have to hold the damn lid up with one hand underneath my chin! The other issue is moving quick from upright to a side position. Its impossible to move fluidly at the mo I have pick my *** up and shift it, not make a transition over the foam.

I cant wait to get them, might also get some Held gloves as well, my Alpinestars have never been much to my liking. Its only money after all

 

awseome time improvements!!!

 

http://www.pauldickson.co.uk/D...9.htm

Only pic so far I can find. The bloke on the bike behind is an ex European champ on an 01 'kit' bike. I had him and am well pleased about it. I never seem to have the images that show me in the second sessions, only the ones that show me well off the line/pace grrrrrrrr