NEWS 9/1/2011

Hello all, well as you know I bought a BMW S1000RR in October last year.  It only had 16 miles on the clock so I'm having to do some road miles on it to run it in.  I've been out on it with Josh as a pillion passenger 2 or 3 times, but we still need another 400 miles running in before I start thrashing it on a race track.  Last week I fitted a full stainless steel Akrapovic exhaust and race rear sets.  Now I'm hoping the weather stays fine so we can get those 400 miles done hopefully over the next couple of weekends.  Next step is to get a set of race fairings and then decide on the suspension to use.  I'll keep you all updated.  UPDATE.  We went to the Lakes on Sunday so now it's only 250 miles we need to do.

AINTREE PRESENTATION 29/1/2011

We went to the Aintree dinner and Presentation night at the Suites Hotel, Knowsley.  It was a great night, the food was nice and I caught up with a few racing friends.  I also came away with 3 more trophies, for being the Powerbike Champion, setting a new outright lap record and a new 7 lap race record.  A couple of these trophies I only keep for a year, but I have a couple to keep for myself.  The Silver Lion and Powerbike trophies are well impressive, also very large and heavy.  So a good night was had by all, and I will bring you up to date with the building of the BMW very soon.

NEWS 2/2/2011

Just thought I would update you all on how the BMW is coming along.  I've fitted the race chain and sprockets, and the fairing.  It went to Frank Wrathall's on Monday where the Power Commander was fitted, the fuel mapping was done, then it was tested on the dyno.  Next step is to get the suspension fitted and then the fairing will be painted.  All being well we will be ready to go testing around the middle of February. 

TESTING NEWS 21/2/2011

I went testing at Oulton Park on Wednesday and Mallory Park on Sunday, both days were cold and a bit misty, but it was good to be back on a bike again, especially the BMW.  I've been training over the Winter but I was still a bit race rusty the first time out.  Oulton Park went well, I didn't push too hard because the conditions weren't very good, it was just a case of getting used to the bike.  Mallory Park was really cold and damp in the morning, with some people having a few offs.  During the afternoon a dry line began to appear so I could push harder and get the feel of the tyres better.  It was an enjoyable and productive day in the end.

TESTING, DONINGTON PARK 24/02/2011

Did a bit more testing at Donington and had better weather, with the track mostly dry all day.  Managed to fit in quite a few fast laps and get a good base setting for the suspension.  It turned out to be a good day, I got more used to the bike and it's feeling more like I want it to now.

MALLORY PARK- EMRA Round 1 5-6/03/2011

The first meeting of 2011 kicked off at Mallory Park on Sunday 6th March, with a test day on the Saturday.  After three sessions on Saturday morning it started to drizzle with rain that got heavier, making the new surface very greasy so I decided to call it a day.

Sunday was race day and luckily it was dry, although dull in the morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon.  We had a 1300cc practice session, then the Buildbase Mallory Trophy qualifying session where I qualified 2nd on the grid.  I went out with a wet front tyre on, but the track was dry so I only did a few laps so as not to shred the tyre, but it was enough to qualify 2nd.

I was on the front row of the grid for the first 1300cc race and managed to get a good start, running 2nd but taking the lead as we went through Edwina's when there was a three bike crash right behind me.  Fortunately everyone was ok and I had a good run to win the 10 lap race by 10 seconds.  The Buildbase Mallory Trophy race was next and the sun was out now.  I made another good start to take the lead straight off, with Dean Brown (Suzuki) hot on my heels.  I won by 3.6 seconds at the end of the 15 laps from Dan Hegarty (600 Kawasaki) and Dean in 3rd place.  The second, and my last, 1300cc race was a bit later in the day.  With another hole shot start I was away and 3 seconds in the lead after a couple of laps, winning by 15 seconds from Phil Brooks (Yamaha R1) and Dean Brown.  I set my fastest lap of the day at 53.4 secs, just 0.1 off my lap record set last September on Shaun's BMW, but the weather was colder this time and the new track is a bit slower at the moment.  I was also awarded the "Man of the Meeting" for my efforts. The bike is going really well and all I'm doing now is just a few small tweaks to the suspension.  Until the next time!

THUNDERSPORT Round 1 MALLORY PARK 12-13/03/2011

I decided to enter the Thundersport meeting at Mallory Park at the last minute because I thought it would be fun and a good experience.  Saturday morning's qualifying started well until I was just tipping into the hairpin and got T-boned, next minute I was on the grass.  I was ok but the bike looked a bit sorry for itself, and I missed the second half of qualifying.  I still managed to secure 2nd place on the grid for the afternoon's 18 lap Superpole race.  With the fairing taped up, a scratched screen and some borrowed parts I was ready to go again.  I made a great start to the race and I was leading when I drifted a bit too wide out of Gerards on lap 3 and ended up grass tracking down the back straight.  I managed to stay on and rejoined the track in about 5th place, then I soon worked my way up to 2nd place and was catching Phill Crowe (BMW) who was leading.  With 10 laps left I think I could have caught and passed him, but the race was red flagged when I was just over 3 seconds behind him.  The rerun was over 8 laps and I got the hole shot again to lead for the whole race except when Phill passed me once, but I got back past.  As I only won by 0.3 seconds Phill won the race on aggregate by 3.5 seconds, but we had a good battle in the second half.  I set a new lap record at 52.68 secs in the first half but Phill got it back at 52.61 in the second half.

