sradmatt
20-04-2007, 22:25
Snetterton Race Report
We arrived at the track on Thursday afternoon, where it was quite warm and sunny, and already pretty busy, we set the van and awning etc up and then went for a cycle around the track……
First impressions were “Damn this looks fast!!”
Back to the van and off to sleep for the night.
Test Day
We Woke up Friday morning to heavy mist/fog and about 5oC! Luckily this later lifted and it was around 20oC by lunch time.
Once signed on for the test day, I went out on the first session feeling a bit apprehensive and tense but open minded as it was a new track for me to learn.
By lunch time I was more at ease with the track but still thinking it was bloody quick!! I put in a few ‘fast-ish’ laps but couldn’t get under 1.24’s even though I knew there loads of places I could go faster!
This was how my times stayed for the day really and I finished the test day thinking that I would be getting slaughtered over the weekend and end up last!!
Saturday Race Day
Woke up again to mist and cold but wasn’t too worried as it had soon warmed up the day before, by the time I was showered and dressed, it was warming up!
Signed on, new rubber fitted, bike checked etc and it was soon time for the 10min practice, this came and went without incident and tyres were scrubbed in nicely.
Race one - Sat on the grid in 12th position, all nerves gone thinking ‘right, lets have it!’ Lights go out, not a bad start but passed by about 4 bikes into the first corner, now in the middle of the pack, down the long rivett straight, managed to out brake two riders into the esses and make it stick, up behind Mark Woolford who I’m always battling with!
I manage to stay with Mark for the next few laps and was quicker than him in some places, but not quite able to make a pass stick! Although we did pass another rider towards the end of the race, we weren’t passed at all!
Chequered flag comes out and I finish in 15th position, I’m more than happy with that for my first race here and was even more happy when I got the official race results, a best lap of 1.18!!! I’d knocked 6seconds off my lap time!!!
Race two - Gridded in 15th position, I get a good start and hold my position into the first corner, I was pretty much on my own throughout the race but managed to fight with a few people and get back up to 12th position partly from dodging a couple of fallers at the final chicane!
Sunday Race day
Again it was cold In the morning, but by lunch time was up to about 25oC
There was also a pretty huge crowd arriving, (including my dad at his first race meeting!) and a really good atmosphere in the paddock.
Race 3 - Gridded 12th, I got a really bad start with the bike bogging down and then wheeling!! I was passed by around 5 riders into the first corner and wasn’t happy!
Head down and flat out along the revitt straight, I brake as late I dare and manage to outbrake four riders into the esses…Great!…. Untill the guy right in front of me highsides about two foot ahead of me!!! I pick the bike up and manage to slide into the gap between the sliding rider and his bike, onto the grass.
By the time I manage to rejoin the track, I’m dead last (26th) !! NO WAY IM GOING TO BE LAST!!! Head down and ride as fast as I can, up the inside of another rider on the way into the first corner…… then another two at the end of the revitt straight.
The laps go by and i’m passing people left right and centre and loving every minute of it!!
Then up in the distance I see my friend Andy Needham and know I have to beat him! I’m chasing really hard now and catch him within just over a lap, passing him on the way into the esses!! I’m sure he was more than a little surprised to see me!
We have some good battles over the next few laps, passing a few other riders as we go.
Andy leads me, behind Steve de la cour and as the last lap flag comes out I know I’ve got to get in front of both of them!
So down the revitt straight (my favourite overtaking spot!) I brake as late as I dare and just manage to squeeze up the inside of them both and make the pass stick!!
I know I cant afford to back off for a second as they’ll both be eager to get back in front so pull out all the stops and pin it through the bomb hole spinning up on the exit, up to fourth and tip into corrams, the long right hander onto the start/finish straight…. Way too fast!!
Half way around the corner, I hit a bump which unsettles the bike as I’m offline. I’m drifting right out to the outside of the track and know if I hit the grass while leant over I’ll be in big trouble, so I pick the bike up and run over the grass at around 85-90mph!
I try to relax and not brake or lean etc and manage to ride it out for around 200 meters before rejoining the track further on, much to the appreciation of the cheering crowd!!
I cross the line in 18th place…. Still ahead of Andy and Steve!! and with a huge smile!!
Race 4 - Gridded in 18th place, I got off to a much better start and pass two riders into the first corner, feeling more at ease with the track now, I relax and really enjoy the race, managing to have some good battles and cross the line in 14th position.
