Snetterton 2011 - Friday and Saturday
Gav and Lou were the first of our party to reach the circuit. Although there was a track day on, Gav saw a space by our garage and deftly
landed his camper into it. Lou had worked her liver hard and late the previous night and needed to get a bit of shut eye. We hung about for ages until a group of guys moved the vans blocking our parking area and finally left - and people think women talk too much.
We set up and had supper and a little wine - Lou was particularly droopy by now - (Lou AKA - No, no, no. Oh, okay then) and most of us had an early night. It was pretty damned chilly, which Chris found out at 4.30am when he had to go outside and shut the door in the side of the caravan - when we arrived he'd left it open to air, as he had not switched the gas off properly and it stank.
The weather changed during the night and the door was banging and the hinges were squeaking and Jim was sleeping in his car behind us with his head right next to it. Sound test was first thing Saturday morning so no-one got a lie-in. The North passed with 92!!
Since Cadwell, an extra 'bubble' was put on the North's screen to help the aerodynamics as Chris has recently been having trouble 'Getting Down'. - It’s that big round bit under his t-shirt that stops him.
First practice went well. It revealed an oil leak which was seen to swiftly - Chris hadn't tightened something on the timing case.
Second practice the problem was solved and Chris was raring to go.
First race was the 1300 Multi’s decider. Though Chris was leading by one point, Martin and Gavin pointed out, that to come up with the final positions we have to take into account the fact that each rider drops a certain amount of his races in each championship.
This meant Cormac dropped three DNF’s to put him 25 points ahead of Chris, as Chris dropped 26 points (0, 13, 13), which meant that Chris could only tie the championship with a win and no points for Cormac, a tough task! Lucky I didn't put any of my Cormac-nobbling ideas into practice! Chris started 1st on the grid, finished 3rdon track and 2nd in class, thereby finishing 2nd in the championship. A good result you must agree.
Second race of the day - Post Classics Race 1. Started 4th on the grid, ran 2nd for three laps and was then overtaken by Mark George and Paul Allender. Chris finished 4th in class. Beaten by the two TZ 750s and an 1100 P&M Kawasaki was nothing to be ashamed of.
However, Mark George's race result meant he could've overtaken Chris in the Championship. Ashley phoned Team HQ in Bookham where my sister Cathy had the
spread sheet on the computer and they calculated the standings. We found that Chris was leading Mark George by only four points! All eyes on the second Post
Classics race.
After a lock-wiring accident in the garage, Gavin's now got a little prick like Martin's. He didn't have a plaster on it or go around showing it to everyone though. Someone, who shall remain nameless, apparently neglected to safely finish off the procedure (Where's Graham Redrup when we need him).
Next race was the decider for the 1300 National. Chris finished 4th, 4th in class and 4th in the championship.
Then came the tyre changing bonanza, the weather was fickle and Chris couldn't quite make up his mind. It was a trying time for Martin and Gavin. Chris decided to go for the wider tyre, and then sheepishly asked if they could change back to the narrow…Then back to wide…Then back to narrow, and finally plumped for wide. Five tyre changes later and Chris being in danger of getting slapped, he set off to the holding area for the start of the Post Classics Race 2.
He started 7th on the grid. Team W.A.N.C.A hanging over the pit wall with baited breath. Graham in the Commentary box could hardly keep up. Chris launched himself off the mark and got down behind the bubble. On lap three Pat Walsh went screaming past down the start/finish straight, his bike smoking like a trooper. Chris, experiencing déjà vu of Anglesey, where Pat's bike blew up in his face, backed off, knowing that Pat would be experiencing serious problems in the braking areas and turn-in points, one of which was fast approaching. The last thing that was seen of Pat was him and bike, completely out of control, heading for the tyre wall, having, once again, liberally coated Chris with lubricant. Team W.A.N.C.A wish Pat a speedy recovery from his broken collar bone. Chris finished 6th in class and Mark George 3rd, so Mark George took 2nd place in the championship and Chris finished 3rd.
My timing for supper was well out that evening. Nothing got hot quickly and we ate really late. Several of Team W.A.N.C.A were quite inebriated by bedtime and I
take full responsibility for this as they had empty stomachs for so long. Luckily we would have a relaxed and much later start Sunday morning.
landed his camper into it. Lou had worked her liver hard and late the previous night and needed to get a bit of shut eye. We hung about for ages until a group of guys moved the vans blocking our parking area and finally left - and people think women talk too much.
We set up and had supper and a little wine - Lou was particularly droopy by now - (Lou AKA - No, no, no. Oh, okay then) and most of us had an early night. It was pretty damned chilly, which Chris found out at 4.30am when he had to go outside and shut the door in the side of the caravan - when we arrived he'd left it open to air, as he had not switched the gas off properly and it stank.
The weather changed during the night and the door was banging and the hinges were squeaking and Jim was sleeping in his car behind us with his head right next to it. Sound test was first thing Saturday morning so no-one got a lie-in. The North passed with 92!!
Since Cadwell, an extra 'bubble' was put on the North's screen to help the aerodynamics as Chris has recently been having trouble 'Getting Down'. - It’s that big round bit under his t-shirt that stops him.
First practice went well. It revealed an oil leak which was seen to swiftly - Chris hadn't tightened something on the timing case.
Second practice the problem was solved and Chris was raring to go.
First race was the 1300 Multi’s decider. Though Chris was leading by one point, Martin and Gavin pointed out, that to come up with the final positions we have to take into account the fact that each rider drops a certain amount of his races in each championship.
This meant Cormac dropped three DNF’s to put him 25 points ahead of Chris, as Chris dropped 26 points (0, 13, 13), which meant that Chris could only tie the championship with a win and no points for Cormac, a tough task! Lucky I didn't put any of my Cormac-nobbling ideas into practice! Chris started 1st on the grid, finished 3rdon track and 2nd in class, thereby finishing 2nd in the championship. A good result you must agree.
Second race of the day - Post Classics Race 1. Started 4th on the grid, ran 2nd for three laps and was then overtaken by Mark George and Paul Allender. Chris finished 4th in class. Beaten by the two TZ 750s and an 1100 P&M Kawasaki was nothing to be ashamed of.
However, Mark George's race result meant he could've overtaken Chris in the Championship. Ashley phoned Team HQ in Bookham where my sister Cathy had the
spread sheet on the computer and they calculated the standings. We found that Chris was leading Mark George by only four points! All eyes on the second Post
Classics race.
After a lock-wiring accident in the garage, Gavin's now got a little prick like Martin's. He didn't have a plaster on it or go around showing it to everyone though. Someone, who shall remain nameless, apparently neglected to safely finish off the procedure (Where's Graham Redrup when we need him).
Next race was the decider for the 1300 National. Chris finished 4th, 4th in class and 4th in the championship.
Then came the tyre changing bonanza, the weather was fickle and Chris couldn't quite make up his mind. It was a trying time for Martin and Gavin. Chris decided to go for the wider tyre, and then sheepishly asked if they could change back to the narrow…Then back to wide…Then back to narrow, and finally plumped for wide. Five tyre changes later and Chris being in danger of getting slapped, he set off to the holding area for the start of the Post Classics Race 2.
He started 7th on the grid. Team W.A.N.C.A hanging over the pit wall with baited breath. Graham in the Commentary box could hardly keep up. Chris launched himself off the mark and got down behind the bubble. On lap three Pat Walsh went screaming past down the start/finish straight, his bike smoking like a trooper. Chris, experiencing déjà vu of Anglesey, where Pat's bike blew up in his face, backed off, knowing that Pat would be experiencing serious problems in the braking areas and turn-in points, one of which was fast approaching. The last thing that was seen of Pat was him and bike, completely out of control, heading for the tyre wall, having, once again, liberally coated Chris with lubricant. Team W.A.N.C.A wish Pat a speedy recovery from his broken collar bone. Chris finished 6th in class and Mark George 3rd, so Mark George took 2nd place in the championship and Chris finished 3rd.
My timing for supper was well out that evening. Nothing got hot quickly and we ate really late. Several of Team W.A.N.C.A were quite inebriated by bedtime and I
take full responsibility for this as they had empty stomachs for so long. Luckily we would have a relaxed and much later start Sunday morning.
Snetterton 2011 - Sunday
Tony HAYWARD saving the day
Ashley won the sweepstake on what time Jim would surface. Lou hadn't slept very well. She described Gavin as - normally a 'compact' sleeper, but when he's very drunk he expands with arms and legs everywhere.
Chris, having decided not to shower that morning, instead poured a great deal of talcum powder into his pants and patted away madly, sending clouds of dust all over the floor of the caravan. Breakfast was served and the garage opened.
First race was the Race of the Year for the 1300 Multi’s. Chris finished 5th and 2nd in class. A fairing bracket had fractured so it was secured while he went to the podium to be presented with his trophy. It was a close call to get him out for his second race as there was only one race between them.
In Race of the Year for the Post Classics, Chris finished 7th, 6th in class. After which, there was a quick tyre change to the wide, medium compound, the North was re-fuelled and another temporary fix of the fairing. A cracked left-hand downpipe, that already had a repair from Cadwell, was hastily brazed by Tony Hayward in time for the Race of Aces - during Sunday's races Chris was getting high-pitched vibration due to holding the throttle on full for lengthy periods on Snetterton's infamous long straights.
After almost one lap of the final race Chris decided to pull into the pit lane as the bike would not rev over 4000 and provided a side show for the pit wall, when testing the throttle, oh how sweet it sounded ! We don't know the reason for the loss of power yet, but when Chris strips the bike down, he will no doubt inform the website team of the
issue.
So the curtain has come down on another successful season and before long the preparation will begin for the next, with Chris running two machines as per our recent news flash on our home page and Gav hopefully running his 125.
We would like to thank everybody for their support during the 2011 season. The web
site will be updated regularly so check in with us to catch up on Chris' and
Gavin's progress during the winter.
Many Thanks
Jane Chapman – Long Suffering Wife
Chris, having decided not to shower that morning, instead poured a great deal of talcum powder into his pants and patted away madly, sending clouds of dust all over the floor of the caravan. Breakfast was served and the garage opened.