Sunday was another dry, sunny day and I was ready for the first 14 lap race.  Making another blast off the line the plan was to get a good lead and control the race from the front which worked this time.  Although Phill didn't get a good start from pole he soon got through into 2nd place.  He had an advantage in that he was using Dunlop slicks and I was on Metzeler Superstock treaded tyres, but I got a good run through the back markers to win by 4.46 seconds.  I felt more comfortable in that race and I was happy with the win.  I was undecided as to whether to put a new rear tyre on for the second race, but decided it would probably last the distance, then I saw Phill on the grid with brand new tyres on.  I made the hole shot again and lead on the first lap, but then he came by me at Edwina's, I held on for as long as I could but then my tyre started to go off, it was spinning up and I was sliding all over the place.  So I just rode to stay on and finish 2nd, but this time luck was on my side when Phill got a 10 second penalty for overtaking under a yellow flag and I held on to win by 0.06 secs.  I was happy to take the win but it really belonged to Phill, and now I'm leading the GP1 championship with 70pts, 5 ahead of Phill Crowe, but I'm not sure yet if I'll be doing any more rounds, we'll just have to wait and see as it depends on circumstances.  I did enjoy the weekend, although it was a bit hairy at times, and I was pleased with my best lap time of 52.66 seconds, the fastest I've ever been around Mallory.  Now it's time to repair the bike properly ready for my next outing.

DONINGTON PARK 25-27/03/2011

It was another last minute late entry for the Stocksport 1000 support races at the World Superbike round, after I managed to get the budget to race for the weekend.  But it turned out to be not the weekend I expected or wanted.  Friday morning's 15 minute practice started well when I finished 3rd fastest only 0.5 secs behind Phill Crowe (BMW) and Tristan Palmer (Honda).  I was taking it steady really as I was using scrubbed in tyres, and Donington is hard on brakes, which I had to bleed between practice and qualifying.  The weather was lovely, sunny and warm, but we had to wait until the end of the day for our 20 minute qualifying session, by then the sun was low and it was a little bit cooler.  Once again qualifying went well and I secured 2nd on the grid for a front row start, only 0.2 secs off Tristan Palmer's pole time, with Phill 3rd.  We had a day off on Saturday, thank goodness because it was dull and cold.

What can I say about Sunday!!  Not a good day for me, the first race was at 10.40am, and the air and track temperatures were cold.  They kept us waiting on the grid so I knew I couldn't push too hard on the first lap.  I got the hole shot but Tristan passed me on the inside around Redgate, I re-passed him on the exit, then the worst thing happened as I crashed out going down Craner Curves, when I lost the front and high sided, due to a cold tyre.  Tristan was right behind me but he braked to avoid me and slid off himself unhurt.  I thought I was ok until I was taken back to my caravan and I realised I was bit concussed, had a sprained ankle and a mangled looking little finger.  I then ended up in the medical centre and from there to Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham.  I had X-rays and a brain scan, but nothing was broken so they let me out, and I got back to the circuit when everyone else was starting to leave.  The bike was also badly damaged, probably more than me because it cart wheeled.  I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who came to support me and helped out, especially Shaun who drove my van and caravan back home for me.

It's now Wednesday and I've ditched the crutches and managing to drive a bit.  I've been out today and collected a few bits for the bike, and a friend is doing some welding for me.  The plan is to hopefully be ready for the EMRA round at Mallory on April 10th, with a borrowed fairing from Shaun, plus other bits and bobs from good friends.  So please, all keep your fingers crossed for me!

MALLORY PARK - EMRA Round 2 10/04/2011

With the bike back in one piece, leathers repaired and me well on the way to recovery from the big crash at Donington, I set off for Mallory on Saturday morning, arriving just before lunch time.  We set up camp and did a few things to the bike before I went out for a couple of sessions on the track day.  I wanted to make sure the bike was ok and that I was ok too, everything felt fine although I wasn't pushing, just stayed in the 55 second lap bracket.

Sunday was another sunny warm day, so out I went for the 1300cc qualifying and put it on pole for the race.  Next up was the Buildbase Trophy qualifying where I decided to put in a couple of fast laps near the end of the session and this time I was in 2nd with Luke Stapleford (600 Supersport Kawasaki) on pole.  I was happy with a front row start for the race.  The first race was the first 1300cc 10 lapper, I made a good start and was running 2nd into Gerrards, but then took the lead going into Edwinas, from there I gradually pulled away to win by 5 seconds.

