Having been home to race at East Fortune, it could be said that I am again going 'home' this weekend. Yes, it's Cadwell Park. I am looking forward to it immensely. A couple of people have mentioned that I'm a slightly different animal compared to what showed up at Croft back in March. In a good way I might add Slowly I'm getting there. I'm improving every meeting. It's a big entry this weekend and they're going to A-B-C us in qualifying then it will be A-B, A-C then B-C both days. The aim for me has to be to qualify in group A. I'll have my work cut out for sure but I'll give it a damn good go. Bring it on. No military race this weekend so no need for the 675 but we go to Mallory in June so time for a trackday or two with the 675 to see how we get on. Although it has to be said being CB500 mounted at Mallory isn't the disadvantage it was at Snetterton. More so had it been dry. So we'll see how we go in that regard and make a decision at a later date.
A good weekend in the end it has to be said. The weather for the test day was stunning. Unfortunately, my performance was not. At least to start with. Stuck around the 1:54-55 mark, nothing I seemed to try made any difference. However, I found a little something and by the end of the day I was comfortably around the 49-50 mark which, whilst still way off my 2017 times (46-47’s) was heading in the right direction. Come race day the weather was not to be so kind. First out in the wet I did a couple of laps and was slowly finding my way when I developed gear selection issues. I did another couple of laps to ensure I qualified then retired to the paddock. I found the selector actuator loose and not gripping the splines on the input shaft. I took it off, cleaned it all up, re-fitted it and took the bike for a spin up the access road. All appeared fine. A quick look at the qualifying results, I had qualified 47th from 54. Not great and certainly not where I wanted to be. I’d just have to get on with it. Out for my first race and took my place on the grid (33rd). As we set off on the warm up lap, the gearshift decided it had had enough so I retired to the paddock. DNS. So out came the box of bits and bobs from the depths of the van and I managed to find an actuator in much better condition that what was currently fitted. I think it’s actually a SES one from a set of R1 rear sets. Anyway, it was fitted and again I popped up to the gate on the access road. This time the shift felt much better. Very positive. I liked it. I was confident that it would do the job. All I had to do was wait for my second race. Eventually, it was time and I took my place (28th) on the grid. I got a decent start and made a good fe places up. Then I caught the next little group and set about dicing with them. Swapping places aplenty, I failed to realise that this was costing us all time and allowing riders behind to catch up with us. All of a sudden there was six of us. Looking back, great fun but at the time, I couldn’t make passes stick which was frustrating as I felt given a clear section of track (ideally Mansfield to Barn), I’d have been able to gap them all. I finished 22nd, 9th in class. That would have to do. Fastest lap was a 51.562, some way off what I’d achieved the previous day. It was dry as I went for warm up. Without pushing too hard my best over the four laps was a 52.171 which was 24th. I was confident I could reach the times set on the test day. 30th on the grid, I got a great start and was soon mixing it up in turns one, two and three. Elbows out, great fun. Again, I managed to dispense with a few riders and set about making my way up to the next group. Then pretty much the same as the day before. I couldn’t make the moves stick. Young Lewis Booth had a speed advantage over me allowing him to pass me on the straights any time after I had passed him in a corner. Bloody annoying as he was slow in and through most of them. I was rolling off at points. Not ideal. I finished 26th, 7th in class and 0.272 off Lewis. It was a long wait until my next race, the last one of the day. From 21st on the grid, I was up at 15th for a lap, dicing with Ben Martin and Lewis again. Swapping places several times a lap but in the end, I just couldn’t make passes stick. This also allowed my mate Clive to mug me on the last lap. I finished 19th, 5th in class. It was a great weekend racing in the end. I’m enjoying being back out there. It was a little frustrating at times particularly not matching my times in testing. Had I done that I may have seen myself a good bit further up the grid on the Monday. It was not to be. I’m not too worried as I usually do go faster under race conditions. It’s Mallory next 21-23 June. Four TSGB 500 races and two GB Racing British Military Championship races to get stuck in to. It’ll be a busy weekend. I’m looking forward to it already. I'll be buying new tyres.
well done bob top coat warmer than east fortune anhoo cadwell will be your home track e f nxt month 500,s a plenty
