Oulton Park
Qualifying
One of my favourite circuits but having to learn it all again on the Triumph and in the wet again, I had absolutely no confidence in the tyres, I was beginning to question my ebay purchased second hand pirelli wets.
The front was fine but the back had absolutely no grip and came close to spitting me off several times, I was still not comfortable with the riding position on the bike either. So no surprise to qualify 17th and embarrassingly out qualified by four CB500's!!
Qualified:- 17th fastest lap 2:13.947
Race 1
Overnight I'd managed to get a pair of second hand Dunlop wets and had tested them in morning warm up and although I didn't go any faster they felt a lot more secure and gave me a little bit more confidence.
Got off to an average start and took it easy as the track condition's were pretty poor, several people took tumbles in front of me and I settled into a good scrap with one of the Supermoto guys, although not in my class the racer in you always wants to beat the rider ahead, I new I could lap faster but the supermoto's are so good on the brakes and very difficult to overtake. I eventually got my opportunity when he hesitated over a back marker and sure enough I lapped 2 seconds quicker when I got past him.
Result:- 7th Overall 3rd Class B, fastest lap 2:05.825
Race 2
The rain had held off for several hours and the track was now drying, although the forecast said rain at around 4:00pm, we were scheduled to go out at 4:25pm. With no rain on the horizon I took the decision to run dry tyres.
On the grid there was every combination possible from full slicks right through to full wets. I got off to a good start but was aware there were a few damp patches around the track so took it easy, then halfway round the first lap the heaven's opened and it chucked it down. Several people got caught out and crashed and several people just pulled into the pits. Me being a tight Yorkshireman was having none of it, having payed £170 entry fee's I was going to get my money's worth and figuring as I'd seen quite a few people either crash or pull in, I new I would get reasonable points if I just stayed on till the end, in fact I think I was the only bike to finish on dry tyres!
Result:- 15th Overall 8th Class B, fastest lap 2:21.712
Snetterton
A bit of a baptism by fire, or water given the conditions!! this was the first time the Triumph had turned a wheel as due to time and financial constraint's I'd not been able to test the bike before it's first race meeting.
Qualifying
First time on the bike and Pirelli wets, so I was reasonably happy with the qualifying session and how I went.
Qualified:- 17th Overall 5th Class B, fastest Lap 2:41.600
Race 1
Got off to a good start, although with this being my first race start on the Triumph I wasn't too sure what rev's to give it off the line. Had a good scrap with my old sparring partner from CB500's Barry Rudge, with Barry just getting the better of me to the line but did take 11 seconds off my qualifying time.
Result:-15th Overall 5th Class B, fastest Lap 2:30.728
Race 2
Now getting the feel of the Triumph, the Pirelli's and the new Snetterton 300 circuit, I got of to another good start and with the track starting to dry a little took 8 secs off my lap times and my first streetfighter podium.
Result:-7th Overall 3rd in Class B, fastest lap 2:22.425
Second qualifying
Unusually we had a second qualifying session this time in the dry for day 2, took another 6 seconds of my lap times.
Qualified:- 13th Overall 4th Class B, fastest Lap 2:16.348
Race 3
First proper dry race and had a good duel with Rob Norman, one of the top streetfigher B rider's, taking another 5 seconds of my lap times and just missing out on another podium due to problems with the throttle jamming when being closed. I think it's an issue from the bike being a cat C accident damaged motorcycle and the throttle stop may have been distorted in the original crash the bike suffered.
Result:- 10th Overall 4th Class B, fastest Lap 2:11.257
Race 4
A sudden rain shower before the race made tyre choice a bit of a lottery, at the end of the previous race I'd noticed the rear tyre had begun to delaminate, so had taken the tyre back to Holbeach Tyre's for them to inspect and Mark fitted me a new rear due to the issue. Unfortunately I only had the sighting lap to scrub the tyre in and with the track being slightly damp (some people had opted for a front wet and dry rear) as we lined up on the start grid I could see there was still a fare bit of un-scrubbed tyre on the rear.
Got a great start but fell back down the field in the first few laps due to a few slides from the rear as I tried to crank the bike over further on the damp/drying track.
Result:- 7th Overall 4th Class B, fastest lap 2:13.874