The Buildbase Trophy 15 lap race was after a delayed lunch break.  I got the hole shot this time, and was in about a 2 second lead from Luke Stapleford.  I was pushing on and set a lap time of 52.44 on the 5th lap which was 0.22 seconds faster than I did at Thundersport.  I had a bit of a moment going round Gerrards, but didn't think too much of it, then the unexpected happened when I lost the front half way round Gerrards on lap 8.  Fortunately I was unhurt, after sliding into the tyre wall, but the bike looked a bit sorry for itself, and the right sleeve of my leathers was a bit the worse for ware.  Now I've slipped down to 6th in the Championship.  I had to miss the second 1300cc race but I'm still leading that Championship.  Looking at the front tyre afterwards it was a bit chewed up on the right side (lots of right-handers at Mallory) so I think I just pushed the Racetechs a little bit too hard.  I'll miss the next EMRA round because I'm being sponsored to do the National Superstock 1000 class at the Croft BSB round, which is a circuit I know and like, and I went well there last year on my Suzuki.  I've got a few weeks now to recover 100% and regroup ready for Croft, but I'll be back at Mallory for the 4th round of the EMRA championships.  I'd like to thank everyone who helped out and supported me over the weekend, and all the people who came to ask how I was after the crash.

NEWS 26/04/2011

Well, not an awful lot going on at the moment, except I'm working hard to earn the cash to repair the bike....again....but it's getting there.  My ankle is quite a bit better now and my finger is healing, although not 100% yet.  My next outing is the National Superstock 1000 round at the Croft BSB meeting, as it's a circuit I know well and usually go well there.  I'm hoping to maybe fit in a track day before Croft if possible, and if I do there will be some news on here.  That's all for now........until the next time.

OULTON PARK TRACK DAY 11/05/2011

Finally I managed to get out on the bike again at Oulton Park, it was good to be back riding and the bike felt good.  My finger is healed now but my ankle is still a bit sore, although it's not too bad when I'm riding the bike, walking seems to be the problem.  With the BSB Croft meeting only two days away I needed to get back out on the bike again, get back into a rhythm on track and get confident again after nearly five weeks since I crashed at Mallory.  I managed seven 20 minute sessions without too much trouble, so I was happy at the end of the day, and even the sun came out in the afternoon.  So now I'm rearing to go at Croft, see you all there, and please stop by to say hello.

CROFT BSB 13-15/05/2011

I made my annual visit to the Croft BSB round to compete in the National Superstock 1000 class, and this time I was being sponsored for the whole meeting by SMT.  We set up camp on Thursday ready for the free practice session at 9.30am on Friday.  We were first out on track on Friday and it was drizzling quite heavily, so wet tyres were the order of the day.  Practice went well, I wasn't pushing too hard and I was running in first position for half of the 25 minute session.  I pulled into pit lane for a few minutes and dropped to 7th, but then went out again and ended the session in 3rd.  The weather dried up for the first 25 minute qualifying session in the afternoon when I was struggling a little to get the bike to go where I wanted it to, but I still ended up in 8th place.

I made a few changes with the set up ready for the final 25 minute qualifying session on Saturday afternoon.  The weather was dry but very windy.  The bike still didn't feel quite right, I improved my lap time but ended up 11th on the grid.  I was hoping to be on one of the front two rows, but 11th wasn't quite the end of the world, I was sure I could get a good result in the race.  I managed to get the BMW Race Service to reset the ECU ready for Sunday.

There's no track action at Croft until 12.0 noon on a Sunday, and unfortunately it was drizzling for warm up, so I chose a wet front and dry rear tyre.  The bike felt more stable, and with the weather drying up for the race I just made a few minor set up changes.  With quite a few hold ups earlier in the day the race was shortened from 15 to 12 laps.  I made an unusual rubbish start and went backwards, ending up running in 16th place at the end of the first lap.  But then I got into a rhythm and started to move up through the order.  I did most of my overtaking on the inside at the hairpin, which I had down to a fine art by the end of the race, and moved into 6th place on the last lap.  I was happy with 6th at a British Championship round as I'm not doing the BSB series.  If I had made my usual fast start I know I could have run with the top three or four riders, but it's more difficult to do from the 3rd row than from the front row.  After the start I made I had to work my way through the field, which I managed to do, so it was a good race in the end.

A big thank you has to go to Robin Croft of SMT for sponsoring me for this round, and to Lester Stacey of Gadget Box for helping me to fund the repairs to the bike after my second crash in a row at Mallory last time out.  At least this outing was fairly uneventful, and thanks to the people who came to support me.

MALLORY PARK - NGRRC 5/06/2011

Phill Crowe and I made a last minute decision to do the NGRRC round at Mallory Park, mainly because I wanted to try the Dunlop slick tyres.  Phill has used them for quite some time and he also has a BMW,  so he suggested I went along to Mallory too to try some slicks.  We arrived on Sunday morning and parked up next to Phill, under a mixed cloudy and blue sky, but at least it was dry and stayed that way.  The first practice was at 9.30am and I only did 3 laps on new tyres.  The next practice was for the Powerbikes class, after two red flag incidents I only managed to fit in 6 laps but I was fastest, although not being in the championship Phill and I would have to start from the back of the grid for the 10 lap qualifier race.  After the 3rd race of the day we had a 15 minute qualifying session for the Phoenix Open class, where I managed to put it on pole.