First race was the Race of the Year for the 1300 Multi’s. Chris finished 5th and 2nd in class. A fairing bracket had fractured so it was secured while he went to the podium to be presented with his trophy. It was a close call to get him out for his second race as there was only one race between them.
In Race of the Year for the Post Classics, Chris finished 7th, 6th in class. After which, there was a quick tyre change to the wide, medium compound, the North was re-fuelled and another temporary fix of the fairing. A cracked left-hand downpipe, that already had a repair from Cadwell, was hastily brazed by Tony Hayward in time for the Race of Aces - during Sunday's races Chris was getting high-pitched vibration due to holding the throttle on full for lengthy periods on Snetterton's infamous long straights.
After almost one lap of the final race Chris decided to pull into the pit lane as the bike would not rev over 4000 and provided a side show for the pit wall, when testing the throttle, oh how sweet it sounded ! We don't know the reason for the loss of power yet, but when Chris strips the bike down, he will no doubt inform the website team of the
issue.
So the curtain has come down on another successful season and before long the preparation will begin for the next, with Chris running two machines as per our recent news flash on our home page and Gav hopefully running his 125.
We would like to thank everybody for their support during the 2011 season. The web
site will be updated regularly so check in with us to catch up on Chris' and
Gavin's progress during the winter.
Many Thanks
Jane Chapman – Long Suffering Wife
Cadwell 2011 - Friday and Saturday
Chris and Gavin Talking Tactics
Friday 9th September 2011
We left home at 5.35am, but didn't get on to the M25 until 5.50am as someone parked their heap of shite car on the corner of our road and we had to detach the caravan to get round it. We arrived at Cadwell at 9.40am to find a HUGE space saved for us by Graham, Graham, Tony and Hilary. We were grateful to Tony and Hilary as they helped battle the wind and get the gazebo up.
Chris had booked the afternoon on the track to give the North a shake down. He got a puncture in the rear tyre one and a half laps in on the first session so the rest of that one was wasted. In the second session, trying to get used to the large rear tyre and pushing it ever harder, Chris found there were some rear suspension difficulties. Finding that the springs were way too soft, it was also discovered that the damper units were suffering stiction in the last third of their travel. Graham Redrup and Chris set off to Steve Lomax of Five-One Wheelbuilding to have new bearings put in the front wheel. Steve requested they pick it up in the morning as he wanted to gently put the hub over a heater to extract the bearings and needed time. (Chris just pours boiling water over it) So amazingly the two of them weren't away too long which was surprising. When they're together they can talk the hind legs off a herd of donkeys. Back at camp it was like 'How many people does it take to change the shock absorbers'. We were up to five by the time Graham and Chris got back. Lots of head scratching and discussion about how Chris could lose half a stone over night. (chop his head off) - Eventually there were seven on the shock absorber case and things were slowly coming together. Graham Jeffrey, whose bike was handling perfectly, offered it for spares and Mike Dolittle offered Chris his spare Falcons. In the end they used Graham's springs, Mike's bodies and Chris' collets.
It was a marathon effort by Gavin and Martin. It was dark, with three different sets of shock absorbers spread out on the floor and a fair number of reasonably inebriated visitors stumbling through them all evening, they finally finished the job in time for a drink before bed. It was at times highly amusing and fraught keeping track of what spacers, with which springs, went with which damper units.
Saturday 10th September 2011
We had a wet 'n very windy night that night but Chris' equipment beat the elements and stayed upright. We had to get at 5.45am as Chris' gear-change toe had gone purple at the end. Gav had put the 'No Chew' dog bandage on rather tightly. I couldn't find the scissors from the first aid kit as Chris never puts anything back where it came from unless it belongs to him. I had a tiny pair in a Smart Card and hacked it off with them. We decided to have a cup of tea and met Graham R, who'd been woken by the bladder alarm.
Chris had a shower and got ready for scrutineering and we got breakfast out of the way. Graham R and I set off at top speed to pick up Chris wheel before first practice. I pulled up, Graham jumped out, the wheel went in, the money changed hands and off we went. I noticed Graham had his left hand firmly on the jesus strap all the way back and the other arm hooked round the back of his seat. I thought I must be scaring the crap out of him even though I'm not driving fast. He eventually said he was holding the wheel up behind the seat to protect the disc and bracing himself with the other.
Chris did very well in all three races that day. Post Classics 1: 2nd on the grid. Finished 3rd. 3rd in class. Post Classics 2: 3rd on the grid. Finished 4th. 3rd in class. 1300 Multis 1: 2nd on the grid. Finished 2nd. 2nd in class.
Martin was watching the 750 race in which Mike Dolittle lost it at Hall Bends. He bounced well. Tim came round and braked hard, only having a foot to squeeze through, he clipped Mike's bike, stuck his leg out as Mike stood up and Tim went down with the bike on top of him. Big bruises all round but luckily not too much damage to Mike's bike and none to Tim's.
A great day's racing for Chris with lots of well-deserved points won. Martin pricked his finger and had to have a plaster on it as it wouldn't stop bleeding. He found it difficult to roll cigarettes that evening. Gav said 'As long as it's not your important hand' and Martin said 'Only when I'm on the computer'. (It must be his typing finger.) Lou and I conducted an experiment - to test the transparency of the caravan's fly screens. Lou assured me she couldn't see in so we did 'The finger test' to Gavin, holding it to begin with about an inch away from the fabric. He saw it clearly. And also at six inches and twelve inches. So if you're going to get your kit off in the caravan, use the blackouts.
We left home at 5.35am, but didn't get on to the M25 until 5.50am as someone parked their heap of shite car on the corner of our road and we had to detach the caravan to get round it. We arrived at Cadwell at 9.40am to find a HUGE space saved for us by Graham, Graham, Tony and Hilary. We were grateful to Tony and Hilary as they helped battle the wind and get the gazebo up.
Chris had booked the afternoon on the track to give the North a shake down. He got a puncture in the rear tyre one and a half laps in on the first session so the rest of that one was wasted. In the second session, trying to get used to the large rear tyre and pushing it ever harder, Chris found there were some rear suspension difficulties. Finding that the springs were way too soft, it was also discovered that the damper units were suffering stiction in the last third of their travel. Graham Redrup and Chris set off to Steve Lomax of Five-One Wheelbuilding to have new bearings put in the front wheel. Steve requested they pick it up in the morning as he wanted to gently put the hub over a heater to extract the bearings and needed time. (Chris just pours boiling water over it) So amazingly the two of them weren't away too long which was surprising. When they're together they can talk the hind legs off a herd of donkeys. Back at camp it was like 'How many people does it take to change the shock absorbers'. We were up to five by the time Graham and Chris got back. Lots of head scratching and discussion about how Chris could lose half a stone over night. (chop his head off) - Eventually there were seven on the shock absorber case and things were slowly coming together. Graham Jeffrey, whose bike was handling perfectly, offered it for spares and Mike Dolittle offered Chris his spare Falcons. In the end they used Graham's springs, Mike's bodies and Chris' collets.
It was a marathon effort by Gavin and Martin. It was dark, with three different sets of shock absorbers spread out on the floor and a fair number of reasonably inebriated visitors stumbling through them all evening, they finally finished the job in time for a drink before bed. It was at times highly amusing and fraught keeping track of what spacers, with which springs, went with which damper units.
Saturday 10th September 2011
We had a wet 'n very windy night that night but Chris' equipment beat the elements and stayed upright. We had to get at 5.45am as Chris' gear-change toe had gone purple at the end. Gav had put the 'No Chew' dog bandage on rather tightly. I couldn't find the scissors from the first aid kit as Chris never puts anything back where it came from unless it belongs to him. I had a tiny pair in a Smart Card and hacked it off with them. We decided to have a cup of tea and met Graham R, who'd been woken by the bladder alarm.
Chris had a shower and got ready for scrutineering and we got breakfast out of the way. Graham R and I set off at top speed to pick up Chris wheel before first practice. I pulled up, Graham jumped out, the wheel went in, the money changed hands and off we went. I noticed Graham had his left hand firmly on the jesus strap all the way back and the other arm hooked round the back of his seat. I thought I must be scaring the crap out of him even though I'm not driving fast. He eventually said he was holding the wheel up behind the seat to protect the disc and bracing himself with the other.
Chris did very well in all three races that day. Post Classics 1: 2nd on the grid. Finished 3rd. 3rd in class. Post Classics 2: 3rd on the grid. Finished 4th. 3rd in class. 1300 Multis 1: 2nd on the grid. Finished 2nd. 2nd in class.
Martin was watching the 750 race in which Mike Dolittle lost it at Hall Bends. He bounced well. Tim came round and braked hard, only having a foot to squeeze through, he clipped Mike's bike, stuck his leg out as Mike stood up and Tim went down with the bike on top of him. Big bruises all round but luckily not too much damage to Mike's bike and none to Tim's.
A great day's racing for Chris with lots of well-deserved points won. Martin pricked his finger and had to have a plaster on it as it wouldn't stop bleeding. He found it difficult to roll cigarettes that evening. Gav said 'As long as it's not your important hand' and Martin said 'Only when I'm on the computer'. (It must be his typing finger.) Lou and I conducted an experiment - to test the transparency of the caravan's fly screens. Lou assured me she couldn't see in so we did 'The finger test' to Gavin, holding it to begin with about an inch away from the fabric. He saw it clearly. And also at six inches and twelve inches. So if you're going to get your kit off in the caravan, use the blackouts.
Cadwell 2011 - Sunday
125 Post Classic Invitational Race
Sunday 11th September 2011
4.30am and I had to go out in my knickers and T-shirt to stop the gazebo door, which had unzipped in the wind, thrashing the North's rear end. It sounded like a pistol whip. So I neatly nailed it into the ground and went back to bed.
