rob m Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 How olds your son? If he is only small bring hin round to sit on the bike.Unless he's like 25, that would be abit strange Ha! He's 14 and as tall as me! Will try to pop over say hello. Was that you waving at me as i went to race 1? Had a mare of a weekend. Alot of ups snd down.I even crashed on friday. Ooh, hope your okay. We went down today. Must have been torture with the unpredictable weather. Enjoyed the racing but must have been hard for you guys out there. We retreated to the car after the rain/hail storm before lunch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeman Posted March 5, 2017 Share Posted March 5, 2017 I drove past brands today and got a glimpse from the road of some bikes racing. Roads round there were soaked with huge puddles so I hope the track was better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 The racing was good.2 2nd in class and 2 DNF one my fault one mech failiure.Il post my report up here when its been looked over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 Thundersport GB Round 1, Brandshatch. Testing.Didn’t go well, wet and windy is not the conditions I wanted for testing on an unknown track.The bike felt awful, huge tank slappers coming down the straight, front end felt very twitchy, I couldn’t get the bike to go where I wanted. It did not inspire confidence. In session 3 I just got on the brakes coming into the hairpin and the front tucked and me and the bike went down. The crash bung took the damage and I only had to replace the lever guard.After that I got a couple of dry sessions but I’d lost what little confidence I had in the bike.Feeling deflated I’d even considered going home and taking up golf. Race Day.Went out to qualify on new dry tires, I didn’t do many laps, I couldn’t get the front to stick and it was sliding. Not wanting to crash again I pulled off the track.Best lap was a 1:01 and that left me 4 places short of qualifying for my grid, so I got placed in the 600 cup with 7 other prenational riders and some elite 600 riders. Race 1. A friend made some adjustments to my bike and I left for the start line. After a couple of laps the bike was transformed and I had my confidence back, I started moving up the grid and finished 2nd in class with a lap times of 57 seconds. Race 2.Lined up for race 2 brimming with confidence, hit it from the off picking off riders, had a good ride and gelled with the bike, got down to 55 second laps and another 2nd in class. Sunday.Warm up.Walked to signing on in the sunshine, checked the track and it was nice and dry.Got back to the van and it rained, I could has sailed a small boat down the paddock.Quick change to wet wheels and left to do a few warm up laps, I did 3 just checking the track for standing water and oil patches. Race 1.Kept an eye on the track and it looked damp so I decided to keep wets on.Lined up on the grid everyone was on dry tyres,I did a warm up lap and the track was bone dry. I made the decision to pull off the track, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to push with the wet tyres in the dry.No point in risking the bike and myself in the 1st round. Just got the bike back to the van and the heavens opened up and the pace slowed right down, this would have seen me with a massive advantage, lesson learned. Race 2.I swapped to dry tyres, it had rained again but there was a dry line.The plan was to go out and be aggressive and keep to the dry tarmac.It worked and I climbed up the grid, confidence was brimming and I tried to tag onto the race leaders, we came into a corner and I just couldn’t get the bike to slow, that saw me run onto the grass losing a few places as I got it turned around, then with 1 lap to go I came down the straight, knocked it down a couple of ears and the bike was rattling, it sounded like a bag of spanners, quick look down my chain was still on, but I couldn’t see if I was leaking oil on the track.I pulled off the track and rode it into the gravel. Really disappointed, I had a hissy fit in my helmet and left the bike. I owe my weekend to a couple of friends, the turned it around for me and I could not have rode like I did without them. Massive thanks to Gary and Ian. I would like to thank Paul at black & White Bikes for his support this season and Parkitt Racing for my amazing Ohlins suspension. A weekend of ups and downs, I still came home buzzing though.Now to push on at Donnington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six30 Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Good write up I couldn't get down to watch , suppose each meet is a learning curve good luck on the next one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted March 8, 2017 Author Share Posted March 8, 2017 Cheers mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted March 9, 2017 Author Share Posted March 9, 2017 Into the local paper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilM Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Brilliant stuff.If you ever need a 12 yr old budding mechanic to fetch and carry for you give me a shout.The lad needs some work experience lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted March 9, 2017 Author Share Posted March 9, 2017 If its something he wants to do then he can come and we can keep him busy for a day.But unless things are going wrong theres not alot to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilM Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Yes he seems set on it.He's too young for a Saturday job. Got him sorted for jemspeed when he's 14.He is relatively used to paddocks as we go to Scarborough a lot.When you are next racing northish and I'm not working I will bring him along.Thanks ever so much.Don't worry he's used to industrial language n behaviour. From leeds....