My first race was the 10 lap Powerbike qualifier for grid positions for the main race later on.  It started out as a bit of a nightmare but then turned into a dream. I rolled up onto the back of the grid at the end of the sighting lap, then when I put the bike into gear for the start it stalled, but I managed to get it started again quickly enough to make a good start going down the outside.  I was 7th at the end of the first lap, then moved into 5th.  The guy in the lead missed a gear, Phil Bevan braked in front of me and I had to take avoiding action, Phill Crowe passed me but I managed to get back into 5th place.  Phill then took the lead and I set about chasing him down, by lap 6 I was in 2nd and catching him lap by lap.  I passed Phill at the start of the final lap and hung on to win by 0.76 secs, also setting the fastest lap at 52.57, just 0.1 secs off my best time around Mallory last time out.  What started like being a non race ended just perfect, and what a race it was, you had to be there to appreciate that.

Because of a few hold ups the Phoenix Open was reduced from 13 laps to 11.  I made a great start from pole and lead from start to finish, winning by 6.32 secs from Phil Bevan and Mark Littler, and I also set the lap record at 52.68.  Unfortunately Phill Crowe retired half way through the race with an overheating engine, when he was behind me, and giving me a race for my money.  The last race was the 10 lap Powerbikes championship race.  Again I made a great start from pole, but this time Phill was right behind me, although he had to retire again quite early in the race, so I went on to take an easy win by 7.4 secs from Bevan and Littler again, with another lap record at 52.89.  So it turned out be the right decision to go to the meeting and it was a great day for me, and now I hold the NGRRC outright lap record at 52.68.  Although I went faster in the qualifying race it doesn't count as a lap record.  I like the Dunlop slicks and there's much more grip from them than the Racetechs I'm used to.  I just need a little more track time on them to get used to them more and find the grip limit.

I've got an invite to do the Mallory Race of the Year on 24-26th June, so now I'm looking for some help with funding for the meeting, as there's entry fees to pay and tyres and fuel to buy, with the tyres being the biggest expense.  So if there's anyone out there willing to chip in with a few pounds then please get in touch (see Contact page).  I would be extremely grateful for any help at all, however small it might be, as I have to fund my own racing.  Thanks.

AINTREE 11/06/2011

Hi all, well I decided to go back to one of my happy hunting grounds on Saturday - Aintree race circuit, because I wanted to have another run out on slick tyres before the Race of the Year.  It was ok when we arrived Saturday morning, but then what did it decide to do.......rain.  I was going to go out in practice 3 and 4, but it started to rain really heavy for practice 3 so I gave that one a miss and went out in 4, although it was still raining.  It had stopped raining before the first 5 lap Superbikes qualifying race, but as I only have one front wheel I didn't have time to get the tyre changed so I went out on full wets.  With the track just about completely dry I got the hole shot from pole, but Lee Cutts-Bland (Kawasaki) who was on full slicks soon came by me.  I was sliding around and I didn't want to crash or ruin the tyre so I took it a bit easier and finished 2nd.  With a nice dry track and full slicks on I won the 5 lap Powerbikes qualifier by 3.7 secs and set the fastest lap.  Although the track was dry it was dusty after the rain had washed it out and brought it to the surface.

The first 7 lap Superbikes championship race was in the afternoon, when I started from pole again and got the hole shot.  This time I won by just over 3 secs from Lee and set the fastest lap at 55.144 which is 100.21mph, and set a new race record.  The Powerbikes championship race was in the late afternoon and cut down to 5 laps after a couple of hold ups in other races.  This time I was starting from 2nd on the grid, but I got the hole shot and held on to win by 1.023 secs and set another fastest lap at 100.39mph, but not before Lee had pushed me hard on certain sections of the track.  I was the only one to get into the 100mph bracket all day, so I was pleased with that.  It proved to be a productive day in the end.  So now it's on to the Mallory Race of the Year next, hope to see some of you there.

MALLORY PARK Race of the Year 24-25/06/2011

Well the weekend started really well on Friday, and the weather was dry.  I did a couple of the 20 minute test sessions in the morning before the 30 minute ROY practice session in the afternoon.  There were no time sheets for the practice session but a friend had put some data logging on the bike for me.  I went out on a new rear Dunlop slick and did quite a few consistent laps in the 52's with my best time being a 52.3, which I was happy with as it was a practice session.