The wind was ferocious still at 10am as Chris went out for his first race, Post Classic 3. We thought he might get a win as he was the only one in the holding area. Another call went out and still no one came. A third call brought a load of them in and Chris had a manic battle for third for a while, but was trying to keep it in his trousers this meeting and not be reckless. Starting 4th on the grid, he finished 5th, 3rd in class.
In the 1300 Multis, in a tremendous battle with Chris, Cormac tried to do an outbraking manoever at the chicane, had to take to the grass across the chicane, Chris had to back off so he wouldn't hit him on the exit. Cormac pulled off afterwards, believing he had a braking problem, but it turned out not to be so. Started 2nd on the grid. Finished third. 2nd in class.
Gav came running back to the pitch and said Chris was riding very well and very smoothly. Sunday's colder winds made me want to stay inside as much as possible. Chris never got round to levelling the caravan so it was like walking on a beached yacht. The gazebo tied to one corner didn't help matters as the caravan kept being yanked by the wind. In bed my feet were so much lower than my head I woke up feeling faint.
The National was Chris' next race. For some reason he'd been given 17th place on the grid and tried to explain he should be in 4th as it was his position in the championship. They gave him 8th and he was so wound up that he gave it a handful off the start line and found himself in first place - sadly not for very long. He finished 4th though, which was an excellent result when you consider the competition.
Post Classic 4, Chris was 2nd on the grid. Finished 3rd. 2nd in class. After an incident involving the North and needing a UNF left hand threaded trackrod end in a hurry, Chris had to get over to Brendon Ryan's camp which was the other side of the paddock. Tony Hayward lent him his bicycle. Chris came back and Tony asked him where the bike was and Chris couldn't remember where he'd left it.
Some work was carried out on the North during lunch and it had to be scrutineered again. Then Martin said he'd ride it round the paddock to test it. The Marshalls had turned the petrol taps off as usual, which no one had noted, and the bike ran out of petrol a long distance away. Not being able to restart it, Martin had to push it all the way back. It is no wonder he felt impelled to wipe himself down with the wet-wipes in the caravan before driving home that evening. The blackouts were down but there's still the footage from the webcam for those that are interested, once we've checked our legal position.
At Darley Moor Chris was asked by Jerry Lodge of Earnshaws Motorcycles if he would like to participate in the 125cc Post Classic Invitation race at Cadwell. Here I am going to quote from this weekend's official programme because it says it all - The third running of this unique race where guest riders are paired up with one of Jerry Lodges 125cc MT Hondas to take on some of the regular riders in the 125cc Post Classic races. Most of the guest riders have never ridden the bike before this weekend so a steep learning curve is required to match the regular runners. Chris leapt at the chance. Gavin was SO looking forward to watching the race. 125s are his passion. This is what Gav broke his holiday with Lou for. Chris finished second to last - Gavin stropped back to the gazebo and said with feeling 'F...ing USELESS'.
After the race the boys got the North down to the holding area for the last race of the day, Chris was quite tired by now and, with three fast riders who were not in his class in front of him, decided to play safe and make sure he brought it home. His position was helped by Cormac having to leave early as he had a plane to catch and Tony Rainford took to the grass and never recovered. Chris started 2nd. Finished 4th. Da da da daaaaaaa! 1st in class.!!!!!
Thankyou everyone for the help with the packing. We hope you all had a good time. After all the excitement Tim has had this weekend he had to suffer the indignity of being overtaken on the way home by Gavin and Lou in the riot van. Their achievement was short lived as they were re-taken by The Wooley at a roundabout due to drawing up behind a Skoda which stalled in front of them.
Chris would like to thank the following - Jerry Lodge for the invitation 125cc race. Chris says 'It's the most fun I've had in years with my clothes on. If I want to race in this series I have to get anorexic quick.(or bulimic, so I can still enjoy my food) Graham Jeffrey for permitting us to cannibalise his lovely bike for spares. Mike Dolittle for the loan of his damper units. (hope you're feeling better. I know that feeling SO well) Steve Lomax for fitting the wheel bearings. Tony Hayward and Paul Potter for the brazing. Gavin, Martin and Grahams both, for the mechanicals.
We had a lot of complaints about the wine. I'll try to do better for Snetterton. Martin has given me a list of what he likes. When the photos are put up, regarding one of them, could I just explain that Chris' zip was stuck.
Could I also remind visitors, that the garage area is not a creche. If you must bring the kids in, they must be kept under control., it would be a shame if they were trodden on by the spannerman's size twelves.
We are looking forward to having Ashley with us for Snetterton. If there is anyone coming up to the circuit from around J9 M25 7pm or later on Friday 7th October who has a spare seat and could offer a lift to one of our team, would you let us know.
Many thanks,
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
4.30am and I had to go out in my knickers and T-shirt to stop the gazebo door, which had unzipped in the wind, thrashing the North's rear end. It sounded like a pistol whip. So I neatly nailed it into the ground and went back to bed.
The wind was ferocious still at 10am as Chris went out for his first race, Post Classic 3. We thought he might get a win as he was the only one in the holding area. Another call went out and still no one came. A third call brought a load of them in and Chris had a manic battle for third for a while, but was trying to keep it in his trousers this meeting and not be reckless. Starting 4th on the grid, he finished 5th, 3rd in class.
In the 1300 Multis, in a tremendous battle with Chris, Cormac tried to do an outbraking manoever at the chicane, had to take to the grass across the chicane, Chris had to back off so he wouldn't hit him on the exit. Cormac pulled off afterwards, believing he had a braking problem, but it turned out not to be so. Started 2nd on the grid. Finished third. 2nd in class.
Gav came running back to the pitch and said Chris was riding very well and very smoothly. Sunday's colder winds made me want to stay inside as much as possible. Chris never got round to levelling the caravan so it was like walking on a beached yacht. The gazebo tied to one corner didn't help matters as the caravan kept being yanked by the wind. In bed my feet were so much lower than my head I woke up feeling faint.
The National was Chris' next race. For some reason he'd been given 17th place on the grid and tried to explain he should be in 4th as it was his position in the championship. They gave him 8th and he was so wound up that he gave it a handful off the start line and found himself in first place - sadly not for very long. He finished 4th though, which was an excellent result when you consider the competition.
Post Classic 4, Chris was 2nd on the grid. Finished 3rd. 2nd in class. After an incident involving the North and needing a UNF left hand threaded trackrod end in a hurry, Chris had to get over to Brendon Ryan's camp which was the other side of the paddock. Tony Hayward lent him his bicycle. Chris came back and Tony asked him where the bike was and Chris couldn't remember where he'd left it.
Some work was carried out on the North during lunch and it had to be scrutineered again. Then Martin said he'd ride it round the paddock to test it. The Marshalls had turned the petrol taps off as usual, which no one had noted, and the bike ran out of petrol a long distance away. Not being able to restart it, Martin had to push it all the way back. It is no wonder he felt impelled to wipe himself down with the wet-wipes in the caravan before driving home that evening. The blackouts were down but there's still the footage from the webcam for those that are interested, once we've checked our legal position.
At Darley Moor Chris was asked by Jerry Lodge of Earnshaws Motorcycles if he would like to participate in the 125cc Post Classic Invitation race at Cadwell. Here I am going to quote from this weekend's official programme because it says it all - The third running of this unique race where guest riders are paired up with one of Jerry Lodges 125cc MT Hondas to take on some of the regular riders in the 125cc Post Classic races. Most of the guest riders have never ridden the bike before this weekend so a steep learning curve is required to match the regular runners. Chris leapt at the chance. Gavin was SO looking forward to watching the race. 125s are his passion. This is what Gav broke his holiday with Lou for. Chris finished second to last - Gavin stropped back to the gazebo and said with feeling 'F...ing USELESS'.
After the race the boys got the North down to the holding area for the last race of the day, Chris was quite tired by now and, with three fast riders who were not in his class in front of him, decided to play safe and make sure he brought it home. His position was helped by Cormac having to leave early as he had a plane to catch and Tony Rainford took to the grass and never recovered. Chris started 2nd. Finished 4th. Da da da daaaaaaa! 1st in class.!!!!!
Thankyou everyone for the help with the packing. We hope you all had a good time. After all the excitement Tim has had this weekend he had to suffer the indignity of being overtaken on the way home by Gavin and Lou in the riot van. Their achievement was short lived as they were re-taken by The Wooley at a roundabout due to drawing up behind a Skoda which stalled in front of them.
Chris would like to thank the following - Jerry Lodge for the invitation 125cc race. Chris says 'It's the most fun I've had in years with my clothes on. If I want to race in this series I have to get anorexic quick.(or bulimic, so I can still enjoy my food) Graham Jeffrey for permitting us to cannibalise his lovely bike for spares. Mike Dolittle for the loan of his damper units. (hope you're feeling better. I know that feeling SO well) Steve Lomax for fitting the wheel bearings. Tony Hayward and Paul Potter for the brazing. Gavin, Martin and Grahams both, for the mechanicals.
We had a lot of complaints about the wine. I'll try to do better for Snetterton. Martin has given me a list of what he likes. When the photos are put up, regarding one of them, could I just explain that Chris' zip was stuck.
Could I also remind visitors, that the garage area is not a creche. If you must bring the kids in, they must be kept under control., it would be a shame if they were trodden on by the spannerman's size twelves.
We are looking forward to having Ashley with us for Snetterton. If there is anyone coming up to the circuit from around J9 M25 7pm or later on Friday 7th October who has a spare seat and could offer a lift to one of our team, would you let us know.
Many thanks,
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Darley Moor 2011 - Friday
Friday 12th August 2011
I don't know what it is about this place, but basic though it is to say the least, everyone seems to like it. We had quite a late night packing and I gave Chris a hair cut just after midnight before collapsing into bed. We were up at 5am and had a really swift journey to the circuit. The weather was fine with no wind, we put up the gazebo and we'd set out all our stuff before Gavin arrived from Wales, so we all could relax.
As Darley Moor allows dogs at the circuit, a rare feature at a race track, Gavin brought his little pupster Fanny along for the weekend. Chris was feeling a bit wobbly during the day so we sent him to the caravan to have a sleep. I went to check on him a quarter of an hour later and he wasn't there. He'd got chatting to someone further down the paddock so we frog-marched him back to the caravan and shut him in. He felt a lot better after a couple of hours kip and then he and Gavin took Fanny to walk the track.