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Six30 Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Yes he seems set on it.He's too young for a Saturday job. Got him sorted for jemspeed when he's 14.He is relatively used to paddocks as we go to Scarborough a lot.When you are next racing northish and I'm not working I will bring him along.Thanks ever so much.Don't worry he's used to industrial language n behaviour. From leeds....lol He likes smoking roll ups racing Whippets and drinking tea all day then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilM Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Don't you start...lolWe are from the urban Yorkshire.No whippets no flat caps. Although I smoke roll ups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuktuk Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Are you doing any normal trackdays this year?Thinking of booking cadwell for the end of next month but looking at a lap on youtube it looks a bit sketchy in places! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted March 9, 2017 Author Share Posted March 9, 2017 Are you doing any normal trackdays this year?Thinking of booking cadwell for the end of next month but looking at a lap on youtube it looks a bit sketchy in places!Yer il be sneaking a few TD in.Probaly opl days so black & white bikes can dial my bike in.Cadwells fine, the only place its sketchy is under the trees but a dry line will appear quickly so just stick to that.Im at donny next but il have the mrs and kids there so wont have much spare time.Mallory in june though then back to donny i think at the end of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Are you doing any normal trackdays this year?Thinking of booking cadwell for the end of next month but looking at a lap on youtube it looks a bit sketchy in places! Cadwell is good as long as its not pissing wet through Under the trees can be a bit slippery when wet and a lot of water collects on the start finish And first time over the mountain can be a bit daunting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuktuk Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Lap i watched it looked like the guy got air twice and one was straight into a corner when front wheel came down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 9, 2017 Share Posted March 9, 2017 Lap i watched it looked like the guy got air twice and one was straight into a corner when front wheel came down Its not that bad he probably held the throttle on and carried the front to the next corner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR_W Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Lap i watched it looked like the guy got air twice and one was straight into a corner when front wheel came down Just don't do this: "> Well done cockercas, if you are ever at castle combe, I'd be interested in coming and having a squiz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Cadwell is good, it will test your nerve coming into charlies 2 because the track drops away and you can't see the apex.But....... it was there the last lap and it won't of moved Nah its not as bad as it looks/sounds.Yes its narrow, abit greasy under the trees but if you hold your own line then you will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuktuk Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Lap i watched it looked like the guy got air twice and one was straight into a corner when front wheel came down Just don't do this: "> Well done cockercas, if you are ever at castle combe, I'd be interested in coming and having a squiz. Ouch that looked painful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR_W Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Lap i watched it looked like the guy got air twice and one was straight into a corner when front wheel came down Just don't do this: "> Well done cockercas, if you are ever at castle combe, I'd be interested in coming and having a squiz. Ouch that looked painful!Dislocated hip and knee, 3 leg fractures and 3 pelvic fractures I believe.His heel dug into the earth as it was wet in the previous days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuktuk Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 Might stick to croft lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Might stick to croft lolGo to cadwell, don't be a girl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuktuk Posted March 10, 2017 Share Posted March 10, 2017 I will end up going, Silverstone and donnington on the list too. Any decent hotels near cadwell? Or do people sleep in their vans at the track? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockercas Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Ive always slept in the van.Plenty of B&B near caddy though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.