Saturday morning it was raining for the first 25 minute qualifying session, so it was wets all round, I didn't take any risks and ended the session in 4th place, which was a provisional front row start.  It rained on and off then but had stopped by the time we went out for second qualifying, although the track was still quite wet, so I went out on wets for a few laps until I saw a dry line starting to appear.  Then I sat in the garage and waited until the dry line was more apparent, I took a gamble and fitted full slicks and went out in the last few minutes.  I went from 11th to 6th, then 4th, and on my last lap as I crossed the line to take the chequered flag for the end of the session I snatched pole position from Luke Stapleford on his Supersport 600 Kawasaki.  As a self funded (more or less club) racer it was a fantastic feeling to be on Pole for the Race of the Year, against the likes of World Suppersport racers Sam Lowes on his 600 Parkalgar Honda with all the electronic refinements, and James Ellison who had opted to ride a Bogdanka European Superstock 1000 Honda on slicks for this meeting, and all the Tag Triumph BSS team of Billy McConnell, Paul Young and Christian Iddon, etc.

Sunday was a gloriously sunny and warm day, with our race at 3.0pm, but what started as a dream on Saturday with pole, ended in a nightmare on Sunday.  Morning warm up went really well with me being 3rd fastest with a 52.1, my fastest ever lap around Mallory, and the bike felt good.  For the race I was using a hard compound slick as advised by the tyre technician, but it proved to be my undoing as the track temperature was high.  I got the hole shot and lead the race until Luke Stapleford passed me at the hairpin, then on the second lap coming out of Gerrards onto the Stebbe Straight, without warning, the bike snapped sideways and highsided me.  I landed heavily on my left side and whacked my lower back, ending up in the medical centre, and from there to Leicester Royal Infirmiry.  I thought I'd broken my upper arm and so did the doctor at the hospital.  After a few hours of pain, CT scans and X-rays it proved to be a dislocated left shoulder, but no broken bones, and they let me go home in the early hours of the morning, after putting my shoulder back in place.  The bike had done summersaults and ended up quite badly damaged, so now I'm recovering at home and will be sorting out the repairs to the bike very soon.  I'm not sure when I will be back racing, but I hope within a few weeks time, and I'll keep you all informed.

Now I would like to say a big thank you to my work colleagues and former sponsors for their help with tyres etc.  And thanks  to Joan for organising a Facebook campaign, and to all the friends who donated through that to help me to be able to race at this meeting, and to everyone who came to support me on the day.  Also a big thank you to the marshals and the staff in the medical centre at Mallory, who looked after me after the crash.

UPDATE 13/07/2011

I just thought I'd give you all an update, I've had two sessions of physio now and my shoulder is getting a lot better, but I'll still be having some more physio sessions.  The rebuilding of the bike is also coming along nicely, with the help of Josh, he's such a good worker even though he's only a teenager.  I'm still not sure when I'll be riding again, hopefully not too long now.  I'll update again when I have more to tell you all.

UPDATE 3/08/2011

Just a quick update - physio on my shoulder is going well, not 100% yet but we're getting there.  I found out that the rear shock on the bike was damaged internally in the Mallory crash, so that had to go for a rebuild, and I'm hoping to get it back in the next couple of days.  When I've refitted the shock then the bike will be ready to go, but I want to try that and my shoulder out on a track day before I race again.  Hopefully I'll be back on track soon, and I'll keep you all updated.

MALLORY PARK EMRA - Round 5  14/08/2011

I didn't decide to go to Mallory until Saturday evening, so I just turned up on Sunday morning and was informed I would be first reserve for the races.  I hadn't ridden the BMW since my crash 7 weeks ago, so I took it easy to start with in the first 1300cc timed practice. There was a lot of traffic on track, so part way through I waited at the hairpin for a bit of clear track, then put in a fast lap and got pole position.  I was told I'd be in the races and I was on pole even though I hadn't entered until I arrived at Mallory.  There was a bit of a break until the 15 minute Buildbase qualifying session, this time there wasn't so many on track and I managed to put it on pole again.

I made a good start in the first 10 lap 1300cc race, getting the hole shot, but I decided to take it easy for a couple of laps, so I had Dean Brown (Suzuki) on my tail for those laps.  Then I decided to pull out a gap and I won by 4.5 seconds from Dean, and set the fastest lap.  It turned out to be a fairly easy race, with lap times in the 53 second bracket, after that I knew I was back in my rhythm again, and looking forward to the next two races.  After lunch it was time for the Buildbase Trophy 15 lap race, Dean Brown was next to me on the grid, with Tim Howells (Suzuki) and Phill Brooks (Yamaha) making up the front row.  I made another good start, but Dean beat me to the hole shot, with Tim taking the lead into Gerrards.  I decided to follow them for a couple of laps, with Tim's bike looking really lose at the back end, and Dean was battling with him.  I hung back a bit and planned my overtake on him, which I did on the 4th lap after passing Dean, from there on I pulled out a lead and won by 2.2 seconds, also setting my fastest lap of the day at 52.8 seconds. Dean got the hole shot again in the second 1300cc race but I passed him round the outside round Gerrards, and then built up a good lead early on, when about half way through someone's bike blew and dumped fluid on the track going into Gerrards, I saw it, avoided it and tried to get the marshals to red flag it.  Then both Dean and Tim came off on the fluid and the race had to be rerun.  The race was rerun as a complete race, but shortened to 8 laps.  I made another great start and just kept increasing my lead until the end when I was 8.8 seconds ahead of Phil Brooks.  So another good day at the office, and this time I was going home in one piece, although my shoulder was a little bit sore.  I'm not sure what I'm doing next, but whatever it is there will be a report etc on here.