The state of them on their return ! Both of them had torn their trousers really badly ! They'd tried to climb over a fence for some reason (perhaps Chris was seeing
what it was like on the other side in case he crashed there, Darley is known to have little or no run off on some parts of the track).
We were looking after Derek Gallon, the photographer, as his wife Debs had to work non stop and couldn't be there. All that Rioting ! We fed him, and Jim became Derek's right hand man for the weekend at the computer in Derek's van. Derek has finally sorted his caravan's on-going electrical problem. He had too much slack in the power lead between the caravan and the van and it was dragging on the road and wearing through the cable.
Mike and Tracy Dolittle arrived and squeezed through the gap we'd left for Jim's car and set up camp behind us. The paddock was filling up fast. Tim and Molly Woolley were not arriving until early morning as Tim was working, so he was going to be knackered.
We got to bed reasonably early. A little rain fell but there was no wind. Everyone was so relaxed compared to most meetings when you can't sleep for worrying about the gales bringing down the equipment.
I don't know what it is about this place, but basic though it is to say the least, everyone seems to like it. We had quite a late night packing and I gave Chris a hair cut just after midnight before collapsing into bed. We were up at 5am and had a really swift journey to the circuit. The weather was fine with no wind, we put up the gazebo and we'd set out all our stuff before Gavin arrived from Wales, so we all could relax.
As Darley Moor allows dogs at the circuit, a rare feature at a race track, Gavin brought his little pupster Fanny along for the weekend. Chris was feeling a bit wobbly during the day so we sent him to the caravan to have a sleep. I went to check on him a quarter of an hour later and he wasn't there. He'd got chatting to someone further down the paddock so we frog-marched him back to the caravan and shut him in. He felt a lot better after a couple of hours kip and then he and Gavin took Fanny to walk the track.
The state of them on their return ! Both of them had torn their trousers really badly ! They'd tried to climb over a fence for some reason (perhaps Chris was seeing
what it was like on the other side in case he crashed there, Darley is known to have little or no run off on some parts of the track).
We were looking after Derek Gallon, the photographer, as his wife Debs had to work non stop and couldn't be there. All that Rioting ! We fed him, and Jim became Derek's right hand man for the weekend at the computer in Derek's van. Derek has finally sorted his caravan's on-going electrical problem. He had too much slack in the power lead between the caravan and the van and it was dragging on the road and wearing through the cable.
Mike and Tracy Dolittle arrived and squeezed through the gap we'd left for Jim's car and set up camp behind us. The paddock was filling up fast. Tim and Molly Woolley were not arriving until early morning as Tim was working, so he was going to be knackered.
We got to bed reasonably early. A little rain fell but there was no wind. Everyone was so relaxed compared to most meetings when you can't sleep for worrying about the gales bringing down the equipment.
Darley Moor 2011 - Saturday and Sunday
Saturday 13th August 2011
Mike Dolittle's Foxley starter was delivered first thing, along with four paddock stands for Chris to deliver to P&M (W.A.N.C.A. !). It's so lovely and shiny, It's a pity the wheels are a different colour or I would've swapped it with ours. Chris went out for practice and the naughty cylinder bolt came out again, smothering the bike in oil. It's going to need a more permanent fix for Cadwell.
Chris' first three races he was flying. Beating Tim Wooley fair and square each time. Chris was luckily in front of Tim in his last race of the day as Tim's engine went bang in a BIG way. It looks very much like the crank has broken at one of the journals. The force, being lateral, has fractured all three crank cases. Poor Tim is going to have to put in a lot of over-time with both of his bikes out of commision now. So Chris had a very satisfactory first day until this happened. He wants to beat people on the track and not by default.
That evening Gav and Martin raised the rear suspension on the North to help prevent the fairing dragging on the ground. It also speeds up the steering and loads the front tyre a bit more to handle the tight and twisty track. Unfortunately this wears out the front tyre quickly too, so Chris'll have to get another for Cadwell. Martin found Chris was running virtually worn out brake pads and a virtually worn out chain. New pads were purchased and fitted but the chain will have to wait till we get home.
Mike did really well today. Unfortunately he broke some sprocket bolts and had to miss a race, but was out again for his last race of the day. He's made a good start to his scrap metal collection, winning two trophies over the weekend.
Lots of stops for oil on the track today. One of the side cars went past our gazebo after a race and left a line of oil the entire length of the paddock road. The thing then went out to race again! I've seen better oil seals on scrapheap challenge. Chris said he was sliding more and more in his races as the weekend went on.
Saturday evening Gavin and Martin changed the velocity stacks on the carbs for the shorter bell-mouths to regain some of the midrange power needed for this circuit. Chris says dyno work is required when funds allow. He finished the day with two 2nd's in class and two 4th's in class.
The Darley Moor bicycle race was held after close of racing. Tim said they found the crappiest bicycle for Cormac (Mr Fitness) and he just peddled off into the distance on it and left them all ... ring any bells ?
Sunday 14th August 2011
Chris requested he be included in practice to try out the new set up. It all worked very well. Oil was the bone of contention in many ways this weekend for Chris. He was sprayed with it. He slid around on it. And he lost a load of it - not at the track, but on Wednesday afternoon. I was driving back home from work and noticed every time I went round a corner fast my oil light came on briefly.
My niece's boyfriend had a look at the dipstick and there was nothing on it so Emma and I went to where Chris keeps the oil in his
garage. We found a nice red container and lobbed that in. It turned out to be Chris' Red Line 10/40 Fully synthetic for the North at £60 a US gallon. Darley
Moor was oil city this weekend though. Several times Chris would be gridded up and more oil would be found and they'd sit there, engines cooking, when they
should've been kept in the holding area.
Gav had to go out on the grid to start Chris as he'd turned his engine off. I have to hand it to our boys - Chris rides to the holding area and they race after him with the starter and paddock stand and they stay there til the warm-up lap is done and the race has started. Then they rush back with the equipment and over to the track to watch
the race. If there's a red flag, they'll come back and take the starter and stand to him again and wait. I get exhausted just watching them.
Chris finished the day with a 2nd in class and two 3rd's in class and a magnificent 4th place in the National.
Thankyou Martin and Gav for all your hard work. Thankyou Jim for taking me shopping. Thankyou Mike and Tracy for the wine. And Derek for the wine. And finally to Fanny who was so good all weekend, we played ball like it was going out of fashion. I'm going to be feeling it for days ... tiredness that is !
Chris will be going to P&M Monday with the paddock stands and to chat to Dave. The North needs a new chain and tyres and the head taking off, hopefully not the barrel, to helicoil the stripped thread.
Chris is looking forward to Cadwell. As he has run out if holiday it is unlikely he'll make the Friday track day. He will be owed a day if he works the Bank Holiday, but he
will use it for a track day at Snetterton preferably.
Written by Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
PS: I would like to mention something regarding the website, which only the most observant of you will have noticed, that Tony and Hilary's surname has changed
three times. From Hayworth to Haywood to Hayward. This shows the lengths our webmaster will go to to keep people happy as he has three times gone through
the entire web site changing their surname now.
We did suggest to Tony on the phone Sunday evening that he could change his surname by deed poll to match the website. Then I wouldn't have to tell Ashley that Chris had got it wrong again !
Thankyou Ashley for doing it again so quickly.
Mike Dolittle's Foxley starter was delivered first thing, along with four paddock stands for Chris to deliver to P&M (W.A.N.C.A. !). It's so lovely and shiny, It's a pity the wheels are a different colour or I would've swapped it with ours. Chris went out for practice and the naughty cylinder bolt came out again, smothering the bike in oil. It's going to need a more permanent fix for Cadwell.
Chris' first three races he was flying. Beating Tim Wooley fair and square each time. Chris was luckily in front of Tim in his last race of the day as Tim's engine went bang in a BIG way. It looks very much like the crank has broken at one of the journals. The force, being lateral, has fractured all three crank cases. Poor Tim is going to have to put in a lot of over-time with both of his bikes out of commision now. So Chris had a very satisfactory first day until this happened. He wants to beat people on the track and not by default.
That evening Gav and Martin raised the rear suspension on the North to help prevent the fairing dragging on the ground. It also speeds up the steering and loads the front tyre a bit more to handle the tight and twisty track. Unfortunately this wears out the front tyre quickly too, so Chris'll have to get another for Cadwell. Martin found Chris was running virtually worn out brake pads and a virtually worn out chain. New pads were purchased and fitted but the chain will have to wait till we get home.
Mike did really well today. Unfortunately he broke some sprocket bolts and had to miss a race, but was out again for his last race of the day. He's made a good start to his scrap metal collection, winning two trophies over the weekend.
Lots of stops for oil on the track today. One of the side cars went past our gazebo after a race and left a line of oil the entire length of the paddock road. The thing then went out to race again! I've seen better oil seals on scrapheap challenge. Chris said he was sliding more and more in his races as the weekend went on.
Saturday evening Gavin and Martin changed the velocity stacks on the carbs for the shorter bell-mouths to regain some of the midrange power needed for this circuit. Chris says dyno work is required when funds allow. He finished the day with two 2nd's in class and two 4th's in class.
The Darley Moor bicycle race was held after close of racing. Tim said they found the crappiest bicycle for Cormac (Mr Fitness) and he just peddled off into the distance on it and left them all ... ring any bells ?
Sunday 14th August 2011
Chris requested he be included in practice to try out the new set up. It all worked very well. Oil was the bone of contention in many ways this weekend for Chris. He was sprayed with it. He slid around on it. And he lost a load of it - not at the track, but on Wednesday afternoon. I was driving back home from work and noticed every time I went round a corner fast my oil light came on briefly.
My niece's boyfriend had a look at the dipstick and there was nothing on it so Emma and I went to where Chris keeps the oil in his
garage. We found a nice red container and lobbed that in. It turned out to be Chris' Red Line 10/40 Fully synthetic for the North at £60 a US gallon. Darley
Moor was oil city this weekend though. Several times Chris would be gridded up and more oil would be found and they'd sit there, engines cooking, when they
should've been kept in the holding area.
