This weekend had it all....

New leathers, new brakes, first time on slicks, crashing, personal best lap times, mechanical failure, 30deg sunshine, 20 deg monsoon......wouldn't change any of it, maybe just the crash

words to follow, and pics when I can find them.

 

sounds very exciting and eventful

 

Back at Pembrey this weekend with new leathers. Friday was amazing weather really felt good all day. The new leathers made life so much better. I could move and no more numb feet, what a pleasure. I found myself concentrating on the track and being much smoother than before. I 'felt' my times were good, have no idea as the timing gear wasn't running. Would have been interesting though.

Had six sessions in all and in the final one changed to a second hand pair of slicks. The Clutch ate itself and really messed up the inner boss which instead of having a smooth surface looked like a tramp after a Friday night out. This was a pain as I only had one lap on cold slicks, not funny.

Stuck new plates in and it held on Saturday. Ran the slicks again in the Saturday warm up and they felt terrible. You have to have a go on cold slicks they are really odd. I was dreading the race as I thought the grip wasnt there. My practice times were laughable. I figured that the slicks weren't any worse therefore I had to get better on them, it seemed logical almost.

As per normal they gave me sh*t grid spots for qualifying. From 18th made 9th. In the race was running 6th then some ****** bumped me off the track and I went saling into the grass. Little damage but it was a c*nt as I would have been well up there. Leathers were ace, didnt feel a thing. Got it back in one piece and off for the novice race. This was the last outing for me as a novice so I wanted to do well. 15th on the grid (surprise) so went for it, got a good start but then got held up a little. I got past the obstacle eventually and put in some really good times. One more corner and I'd have f*cked off the two in front and come 3rd, as it was we finished within 0.5secs of each other with me taking over a second a lap out of everyone.

I was really starting to get into the circuit. Before I was hesitant around Dibeni and Spitfire but now it was flat in third, hook fourth no brakes and lob at the apex. The slicks really stuck and you can lean on the front end something amazing. The kink at the back of the circuit was also much quicker. There was now no movement and it was a case of aim hang off and go in sixth. Honda curve has some bump stuff on the outside. When you run wide onto it the bike squirms and threatens to go south. Well on a hot slick you turn in later and harder and you have this odd feeling of silly speed. For the first time I 'felt' the forks really working under load, never had that before in a turn. Run onto the bumpy stuff and it is just stable, amazing things.

Sunday wasnt very good, I drank too much the night before and had a hangover, really stupid. Qualifier again in P18 got a terrible start. I put this down to the weather as it was a bit cooler and the bike was revving like a bstad, made it hard to launch, anyway it wasnt that as I found out. So. Last into the first corner, f*cking last, 25th. Only had 7 laps so set about them all. Had some close ones but got up to 14th which was good. Then the rain came in, pissed it down. Stuck some wets on the bike and off out. It wouldn't go off the line. felt like the back wheel was spinning up, but it can have been as everyone else seemed fine? Was prolly in about 18th still. There then followed the most soul destroying race ever. I had no clutch. Everytime I tried to get some power down it slipped. I was being overtaken by everything. I stayed out there through all of it until the last guy came passed me, then pulled in. Had a go at adjusting it and out for the last novice race I'll ever do. On the warmup lap it was slipping all the way round, I tried to get it to go but it was f*cked. Pulled in off the grid that was that!

Times, well my best lap last time out was 1:07, I am now doing 1:05's. That time will get me top ten in the class, so am well happy with it being only my second time at the circuit. Am splitting from my Company and going to go it alone as I need to get away, just a personal thing. So all I need now is a team name for next year?

Photos to follow

 

very nice recap!

congrats on the 2 second laptim improvement

 

I want to see pics of u in the leathers.

:heart:

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Rguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I want to see pics of u in the leathers.

:heart:</TD></TR></TABLE>

Swap you one for a pink shirt image

 

From the weekend.

RS125 with a seal kit. Ran ok but he got taken out so wasnt really very happy with a busted foot all weekend long.



This is Colin, Chays father. Chay is a natural talent very quick. He won everything on the weekend in the dry and the wet. Right bike same as mine 96TZ with some bits on it, left bike 2001TZ with YEC barrels, ignition, pipes. I want a 2001



...like this one



This is Gilles's bike. It won the French Championship and has been in a MotoGP. Magnesium works Kehin's works internals in the forks and shock, Factory barrels/heads, YEC igntion.

I really wish you could hear this picture. The way it spins up in the midrange is just awesome. The guy with him is Francis. He is a MotoGP mechanic, he also drinks wine professionally for France at race meetings

He has worked with three or four top 500cc teams way back when and is now lead tech in the Aprillia 250 and 125 GP team. What he doesnt know isnt worth thinking about!



He was messing with Gilles's jetting all weekend, had it running like a train. Mind you when you are used to 105HP 250's and 55HP 125's it is your thing to set them up. 25yrs + in top level GP teams, fxcking clever bloke.



And here is the old nail. Pre-crash. I recommend the skins to anyone, they make a huge improvement to the warmers.



Still waiting for track pics