UPDATE 26/08/2011

Some of you may have noticed on Facebook that I've sold the BMW and it was collected this morning.  I'm not too sure what I'm going to do next, maybe get another bike for next year.  I'll keep you all informed when I've decided what's happening next.  Until then a big thank you to everyone who has helped me at racing, and to all the officials who do such a great job of organising and running the meetings.  And not forgetting the marshals and medical staff, thanks to you all.  John (the Ram).

NEWS 15/09/2011

Good news, I've managed to persuade my friend Shaun Preston to lend me his BMW for the final EMRA round at Mallory Park on 25th September.  I'll be doing my best to win in way of thanks to him.  If you're there please come round and say hello, and I hope you will all support me, in what will probably be my last meeting this year.

MALLORY PARK - EMRA Final Round 25/09/2011

Having secured the loan of Shaun's 2011 BMW I went to Mallory on the Saturday to test it at the track day, but I just did the afternoon.  I made a few changes to the suspension and gearing and handle bar height etc.  By the third session it was beginning to feel more like my own bike did, but I was having trouble getting it stopped.  We changed the brake pads at the end of the day and they were quite worn.

Sunday started dry and fine and I went out for first practice for the 1300cc class, I forgot it was timed and so I ended up 5th fastest for an unusual second row start for me, but I wasn't too worried.  Next session was qualifying for the Buildbase Mallory Trophy race, but this time I didn't hang around and put it on pole.

The first race was the 10 lap 1300cc where I didn't get a good start as the bike cut out but I got it going again and I was 6th heading into Edwina's.  Then I got going and finally got into the lead on about the 4th lap and won by just over 2 seconds from Phill Brooks (Yamaha) which gave him 1st in the championship with me in 3rd and one more race to go.

Next up was the 15 lap Buildbase Mallory Trophy race, and I only had a slim chance of winning the championship.  I had to win the race with Phill Brooks, who was 20 points in front of me, finishing 6th or lower.  It rained before the race started, and although it had stopped the track was wet so we all went out on wet weather tyres, and luckily the weather played into my hands.  I made a good start and took the lead early on, gradually pulling out a good lead, so much so that I backed it off in the last couple of laps and still won by 5.19 seconds from Mark Littler (BMW) and Gary Arden (Yamaha).  Phill Brooks was 6th, so that meant we were tied on 60 points each, but I had 3 wins to his 1, so the championship was mine.  I was over the moon because I never really expected to win it.

Going into the final 1300cc race Phill was leading the championship by 1 point from Mark and I was 13 points behind him.  It was raining quite heavily at the start of the race, but this time I was starting from pole and I got the hole shot, with Mark snapping at my heals.  I decided to do just enough to stay in front of him in the wet conditions, although he did try to pass me going into Edwina's on the second lap.  A couple of laps later the heavens opened with a downpour and they stopped the race on lap 6.  So once again I won the race with Mark 2nd and Phill 6th.  We had done enough for Mark to take the championship with me finishing in 2nd.

It turned out to be a really good day for me in the end, after I nearly didn't bother to go, but anything can happen in racing and I'm really happy to have won the Buildbase Mallory Championship.  I have to say a big thank you to Shaun because he made it possible by lending me his bike, thanks Shaun, you're a true friend.

NEWS 27/09/2011

I decided to try and get an entry for The Stars at Darley Moor race, and I've managed to get one, so I'll be heading off to Darley at the weekend.  I've never ridden the circuit but I'm a quick learner and it doesn't look too difficult to learn.  So fingers crossed for a good result in the two races.  If any of you are there then come and say hello, it's always nice to see a friendly face.

DARLEY MOOR - Stars at Darley - 1-2/10/2011

I went to Darley on the Saturday to do some laps in practice, and I was taken round in a car for 3 laps as I'd never been there before.  Then I went out for 3 of the club practice sessions to learn the circuit, which is a bit tricky through the chicanes and you have to be careful of the curbs there.  It's a nice little circuit with a couple of fast straights, the club officials are friendly and the paddock facilities are quite good.  In the afternoon there was a whole hour just for the Stars competitors to practice.  The weather was lovely on Saturday and I managed quite a few laps until near the end of the session when the throttle cable broke, so that was the end of my day, but I only missed a couple of the club sessions.  We put a new cable in and the bike back together before we went home for the night.