Gav had to go out on the grid to start Chris as he'd turned his engine off. I have to hand it to our boys - Chris rides to the holding area and they race after him with the starter and paddock stand and they stay there til the warm-up lap is done and the race has started. Then they rush back with the equipment and over to the track to watch
the race. If there's a red flag, they'll come back and take the starter and stand to him again and wait. I get exhausted just watching them.
Chris finished the day with a 2nd in class and two 3rd's in class and a magnificent 4th place in the National.
Thankyou Martin and Gav for all your hard work. Thankyou Jim for taking me shopping. Thankyou Mike and Tracy for the wine. And Derek for the wine. And finally to Fanny who was so good all weekend, we played ball like it was going out of fashion. I'm going to be feeling it for days ... tiredness that is !
Chris will be going to P&M Monday with the paddock stands and to chat to Dave. The North needs a new chain and tyres and the head taking off, hopefully not the barrel, to helicoil the stripped thread.
Chris is looking forward to Cadwell. As he has run out if holiday it is unlikely he'll make the Friday track day. He will be owed a day if he works the Bank Holiday, but he
will use it for a track day at Snetterton preferably.
Written by Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
PS: I would like to mention something regarding the website, which only the most observant of you will have noticed, that Tony and Hilary's surname has changed
three times. From Hayworth to Haywood to Hayward. This shows the lengths our webmaster will go to to keep people happy as he has three times gone through
the entire web site changing their surname now.
We did suggest to Tony on the phone Sunday evening that he could change his surname by deed poll to match the website. Then I wouldn't have to tell Ashley that Chris had got it wrong again !
Thankyou Ashley for doing it again so quickly.
Brands Hatch 2011 - Friday and Saturday
Friday 8th July 2011
Although Chris was up till midnight on the 7th, he still couldn't get the North finished. We had emptied the van and decided to pack the race stuff the next day. I was in Tesco bright and early and then we filled the van. We set off at 3.30pm and met Gav and Lou at Brands. We sat in their converted police riot van and had tea and scrumptious things. Chris managed to bang his head on a speaker above his seat. He said it hurt, but it didn't seem to affect him in any other way. When we were let across the track we set up in a lovely spot opposite our garage, where the Indy track meets the full cicuit. It was very windy but dry. It seemed to take ages to get everything organised. Chris banged his head again in the Coke van and got a trifle annoyed. John rang at 8pm to say they were at the Reading services. I rang him back at 8.15 to ask if he could pick up some pepper and salt, as I'd forgotten them, again. -- It's a standing joke. I've now got six sets of pepper and salt at home. One for each of the race meetings this year where I've forgotten them and John's had to pick some up on the way. Spike was in the car with Derek and John and he relieved Burger King of several dozen little packets of each condiment. Chris, Gav and Lou walked the track while I put the supper together. Chris started on pole position and Gav half way down the grid and he thought befitted him. There was a jostling at Druids for the racing line and a bit of touching on the start-finish stretch before Gav wrapped it up with his first win. After supper they decided to finish putting the bike together and Gav decided to clear the gravel from Knockhill out of the rear brake (what a fuss-pot). At a quarter past midnight I reminded Chris that the caravan still needed to be levelled and Gav got to work with his jack and several pieces of wood while Chris held the torch for him. It started to rain just as they were finishing and it poured most of the night.
Saturday 9th July 2011
We were up at 7am. Chris and bike were scrutineered successfully and I drove up to the main gate to deliver tickets for Chris' adoring fans who'd started to arrive. Graham Redrup said he'd take the rest of the tickets to the Paddock entrance where they don't mind holding them for people. So that saved me a trip. Martin Pink was just arriving as Graham rode up. Our friend Pete Getgood, who lives with us, was the most important visitor of the day as he was bringing the Sloe Gin. Chris forgot it ! Hang on ! Didn't he bang his head after we left home? At 7am the weather was wonderful. The sky was clear and the wind was warm. By 9am it was cloudy and much colder. Chris decided to go for a wet tyre so he could go for it whatever the weather. He had a dry on at Anglesey and was constantly held back in the drizzle as every time he gave it a handful he lost the back end. The North wasn't running too well at first practice. It transpires that the machine that balances the carbs wasn't working properly - Chris has got a thing about carbs. In the past we'd all be ready to go for a ride and Chris would announce 'I'm just going to balance the carbs' and we'd all have to strip off again and wait for him.
There's been a huge demand for tickets, we've so many visitors. We were sent twenty. (Thank You CRMC) Steve Bateman came up trumps to get Tony and Hilary Hayward in, but Andy Driver had to pay, sorry about that Andy. Lots of Coca Cola technicians here today to watch Chris. Graham Webber and Rose are feeding seventeen of them and so needed most of the tickets. He phoned for more at 10am. I said I had four left. He said 'Okay. 'I'll send Rose'. Poor Rose. It's such a long walk, and she's got the smallest feet in the world. Graham has the smallest feet in the world for a grown man if you're interested.
1st race Chris said he was feeling a little unsettled. I think it was a great shame he didn't manage a track day at Brands before today to calm his nerves after the big off at Knockhill. 2nd race was not much better. There were a lot of people about and Gav thought a little quiet time just before a race would be beneficial. It was mayhem in the garage as Gav was preparing him. Lunchtime was busy but far too much food. I'd told Chris to tell everyone he knew was coming that we'd feed them and not everyone ate with us. Lou and I decided to do the washing up at the sink at one of the empty garages. She went off doing a balancing act with a pile of mugs, plates and cutlery. We took a table with us and a leg fell off it en-route, encouraging Hilary to demonstrate her joinery skills. We had a little post lunchtime rain and we all got excited as Chris does well in rain (most of the time). It stopped almost immediately though.
Hilary, Lou and I had to conduct a rather serious scientific experiment which took most of the afternoon. The question needing to be answered was - which of the four bottles of wine in the fridge tasted better after Lou's flapjack. Lou was concerned that the wine was not chilling so I asked Chris for the second time since Friday if he could check the fridge again. He moodily cranked it right up announcing that it would probably become a freezer now. By the evening the milk was decidedly tepid and I asked him to look at the fridge again. He said 'It'll get cold now because I've switched it on'. We will now have to do the experiment all over again because the wine was not at the right temperature. Honestly! As if we haven't got better things to do. All in all Saturday was dissappointing for Chris, but he still got some good finishes, he kept it in his trousers, and he didn't fall off. And he didn't get lower than a fourth in class. Considering how he was feeling that makes for a successful day's racing. Now Sunday. Sunday was a different story. Pass the throat lozenges please.
Although Chris was up till midnight on the 7th, he still couldn't get the North finished. We had emptied the van and decided to pack the race stuff the next day. I was in Tesco bright and early and then we filled the van. We set off at 3.30pm and met Gav and Lou at Brands. We sat in their converted police riot van and had tea and scrumptious things. Chris managed to bang his head on a speaker above his seat. He said it hurt, but it didn't seem to affect him in any other way. When we were let across the track we set up in a lovely spot opposite our garage, where the Indy track meets the full cicuit. It was very windy but dry. It seemed to take ages to get everything organised. Chris banged his head again in the Coke van and got a trifle annoyed. John rang at 8pm to say they were at the Reading services. I rang him back at 8.15 to ask if he could pick up some pepper and salt, as I'd forgotten them, again. -- It's a standing joke. I've now got six sets of pepper and salt at home. One for each of the race meetings this year where I've forgotten them and John's had to pick some up on the way. Spike was in the car with Derek and John and he relieved Burger King of several dozen little packets of each condiment. Chris, Gav and Lou walked the track while I put the supper together. Chris started on pole position and Gav half way down the grid and he thought befitted him. There was a jostling at Druids for the racing line and a bit of touching on the start-finish stretch before Gav wrapped it up with his first win. After supper they decided to finish putting the bike together and Gav decided to clear the gravel from Knockhill out of the rear brake (what a fuss-pot). At a quarter past midnight I reminded Chris that the caravan still needed to be levelled and Gav got to work with his jack and several pieces of wood while Chris held the torch for him. It started to rain just as they were finishing and it poured most of the night.
Saturday 9th July 2011
We were up at 7am. Chris and bike were scrutineered successfully and I drove up to the main gate to deliver tickets for Chris' adoring fans who'd started to arrive. Graham Redrup said he'd take the rest of the tickets to the Paddock entrance where they don't mind holding them for people. So that saved me a trip. Martin Pink was just arriving as Graham rode up. Our friend Pete Getgood, who lives with us, was the most important visitor of the day as he was bringing the Sloe Gin. Chris forgot it ! Hang on ! Didn't he bang his head after we left home? At 7am the weather was wonderful. The sky was clear and the wind was warm. By 9am it was cloudy and much colder. Chris decided to go for a wet tyre so he could go for it whatever the weather. He had a dry on at Anglesey and was constantly held back in the drizzle as every time he gave it a handful he lost the back end. The North wasn't running too well at first practice. It transpires that the machine that balances the carbs wasn't working properly - Chris has got a thing about carbs. In the past we'd all be ready to go for a ride and Chris would announce 'I'm just going to balance the carbs' and we'd all have to strip off again and wait for him.
There's been a huge demand for tickets, we've so many visitors. We were sent twenty. (Thank You CRMC) Steve Bateman came up trumps to get Tony and Hilary Hayward in, but Andy Driver had to pay, sorry about that Andy. Lots of Coca Cola technicians here today to watch Chris. Graham Webber and Rose are feeding seventeen of them and so needed most of the tickets. He phoned for more at 10am. I said I had four left. He said 'Okay. 'I'll send Rose'. Poor Rose. It's such a long walk, and she's got the smallest feet in the world. Graham has the smallest feet in the world for a grown man if you're interested.