Overall although the results for the weekend weren’t as good as I may have hoped, I learnt a lot from fighting my way up from last place and feel like a proper racer now!! :dance2:
We arrived at the track on Thursday afternoon, where it was quite warm and sunny, and already pretty busy, we set the van and awning etc up and then went for a cycle around the track……
First impressions were “Damn this looks fast!!”
Back to the van and off to sleep for the night.
Test Day
We Woke up Friday morning to heavy mist/fog and about 5oC! Luckily this later lifted and it was around 20oC by lunch time.
Once signed on for the test day, I went out on the first session feeling a bit apprehensive and tense but open minded as it was a new track for me to learn.
By lunch time I was more at ease with the track but still thinking it was bloody quick!! I put in a few ‘fast-ish’ laps but couldn’t get under 1.24’s even though I knew there loads of places I could go faster!
This was how my times stayed for the day really and I finished the test day thinking that I would be getting slaughtered over the weekend and end up last!!
Saturday Race Day
Woke up again to mist and cold but wasn’t too worried as it had soon warmed up the day before, by the time I was showered and dressed, it was warming up!
Signed on, new rubber fitted, bike checked etc and it was soon time for the 10min practice, this came and went without incident and tyres were scrubbed in nicely.
Race one - Sat on the grid in 12th position, all nerves gone thinking ‘right, lets have it!’ Lights go out, not a bad start but passed by about 4 bikes into the first corner, now in the middle of the pack, down the long rivett straight, managed to out brake two riders into the esses and make it stick, up behind Mark Woolford who I’m always battling with!
I manage to stay with Mark for the next few laps and was quicker than him in some places, but not quite able to make a pass stick! Although we did pass another rider towards the end of the race, we weren’t passed at all!
Chequered flag comes out and I finish in 15th position, I’m more than happy with that for my first race here and was even more happy when I got the official race results, a best lap of 1.18!!! I’d knocked 6seconds off my lap time!!!
Race two - Gridded in 15th position, I get a good start and hold my position into the first corner, I was pretty much on my own throughout the race but managed to fight with a few people and get back up to 12th position partly from dodging a couple of fallers at the final chicane!
Sunday Race day
Again it was cold In the morning, but by lunch time was up to about 25oC
There was also a pretty huge crowd arriving, (including my dad at his first race meeting!) and a really good atmosphere in the paddock.
Race 3 - Gridded 12th, I got a really bad start with the bike bogging down and then wheeling!! I was passed by around 5 riders into the first corner and wasn’t happy!
Head down and flat out along the revitt straight, I brake as late I dare and manage to outbrake four riders into the esses…Great!…. Untill the guy right in front of me highsides about two foot ahead of me!!! I pick the bike up and manage to slide into the gap between the sliding rider and his bike, onto the grass.
By the time I manage to rejoin the track, I’m dead last (26th) !! NO WAY IM GOING TO BE LAST!!! Head down and ride as fast as I can, up the inside of another rider on the way into the first corner…… then another two at the end of the revitt straight.
The laps go by and i’m passing people left right and centre and loving every minute of it!!
Then up in the distance I see my friend Andy Needham and know I have to beat him! I’m chasing really hard now and catch him within just over a lap, passing him on the way into the esses!! I’m sure he was more than a little surprised to see me!
We have some good battles over the next few laps, passing a few other riders as we go.
Andy leads me, behind Steve de la cour and as the last lap flag comes out I know I’ve got to get in front of both of them!
So down the revitt straight (my favourite overtaking spot!) I brake as late as I dare and just manage to squeeze up the inside of them both and make the pass stick!!
I know I cant afford to back off for a second as they’ll both be eager to get back in front so pull out all the stops and pin it through the bomb hole spinning up on the exit, up to fourth and tip into corrams, the long right hander onto the start/finish straight…. Way too fast!!
Half way around the corner, I hit a bump which unsettles the bike as I’m offline. I’m drifting right out to the outside of the track and know if I hit the grass while leant over I’ll be in big trouble, so I pick the bike up and run over the grass at around 85-90mph!
I try to relax and not brake or lean etc and manage to ride it out for around 200 meters before rejoining the track further on, much to the appreciation of the cheering crowd!!
I cross the line in 18th place…. Still ahead of Andy and Steve!! and with a huge smile!!
Race 4 - Gridded in 18th place, I got off to a much better start and pass two riders into the first corner, feeling more at ease with the track now, I relax and really enjoy the race, managing to have some good battles and cross the line in 14th position.
Overall although the results for the weekend weren’t as good as I may have hoped, I learnt a lot from fighting my way up from last place and feel like a proper racer now!! :dance2: