posted on March 11, 2010 16:33
Round 1 - Brands Hatch Indy 5th - 7th March
I think the only other time I have been that cold at a circuit was at my first ever race meet in 2007 when the bike froze overnight and I ended up with a belly-pan full of oil and water. And really the whole weekend was about taking stock of all the crap that I have dealt with over the last 3 years and starting again. Funnily enough the crap seems to have started at around about the time I started the job I have now. More about that another time.
So the Friday practice day at the Indy circuit went really really well. I felt like a different person from last year. Something had changed for me financially which meant that I didn't spend the whole weekend worrying about money or monday morning. I was able to actually be at the circuit and think about the stuff going on at the circuit. I could analyse corners and passes and I was seeing things in a whole new light. As a result, I felt like I was progressing all day. It was also really great to see Steve Miller whom I'd not seen for AGES properly as he had changed jobs and done all sorts, getting injured and missing most of last season.
I thought it was going to be a bad weekend, because in making sure we had one of the spare bikes with us, we forgot my front dry wheel (wet was already on the bike). That meant that I had no option at circuit but to put a new dry tyre on my wet wheel. I needed a new rear, too and so I started the new season with new rubber! Result! Mark and I had the usual little arguments over the awning and whatever else there was, but I think he was enjoying it too. The Friday was my first testing of the year, having not been on track since November last year when we went to Portimao for my 30th.
So we got ourselves through scrutineering on Friday night once Gary and Nancy Jones turned up (yes, Nancy, I've married you off already). Well, I got myself through and then got Mark's bike scrutineered for him while he went back home in Gary and Nancy's van to get the brake pads he had left at home and a couple of other bits we wanted/forgot. So I tried to cook shredded chicken on a cheapo disposible bbq and failed miserably. Eventually I managed to use most of the Jones' gas to cook the chicken and mix it with fajita sauce for dinner.
Mark's back and Saturday morning rears its head. I get up and am still rather nervous about being at Brands, but I'm not putting the pressure on myself that I normally do. I get up and am somehow able to get it together. I qualify badly due to a mixture of getting on track late and the track being very very busy, plus a red flag ending the session. Mark does better but I'm feeling like I've very much undersold myself.
My friend Anita, my Mum and Roger turn up so I sort out tickets and vehicle passes for them. Its nice that they have come and I think my Mum is finally resigned to the fact that I am not going to be giving up racing any time soon. It has to be in my favour that Roger rides about on two wheels and wants to have a go on a 125 or something on track soon. I bought him a rear Harris stand for christmas to encourage him. :) (sorry Mum!!)
Still, race one and I make up 7 places with a relatively decent start. I manage to keep up some pace for most of the race, despite it being rather lonely, chasing the mid-pack group. Then, I start to get overtaken by those with quicker laptimes who didnt start so well. I give up four places doing that and again, feel I've let myself down somewhat. Despite that feeling, I do feel a sense of achievement: that I've improved since the qualifying session.
Race two and I make up more spaces, chasing Peter Thornton who seems to have found some sort of rocket fuel in the last few meetings we have shared. I manage to get ahead of Jack Blake who had beaten me in the last race and then later feel very sympathetic when I'm told he was struggling and only had 55bhp.
We retire to dinner of sausages and mash and I chill out and chat with a few people I've not seen for -like- forever. Totally at home, the first time I've relaxed for such a very long time.
Sunday morning and I'm in a really excellent mood. Perfect for racing: calm but focussed. We collectively decide not to go out in practice because it is FAR too cold and we don't think anything will be achieved by going out with so much traffic out there. PJ and Pouty turn up, as do Tony and Loz and I see Harriet and Cobby come to see us during the day, too. Good to see all, so many friends about. Seems there has been a bit of a drought of that in the off-season.
Race three and I'm down to within a second of my best laptime at Brands Indy. On such a cold day, I'm happy with this. I'm working my way up the board and I even manage to get in front of Thunderpants Thornton! :D Gary is two spaces in front of me and I am now starting to really get into the swing of things.
Race four is a total disaster. Right at the end of a very cold day, we have two red flags due to a combination of a crash on the warmup lap and cold tyres following the ensuing delay from the warmup lap. I asked for two warm-up laps rather than one, which they gave us on the re-start. This was the crash. Everyone is fine or I would not post that here. Seven people went out in the crashes on that start and one retired, reducing the grid to 18. I claimed the last championship point on that grid after trying to get heat into my tyres.
Then it's a flurry of packing up, dismantling the awning and checking that everyone is ok and the weekend is over. I try not to think about Monday morning and Mark and I get home to pizza. We need to win the lottery or something!
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