1st race Chris said he was feeling a little unsettled. I think it was a great shame he didn't manage a track day at Brands before today to calm his nerves after the big off at Knockhill. 2nd race was not much better. There were a lot of people about and Gav thought a little quiet time just before a race would be beneficial. It was mayhem in the garage as Gav was preparing him. Lunchtime was busy but far too much food. I'd told Chris to tell everyone he knew was coming that we'd feed them and not everyone ate with us. Lou and I decided to do the washing up at the sink at one of the empty garages. She went off doing a balancing act with a pile of mugs, plates and cutlery. We took a table with us and a leg fell off it en-route, encouraging Hilary to demonstrate her joinery skills. We had a little post lunchtime rain and we all got excited as Chris does well in rain (most of the time). It stopped almost immediately though.
Hilary, Lou and I had to conduct a rather serious scientific experiment which took most of the afternoon. The question needing to be answered was - which of the four bottles of wine in the fridge tasted better after Lou's flapjack. Lou was concerned that the wine was not chilling so I asked Chris for the second time since Friday if he could check the fridge again. He moodily cranked it right up announcing that it would probably become a freezer now. By the evening the milk was decidedly tepid and I asked him to look at the fridge again. He said 'It'll get cold now because I've switched it on'. We will now have to do the experiment all over again because the wine was not at the right temperature. Honestly! As if we haven't got better things to do. All in all Saturday was dissappointing for Chris, but he still got some good finishes, he kept it in his trousers, and he didn't fall off. And he didn't get lower than a fourth in class. Considering how he was feeling that makes for a successful day's racing. Now Sunday. Sunday was a different story. Pass the throat lozenges please.
Brands 2011 - Sunday
Sun 10th July
Lovely weather today! After breakfast Gav and Martin decided to change the North's back sprocket from 49 teeth to 51. Gav had been gradually sorting out the new front end as it was settling down. All Saturday Chris had been hanging onto a flying Tim Woolley's coat tails but today Chris was going to finish in front twice. The racing was really exciting. The caravan roof took a bit of a beating as everyone wanted the best view. The walk-on roof comes into it's own here. Chris had definately put the crash at Knockhill behind him. I'm going to elaborate more on the Sunday's racing and interview Chris before this weekend. Duty calls and I am going to Shropshire today (12th) to help my friend Sarah move into her lovely converted barn. The day has finally come. We hope she'll be happy in her new home.
So until the weekend it only remains for me to thank everybody who came to see us, everybody who helped eat the spag bol Saturday night as I slightly over-estimated and everybody who helped in general. There's lots more silliness and heroics to tell you about from Sunday, so have a look at the website at the weekend for the next thrilling episode.
See ya. I'm off to Shropshire to get a bad back !
Written by Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Lovely weather today! After breakfast Gav and Martin decided to change the North's back sprocket from 49 teeth to 51. Gav had been gradually sorting out the new front end as it was settling down. All Saturday Chris had been hanging onto a flying Tim Woolley's coat tails but today Chris was going to finish in front twice. The racing was really exciting. The caravan roof took a bit of a beating as everyone wanted the best view. The walk-on roof comes into it's own here. Chris had definately put the crash at Knockhill behind him. I'm going to elaborate more on the Sunday's racing and interview Chris before this weekend. Duty calls and I am going to Shropshire today (12th) to help my friend Sarah move into her lovely converted barn. The day has finally come. We hope she'll be happy in her new home.
So until the weekend it only remains for me to thank everybody who came to see us, everybody who helped eat the spag bol Saturday night as I slightly over-estimated and everybody who helped in general. There's lots more silliness and heroics to tell you about from Sunday, so have a look at the website at the weekend for the next thrilling episode.
See ya. I'm off to Shropshire to get a bad back !
Written by Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Knockhill 2011 - Thursday and Friday
Brendan Ryan and Cormac Conroy
Prep. for Knockhill (cont) - Wednesday 1st May 2011
After hours of frantic packing on Wednesday evening, a very late night was had by all. Chris and I had already loaded the caravan on Tuesday to get a head start. Gavin, Ashley and the cat sitter arrived to give us some muscle (she's fit !) and Gavin and Ashley were staying the night so we could make an early start on Thursday. Chris knocked the top off the wall reversing the van into the drive, so that was a good start. By 11.45pm everything was done, Ashley and I retired for the night (separate rooms !) and Chris and Gav sat down to watch a Joey Dunlop road racers film, as you do when you have to be up at the crack of dawn (on full volume, naturally).
Thursday 2nd May 2011
We got away at 6am and with two 45min stops we arrived at Knockhill at 2.20pm. Chris drove all the way. En route Gavin applied Ibuleve gel to one of his injuries and managed to get some in his eye (?!) - he was heard to say afterwards and with some feeling "when you get it in your eye, it's quite spiteful". The weather at the circuit was dry and sunny with a strong, cold wind which made gazebo erection interesting. We were in the lea of Tim and Molly's new truck which gave us shelter from the wind but we didn't get any sun after 4pm. The wind lessened during the evening and it became very pleasant indeed. Jim arrived at 9pm, having done a mercy mission to P&Ms for Tim Woolley en route. It only took about 3/4hr for him to decide where he wanted to pitch Hotel Pipe before we could get stuck in and get it up. We finally got stuck into a wonderful Spaghetti Bolognese (made with my own fair hand) at about 10pm. We had quite a gathering in the gazebo for a while with Tony and Hilary, Derek the photographer, his wife Debs and son Chris. When everyone had left, Gavin asked me if I had noticed a smell which kept being emitted from someone. He thought it was Debs who he'd been chatting with and that she must have been doing it very discreetly as she hadn't moved an inch since they started talking. Gavin said "you'd think they'd leave the tent if they're going to keep doing that sort of thing". I told him I hadn't noticed anything and picked up a slab of Chris' Stinking Bishop which was on the table behind Gavin's head and held it under his nose. His head went back as if he'd been punched in the face! It was the cheese all the time. Debs was probably blaming Gavin ! The last generator in our paddock finally went silent at 00.20am - thanks guys!!! - and we were able to get to sleep.
Friday 3rd May 2011
Practice was 2-8 pm today so we had a leisurely morning and what a morning! Not a cloud in the sky and a slight, warmish breeze. Gavin's in his "climate control pants" and they're definitely working! Chris and Gav have walked the track already and Jim, yes, Jim, had to get up at 7am ! to go to the airport and he had a headache from getting up so long before lunch. Ashley put a 'For Sale' sign on Chris' bike, £50. Cormac actually got his wallet out, started to pull out a couple of twenties and then read the small print - "Rider Included" - and changed his mind.
After lunch, we prepared for first practice. Chris announced he would be towing Mike Dolittle and Tony Hayward for the first session. (Aren't their bikes working or something?). Following our Team W.A.N.C.A. renaming, Three Bears Racing have apparently become Team Haemorrhoid - no idea why! It was now 24 degrees outside. We placed the jerry cans of fuel next to Tim's truck to catch the breeze and Gavin cooled the North's petrol tank with one of my teacloths soaked in water which hasn't been the same since. Sigh.
Everyone came in safely after the first session. We looked in the programme and lo and behold, Chris was the reigning Knockhill lap record holder for Post Classics at 59.59 seconds - in the wet ! And he was race record holder for the 1300 Multis. Chris took Cormac's 930 out for a spin during late practice and nearly lobbed it - he was so lucky to save it - but he said how much he enjoyed the ride - thank you Cormac and Brendan. He said he noticed how much more power it had - so back to the North's drawing board for Gavin. There are so many things that can be fiddled with to mitigate the extra weight Chris carries over Cormac. John Montgomery arrived at midday at the gate without a ticket. Security asked him which team he was with to which he replied W.A.N.C.A.or Chris Chapman Racing. Funnily enough, they let him in. Overall, it was a very successful practice day with no spills. We had a lovely sunset as a backdrop to our supper - barbecued salmon, with new pots and peas. Our entertainment for the evening was watching the passing parade of mega sunburnt bodies - pass the Aftersun please. They'll be sorry tomorrow.
After hours of frantic packing on Wednesday evening, a very late night was had by all. Chris and I had already loaded the caravan on Tuesday to get a head start. Gavin, Ashley and the cat sitter arrived to give us some muscle (she's fit !) and Gavin and Ashley were staying the night so we could make an early start on Thursday. Chris knocked the top off the wall reversing the van into the drive, so that was a good start. By 11.45pm everything was done, Ashley and I retired for the night (separate rooms !) and Chris and Gav sat down to watch a Joey Dunlop road racers film, as you do when you have to be up at the crack of dawn (on full volume, naturally).
Thursday 2nd May 2011
We got away at 6am and with two 45min stops we arrived at Knockhill at 2.20pm. Chris drove all the way. En route Gavin applied Ibuleve gel to one of his injuries and managed to get some in his eye (?!) - he was heard to say afterwards and with some feeling "when you get it in your eye, it's quite spiteful". The weather at the circuit was dry and sunny with a strong, cold wind which made gazebo erection interesting. We were in the lea of Tim and Molly's new truck which gave us shelter from the wind but we didn't get any sun after 4pm. The wind lessened during the evening and it became very pleasant indeed. Jim arrived at 9pm, having done a mercy mission to P&Ms for Tim Woolley en route. It only took about 3/4hr for him to decide where he wanted to pitch Hotel Pipe before we could get stuck in and get it up. We finally got stuck into a wonderful Spaghetti Bolognese (made with my own fair hand) at about 10pm. We had quite a gathering in the gazebo for a while with Tony and Hilary, Derek the photographer, his wife Debs and son Chris. When everyone had left, Gavin asked me if I had noticed a smell which kept being emitted from someone. He thought it was Debs who he'd been chatting with and that she must have been doing it very discreetly as she hadn't moved an inch since they started talking. Gavin said "you'd think they'd leave the tent if they're going to keep doing that sort of thing". I told him I hadn't noticed anything and picked up a slab of Chris' Stinking Bishop which was on the table behind Gavin's head and held it under his nose. His head went back as if he'd been punched in the face! It was the cheese all the time. Debs was probably blaming Gavin ! The last generator in our paddock finally went silent at 00.20am - thanks guys!!! - and we were able to get to sleep.