Sunday started as a nice day and we had 15 minutes practice first thing at 10am, where I managed to improve my lap time from Saturday, but I was still really learning the circuit.  Later in the morning we had a 20 minute qualifying session where I qualified 10th for a 3rd row on the grid start, which was ok.  The first 10 lap Stars race was just after lunch, it had clouded over but was still quite warm and dry.  I made a good start and I was up into 8th place on the first lap, a couple of laps later I was in 7th and soon caught Jonathan Howarth (Kawasaki).  I passed him at the hairpin but then I missed a gear going onto the back straight, which is something I very rarely do, and he re-passed me.  I caught him up again and sat just behind him, finishing in 7th, just 0.06 seconds behind him.

It started to spit with rain on and off but the track wasn't wet and it had stopped by the time we went out for the second race.  I made another good start and got up to 7th on the first lap, but there were a few jump starts which didn't get penalised.  I set about chasing Keith Amor (Honda) and finally caught and passed him at the hairpin.  I managed to pull away from him and I finished in 6th, 0.70 seconds in front of him.  On aggregate I was classified 7th overall, which wasn't bad for my first attempt.  I have to thank Shaun for lending me his BMW again, but now that's it for my season because Shaun needs his bike back.  Thanks again Shaun for enabling me to win the Buildbase Mallory championship and being able to try my hand around Darley Moor.

OULTON PARK - ThundersportGB -7-8/10/2011

Surprise, surprise (no not Cilla Black) .... I bought a Suzuki GSXR 1000 K10 on Thursday from a friend and he gave me his Thundersport entry for Oulton, so the next day I was there.  It was raining on Friday, I went out in the first test session, did 3 laps and then slid off, there were one or two bits of damage to the bike, but the worst was a cracked engine casing.  Tony, the friend I bought the bike from went off and got a new one for me, but I couldn't do any more test sessions.  So next time out on the bike, after a few minor adjustments, was the 20 minute qualifying session on a nice wet track, and it rained.  I managed to qualify in 2nd place for a front row start, which is always an advantage, and I hadn't gone as fast as I could have done because I didn't want to throw it down the road again.

Well, guess what....it was raining again on Sunday, but I managed to be 2nd fastest in warm up.  The first race in the morning was on a wet track but it was only spitting with rain, I made a good start and got the hole shot, then managed to pull out a good lead, but I eased off towards the end of the 7 laps and allowed Michael Robertson (Kawasaki) to close in, but I still won by 2.1 seconds.

The second race in the afternoon was run over 8 laps, and by the time it was due to start the track was drying, so tyre choice was difficult.  I stuck with a wet front and decided on an intermediate rear, but it proved to be the wrong choice.  I got the hole shot again and lead for the first couple of laps, but then I started to go backwards because the rear tyre was spinning up, losing grip, and I had quite a few slides.  At one point I looked back at the tyre because it felt like I had oil on it, in the end I decided to take it easy and just bring it home, in 5th place, which I was happy with.  I enjoyed the weekend, and I was happy to be back on a Suzuki, which I think suits my riding style.  Thanks to everyone who braved the weather to come along to help and support me.

ANGLESEY GRAND 15-16/10/2011

Late as usual (Friday morning) I decided to go to Anglesey as I needed a challenge and I'd never been there before.  I would have to learn the circuit and I was still learning the Suzuki as I'd only ridden it in the wet at Oulton the weekend before.  Saturday morning was the first time I had ridden it in the dry in the practice sessions.  Not sure how they decided grid positions but I was starting from 6th on the second row of the grid for the two 6 lap Powerbikes races on the International 2.1 mile circuit.  I got a good start in the first race and lead from start to finish, still learning the circuit and the bike.  We made various small changes to the suspension etc as we went along.  The second race was a carbon copy of the first one as I won again.  The circuit is nice but very fast, with good facilities, the cafe/bar is very nice and the prices are reasonable.

The first race on Sunday was another Powerbikes race held in tricky damp conditions, but I took the lead early on, built up quite a gap, but then the brakes started juddering, so I slowed to look down to check nothing was lose.  The chasing pack almost caught me, but I managed to pull away again for a good win.

We had a qualifying session for the two Anglesey Grand races where I qualified 4th for a front row start. It was damp for qualifying and there were all sorts of tyre combinations, but I went out on full slicks.  I made a good start in the first 10 lap race and was soon into the lead, and went on to win by about half a second from Ian Mackman (Suzuki).  Anglesey is mostly right hand corners, and with the Suzuki seeming a bit low my feet were catching on the ground, consequently I wore my right toe slider out.  I bought a new one that was a bit too big so I had to duct tape it on, right round my boot.  With grid positions decided on fastest lap times for the second race I started second on the grid next to Ian Mackman.  I made another good start and was in 3rd when my foot slipped off the footrest (due to the tape) on the first lap at the second corner.  I put my foot down and ran wide just managing to stay off the grass, the tarmac wore the tape off so I had grip again on my boot, but it dropped me down to 13th place.  I set about working my way back through the field, finally getting into 2nd place, but too far behind Ian, so I finished 2nd overall.  I put in a lap time of 1.28.8, only just over a second off Alistair Seeley's 2009 lap record, and just 0.3 seconds behind Ian's fastest lap, so I was well pleased with that.

I was happy with my performances and results over the weekend, especially as we had a few little problems and I was having to change the set up of the suspension, and not knowing the circuit, but I do like the Suzuki, and I'd like to thank Josh for being such a great help and working so hard.  There were also quite a few spectators that ended up supporting me, so thanks to them also.

MALLORY PARK - ThundersportGB Final Round 22-23/10/2011

I had every intention of having a good weekend's racing at Mallory with Thundersport.  I arrived on Saturday morning and went straight into the qualifying session.  I had shortened the wheelbase on the Suzuki, but it just wouldn't handle right, although I managed to qualify 4th for a front row grid start for the Superpole race, with a lap time of 53.39, which I suppose wasn't too bad.  I measured another Suzuki which was about 15mm longer than mine so we set about altering the wheelbase to make it longer and I changed the gearing too.  We also did a few other bits with the brakes and things.

It was time for the Superpole race in the afternoon, the engine had had an oil leak which I thought I'd fixed with liquid metal.  I nearly crashed on the warm up lap so I got off the bike on the grid and checked the rear tyre, but it looked ok.  I got away off the grid and was running in 4th, but on the second lap I missed my braking point into Edwina's and ran down the slip road, which I think was due to lack of concentration, thinking about the incident on the warm up lap.  It dropped me down to 10th place, I got back on track and started working my way back up through the field, I was helped by a couple of others going straight on at Edwina's too.  After about five near crashes I finally finished 5th in the race, which is not where I wanted to be and I know I'm capable of being much higher up the field, although my fastest lap was a 53.1.  Examining the bike afterwards there was quite a bit of oil in the belly pan, and the repair on the engine had broken down, so it was leaking oil again and sending a fine spray onto my rear tyre.

With no way of making a more permanent repair I decided to pack up and go home as it wasn't worth the risk to try and race with the bike leaking oil.  I'd like to say sorry to the people who came to see me race on the Sunday, and I'm afraid that's the last round of the year.  I'm off on holiday on Tuesday for a week, and then it's the EMRA presentation on Saturday 12th November, so if you're there then I'll see you.

EMRA Prensentation 12/11/2011

It was off to Sketchley Grange in Hinckley to have a nice meal and collect my championship trophies and winnings.  Josh and Tracey came down from Wigan with me and Joan came over to do some photos of the presentation, and we all had a good night, meeting up with other friends too.  I got three trophies, the main one being the Buildbase Mallory Trophy and along with it a shield and £1000, a 2nd place trophy in the 1300cc Open class and the Gary Bull trophy.  The trophies were being presented by Tom Sykes, Richard Cooper and John Reynolds, who made a good job of it all.  After the presentations were finished there was a disco, but I'm not one for dancing so I had a few good chats with racing friends.  Thanks to the EMRA club and everyone who worked or helped for making it a good and successful night.  Then it was time to go home and the roads were nice and quiet.  Now it's back to work and looking forward to Christmas.

MALLORY PARK - Track Day - 26/11/2011

After getting the oil leak fixed on the Suzuki's engine, changing the front fork springs to stronger ones and fitting the new Bitubo rear shock in the week I decided to go to Mallory to try it all out.  I only did the sighting laps for the first session as it was a bit greasy on track with a few damp patches, and after going slow behind the instructor for two laps the tyres were too cold to continue.  I went out and did the whole of the second session and it all seemed ok, but not that I was going fast.  I went out for the third session ready to get going and give it a real try out, but after a few laps there was a tapping noise coming from the top end of the engine.  Not wanting to ruin the engine I pulled in, then when Josh and I were having a look to see if we could find anything wrong, and thinking the day was over, Lukasz Gaslawski came over and offered me his spare bike to ride in return for a bit of tuition.  The bike is a 400 Kawasaki, but I thought I'd give it a go.

First session in the afternoon I found myself riding Luka's bike, he followed me for a while, but then came past so I could follow him, and there were just a couple of places where I could see he might be able to improve and make up some time.  It was funny but I was pleasantly surprised by the bike and really enjoyed riding it.  At the end of the session it kept cutting out on me and I thought it had run out of fuel, but it was a small electrical problem that Luka quickly put right.  We both went out for our last session but Luka's quick shifter packed up, so I was left out there on my own.  It was getting dark, but I didn't hang around, I was having fun, passing a few 1000cc bikes, and I got into the 58's which is not bad for my first time on a 400.  I'm taller and a bit heavier (all that muscle) than young Luka, but the bike didn't seem as small as I thought it would.  So a big thanks to Luka and his dad for letting me ride his bike and saving the day, because I didn't really want to go home so early.  Now I'll have to sort out what's wrong with the Suzuki. 

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

TO EVERYONE.

From me and my team.

And

HAPPY NEW YEAR

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