Friday 3rd May 2011
Practice was 2-8 pm today so we had a leisurely morning and what a morning! Not a cloud in the sky and a slight, warmish breeze. Gavin's in his "climate control pants" and they're definitely working! Chris and Gav have walked the track already and Jim, yes, Jim, had to get up at 7am ! to go to the airport and he had a headache from getting up so long before lunch. Ashley put a 'For Sale' sign on Chris' bike, £50. Cormac actually got his wallet out, started to pull out a couple of twenties and then read the small print - "Rider Included" - and changed his mind.
After lunch, we prepared for first practice. Chris announced he would be towing Mike Dolittle and Tony Hayward for the first session. (Aren't their bikes working or something?). Following our Team W.A.N.C.A. renaming, Three Bears Racing have apparently become Team Haemorrhoid - no idea why! It was now 24 degrees outside. We placed the jerry cans of fuel next to Tim's truck to catch the breeze and Gavin cooled the North's petrol tank with one of my teacloths soaked in water which hasn't been the same since. Sigh.
Everyone came in safely after the first session. We looked in the programme and lo and behold, Chris was the reigning Knockhill lap record holder for Post Classics at 59.59 seconds - in the wet ! And he was race record holder for the 1300 Multis. Chris took Cormac's 930 out for a spin during late practice and nearly lobbed it - he was so lucky to save it - but he said how much he enjoyed the ride - thank you Cormac and Brendan. He said he noticed how much more power it had - so back to the North's drawing board for Gavin. There are so many things that can be fiddled with to mitigate the extra weight Chris carries over Cormac. John Montgomery arrived at midday at the gate without a ticket. Security asked him which team he was with to which he replied W.A.N.C.A.or Chris Chapman Racing. Funnily enough, they let him in. Overall, it was a very successful practice day with no spills. We had a lovely sunset as a backdrop to our supper - barbecued salmon, with new pots and peas. Our entertainment for the evening was watching the passing parade of mega sunburnt bodies - pass the Aftersun please. They'll be sorry tomorrow.
Knockhill 2011 - Saturday and Sunday
Race Two - First on Grid !
Saturday, 4 June, 2011
The weather seemed to have changed dramatically during the night. Dark clouds, and the wind! It was freezing! Gav was up at the crack of dawn and made me a cup of tea. I dragged myself out of bed and into my leathers and took the bike to Scrutineering. No sound test was required so no worries on that score for once.
First practice - After being given a ride on Friday on Brendan's 930 (Cormac's ride), which was a huge eye opener and which I reckon was 10bhp more than mine, one of Brendan's suggestions was to remove the air filters to increase the airflow. I've always said I would sacrifice a loss of horsepower for the practicality of saving the engine if the bike was ever crashed in the gravel. This is because there is always the possibility of the gravel being sucked into the carbs. But now I've changed my mind and want the power over the safety. So we removed the filters for first practice and the bike ran well.
Second practice - Gavin lubed the chain, checked the oil and the tyre pressures. He nearly lost the rest of his hearing when Tony Hayward fired up his bike with Gavin standing behind him on the starter and the bike backfired really loudly, which Gav said really hurt. Everyone seemed to need to use my starter and Jane started fingering her zip, threatening to show the dreaded T-shirt but she managed to control herself. I did well to avoid an accident on the hairpin, the track was cleared extremely fast by the marshalls. Well done boys!
Race 1 - Post Classics - The race went well. I started 3rd on the grid, finished 3rd, 2nd in class.
Race 2 - 1300 Multis - Gav and I decided to change the fuel jets from 220s to 230s to increase the flow of fuel as the airflow had been increased, to make up for the weaker combustion. Without the filters the end of the exhaust pipe was looking a bit too white (too lean). The bike felt like it was running better and at the end of the race the exhaust pipe was not quite as white. I started 1st on the grid, finished 4th, 2nd in class.
Race 3 - Post Classics - Gav and I changed the fuel jets once more, this time from 230s to 240s. The bike ran well and I started 3rd on the grid, finished 5th, 4th in class.
Race 4 - 1300 Multis - Just before the last race of the day, Gav went to refuel the North and as he lifted the cap the whole asssembly came away from the tank. We used gaffer tape to hold it in place. The petrol and oil caps are glued on as standard and I had used Araldite which, it turns out, doesn't like petrol. I will be using JBL Weld Glue from now on. Cormac retired on the warm up lap with a misfire. I started 4th on the grid, finished 3rd, 1st in class. Second ever "1st in class", both at Knockhill.
Sunday, 5 June, 2011
Race 1 - Post Classics I had a really good race against Mark George. The F1 Harris 1100 Kawasaki is very quick. During the last few laps I developed arm pump and lost a couple of places. Tim Woolley passed me on the penultimate lap and he got 3rd. I started 5th on the grid, finished 5th, 4th in class.
Race 2 - The National - I started in 4th place on the grid but this race was red flagged due to an accident on the hairpin. We were restarted and I was running 3rd for most of the race but was then forced to settle for 5th place, 4th in class after I was pushed onto the gravel midway around the track by a rider who shall remain nameless.
Race 3 - Post Classics - It seems that the luck of the Irish deserted Cormac for the second time and he lost his chain in the warm up lap. I started 5th, finished 3rd, 2nd in class.
Race 4 - 1300 Multis - I started 3rd on the grid and felt I was riding very smoothly. I came up behind a back marker trying to find a way to nip in front before the tight corner and blind crest. I fed slightly too much power in while the bike was on its right hand side. I lost the back end at Scotsmans. With no room to ride out of the slide, I had to shut the throttle which high sided me. I was ejected from the seat and on my way back down to earth I saw the bike right itself and drive in a perfectly straight line for a bloody long way into the tyre wall. It ended up at the next marshalls' post from the one I'd crashed at, it travelled so far.
The memory of my landing was a bit of a blur but I remember crawling in a great deal of pain off the track while the marshalls were asking me if I was alright. After I'd said "yes, I'm OK", they offered to help me up whereupon I declined their kind offer, explaining that I was quite happy crawling for the time being, hopefully away from the pain. The race was red flagged and an ambulance was sent for as they believed I must be seriously hurt after such a spectacular off. I chose the less dramatic ambulance car for my ride, however I regretted this as it was a really tight squeeze to get in and I found it extremely hard to get out again.
Normally the recovery van drops the bike at Scrutineering but with the brakes locked on and the steering gone beyond the lock stop it would have had to be carried all the way back to our pit. Gavin persuaded them to drop it off outside our gazebo where my neighbouring racer friends carried it down the ramp. The Medical Centre decided nothing was broken, on myself anyway, and I returned to camp.
Our next challenge was how to get the bike into its transportation clamp in the caravan with an extremely redesigned front end, ie getting the front wheel to point forwards. Gavin had to take the front end apart and drop a fork leg to release the steering. With this done the bike was packed away for the journey home. I drove for a little while much against Jane's wishes because she thought I should be in shock (he was - JC aka LSW) and Gavin took over at Carlisle for the rest of the journey.
It's now a few days later, the bruise has come out in my right thigh along with a huge lump. My left heel, left instep and big toe are all purple and I have some pain in my back from the landing, but the back protector did its job. However as the week has progressed I have felt more battered and bruised each day and have found more lumps and bumps.
As far as obvious damage to the North goes, stanchions and yokes are bent, as is the front fairing mount which incorporates the lock stops. The steering damper is snapped. The screen is also broken with a pretty beaten up fairing and fairing brackets (one snapped and one bent). I haven't spun the wheel up yet on the wheel balancer but I think it is OK and I think the frame is OK too. With only four weeks to go to our next meeting at Brands Hatch, it's going to be a close call as to whether I can repair the bike in time. We'll keep everyone posted !
Thank You For Your Support
Chris Chapman
The weather seemed to have changed dramatically during the night. Dark clouds, and the wind! It was freezing! Gav was up at the crack of dawn and made me a cup of tea. I dragged myself out of bed and into my leathers and took the bike to Scrutineering. No sound test was required so no worries on that score for once.
First practice - After being given a ride on Friday on Brendan's 930 (Cormac's ride), which was a huge eye opener and which I reckon was 10bhp more than mine, one of Brendan's suggestions was to remove the air filters to increase the airflow. I've always said I would sacrifice a loss of horsepower for the practicality of saving the engine if the bike was ever crashed in the gravel. This is because there is always the possibility of the gravel being sucked into the carbs. But now I've changed my mind and want the power over the safety. So we removed the filters for first practice and the bike ran well.
Second practice - Gavin lubed the chain, checked the oil and the tyre pressures. He nearly lost the rest of his hearing when Tony Hayward fired up his bike with Gavin standing behind him on the starter and the bike backfired really loudly, which Gav said really hurt. Everyone seemed to need to use my starter and Jane started fingering her zip, threatening to show the dreaded T-shirt but she managed to control herself. I did well to avoid an accident on the hairpin, the track was cleared extremely fast by the marshalls. Well done boys!
Race 1 - Post Classics - The race went well. I started 3rd on the grid, finished 3rd, 2nd in class.
Race 2 - 1300 Multis - Gav and I decided to change the fuel jets from 220s to 230s to increase the flow of fuel as the airflow had been increased, to make up for the weaker combustion. Without the filters the end of the exhaust pipe was looking a bit too white (too lean). The bike felt like it was running better and at the end of the race the exhaust pipe was not quite as white. I started 1st on the grid, finished 4th, 2nd in class.
Race 3 - Post Classics - Gav and I changed the fuel jets once more, this time from 230s to 240s. The bike ran well and I started 3rd on the grid, finished 5th, 4th in class.
Race 4 - 1300 Multis - Just before the last race of the day, Gav went to refuel the North and as he lifted the cap the whole asssembly came away from the tank. We used gaffer tape to hold it in place. The petrol and oil caps are glued on as standard and I had used Araldite which, it turns out, doesn't like petrol. I will be using JBL Weld Glue from now on. Cormac retired on the warm up lap with a misfire. I started 4th on the grid, finished 3rd, 1st in class. Second ever "1st in class", both at Knockhill.
Sunday, 5 June, 2011
Race 1 - Post Classics I had a really good race against Mark George. The F1 Harris 1100 Kawasaki is very quick. During the last few laps I developed arm pump and lost a couple of places. Tim Woolley passed me on the penultimate lap and he got 3rd. I started 5th on the grid, finished 5th, 4th in class.
Race 2 - The National - I started in 4th place on the grid but this race was red flagged due to an accident on the hairpin. We were restarted and I was running 3rd for most of the race but was then forced to settle for 5th place, 4th in class after I was pushed onto the gravel midway around the track by a rider who shall remain nameless.
Race 3 - Post Classics - It seems that the luck of the Irish deserted Cormac for the second time and he lost his chain in the warm up lap. I started 5th, finished 3rd, 2nd in class.
Race 4 - 1300 Multis - I started 3rd on the grid and felt I was riding very smoothly. I came up behind a back marker trying to find a way to nip in front before the tight corner and blind crest. I fed slightly too much power in while the bike was on its right hand side. I lost the back end at Scotsmans. With no room to ride out of the slide, I had to shut the throttle which high sided me. I was ejected from the seat and on my way back down to earth I saw the bike right itself and drive in a perfectly straight line for a bloody long way into the tyre wall. It ended up at the next marshalls' post from the one I'd crashed at, it travelled so far.
The memory of my landing was a bit of a blur but I remember crawling in a great deal of pain off the track while the marshalls were asking me if I was alright. After I'd said "yes, I'm OK", they offered to help me up whereupon I declined their kind offer, explaining that I was quite happy crawling for the time being, hopefully away from the pain. The race was red flagged and an ambulance was sent for as they believed I must be seriously hurt after such a spectacular off. I chose the less dramatic ambulance car for my ride, however I regretted this as it was a really tight squeeze to get in and I found it extremely hard to get out again.
Normally the recovery van drops the bike at Scrutineering but with the brakes locked on and the steering gone beyond the lock stop it would have had to be carried all the way back to our pit. Gavin persuaded them to drop it off outside our gazebo where my neighbouring racer friends carried it down the ramp. The Medical Centre decided nothing was broken, on myself anyway, and I returned to camp.
Our next challenge was how to get the bike into its transportation clamp in the caravan with an extremely redesigned front end, ie getting the front wheel to point forwards. Gavin had to take the front end apart and drop a fork leg to release the steering. With this done the bike was packed away for the journey home. I drove for a little while much against Jane's wishes because she thought I should be in shock (he was - JC aka LSW) and Gavin took over at Carlisle for the rest of the journey.
It's now a few days later, the bruise has come out in my right thigh along with a huge lump. My left heel, left instep and big toe are all purple and I have some pain in my back from the landing, but the back protector did its job. However as the week has progressed I have felt more battered and bruised each day and have found more lumps and bumps.
As far as obvious damage to the North goes, stanchions and yokes are bent, as is the front fairing mount which incorporates the lock stops. The steering damper is snapped. The screen is also broken with a pretty beaten up fairing and fairing brackets (one snapped and one bent). I haven't spun the wheel up yet on the wheel balancer but I think it is OK and I think the frame is OK too. With only four weeks to go to our next meeting at Brands Hatch, it's going to be a close call as to whether I can repair the bike in time. We'll keep everyone posted !
Thank You For Your Support
Chris Chapman
Anglesey 2011
Journey To Anglesey - 12th May
I was in Tesco at 6.30 this morning. I went again at 7.30am for the items I'd forgotten and Chris went again at 8.30am for the remainder of the stuff I'd forgotten. We were on the road at 10.35am and got a call from Jim who was about a mile in front of us on the M25. I wish I'd never mentioned it to Chris as he then made it his business to catch up with Jim in the shortest time possible which led to some hairy moments. We stopped at the services on the M6 near Stafford for Chris to use the gentlemen's relief facilities and for him to do some running repairs to the caravan's roof bumper with a drill and some gaffer tape. We were at the services for about an hour, not because the caravan took a long time to fix but because Chris went missing. His long absence was explained to me as all the other vehicles' owners were reappearing from the opposite direction to the one Chris left in. I spent my time thumb twiddling and having to endure other caravan owners spewing about the merits of their mobile dwellings. We spoke to John around 2pm. He told us that the track day at Anglesey was small and everyone was being allowed in as soon as they arrived and that he was guarding a hook up point like it was the holy grail.
At 4pm we crossed onto Anglesey and fuelled up at a petrol station with sixteen miles to go. My bottom had gone numb so I was glad we were so close to the circuit. Some clunge-head parked facing us at the vacant pump in front of us and spent as long as he could putting a fiver's worth of fuel in his 'vehicle'. He then expected us to reverse so he could drive out, although he'd driven in at the exit. Chris was remarkably calm probably because, before we left home, a cheque had arrived in the post for £30 for his place in the 1300 Nationals at Pembrey, and he was still glowing with satisfaction - another £30,000 Darling and you'll break even.
We had lovely weather that evening. A gentle breeze and no rain at Anglesey tends to make everyone nervous. The breeze strengthened during the night but there was nothing to worry about. No dashing out of the caravan at 3am in his pants in the pouring rain to hold down the gazebo as yet, for Chris. However, only a fool would allow himself to relax totally when Anglesey's weather gives him a bit of a break. Chris had used his newly discovered 'special' screws to hold the gazebo's feet to the tarmac, and the ends of its frame were strapped to the caravan and van wheels with strong elastic ropes. 'That baby's not going anywhere' was the general consensus, and for the first time in all our visits to this circuit, we slept without a care.
Friday the 13th ! Unlucky for some !
It's not too windy this morning and although it rained in the night it's dry now. Looking at the programme we find Chris' name is not in it at all. It turns out that the reason for this, and the reason for him not getting the No. 38 he usually has (which I ranted about last week), is that he sent his race entry form in so late! Apparently, the programmes are printed about 10 days in advance of each meeting so his omission is hardly surprising.
And as far as the numbers go, it is first come, first served. It's not rocket science, but Chris doesn't want to do the mundane bits to do with racing. He can't motivate himself. All of it is mundane to me, and I manageto get everything done.
First thing this morning it's scrutineering and as far as I can tell Chris and the North have been scrutinised successfully. We have extended practice until lunch with racing
this afternoon. Chris decides to use the rear tyre from Pembrey and a new tyre on the front. He says he's really happy with the set up and the bike is going well. By lunchtime, Martin and Gavin notice the front rocker cover has a minute leak which turns out to be because a head bolt has stripped its thread. There follows much head scratching as they struggle to come up with a solution.
Question:
What's the torque setting on a centre cylinder head bolt on Chris' North?
Answer:
A blob of silicon!
Brendan Ryan has generously offered Chris the use of his Piper-framed 750cc BSA. Chris took it out in practice and afterwards he commented that the bike was a bit lacking in the mid-range but other than that, absolutely lovely.
This weekend, the CRMC hosted the first two rounds of the UEM 2011 Vintage Cup and the Cup's four-round series concludes at Denmark's Ring Djursland on 20th and 21st August. (We'll just pop over for that one then, shall we?). Both Sweden and Finland are well represented in this series, with Denmark, Switzerland, France
and Ireland all participating as well. All this weekend the grid positions for the first race of the classes Chris is in are determined by a qualifying session instead of the usual "number out of a hat" system. Chris is in three classes, therefore he rides in three qualifying sessions today. The transponders really come into their own here!
First outing for Chris after the lunch interval was Post Classics. He started 6th on the grid, finished 2nd, and 2nd in Class. Next was the 1300 Classics, started 7th,
finished 4th, and 2nd in Class. In the Formula 750, Chris qualified only 22nd out of about 35 riders on the borrowed Piper 750. This was not bad considering that the tank strap came off every lap; on the first and second laps he pulled over to refit it and on subsequent laps had to hold it between his legs and fit it back on as and when the track allowed him to let go of the handle bars. He should be able to make up a good many places in the actual race.
At 6.55pm, it blew a gale with hail and torrential rain. The gazebo broke free from its "special" fixings which Chris had been raving about. Jim's wife and I were the only ones there holding it down - where were the W.A.N.C.A.s? (Check out my new team T-Shirt). I managed to send a text to John saying "Help" and the cavalry finally arrived and decided to encircle the gazebo with their wagons - they tied every guy rope to parts of the cars and vans. That should hold the bugger down! By 8pm the sky was clear. It was very windy still and I was dreading going to bed that night. It was all very nerve wracking, particularly for those who have experienced Anglesey before.
Saturday 14th May - 6.40am
We had a dry night with very strong winds. Every gazebo and awning had been thrashing about. So loud ! I'd forgotten my earplugs but Chris managed to find me a pair for tonight. It was sunny this morning, but the wind!!! No-one could relax. I miscalculated on the bacon front. I needed 72 rashers for the weekend, but could only find 56. Luckily we had eggs as well. The frying pan stuck like a bastard until the last egg and then it decided to become non-stick.
There was sound testing first thing which Brendan's 750 and Chris' bike passed. The first event was the Formula 750. Chris started 22nd on the grid, finished 6th overall, and 4th in Class. In the Post Classics, Chris started 2nd on the grid, but strangely came past us in 10th. We were confused until Chris returned to camp dripping in pink stuff. Pulling about 130mph up to the top complex behind the XR69 Suzuki belonging to Pat Walsh, its engine suddenly exploded showering Chris in crank case, con rod and piston fragments and covering him from head to toe in oil. Chris' visor was completely obscured and he inadvertently took to the grass but managed to keep it upright. Chris rode into camp and the whole pit crew leapt into laundry mode, from which he emerged sparkling after 40 minutes of extreme scrubbing. Thanks to Martin for buying Chris some more brake cleaner. And thanks to Pat Walsh for his last oil change being so recent, otherwise the results would have been far far worse. Racing was suspended for track cleaning and Chris' result for the Post Classics was DNF. In the 1300s Chris started 4th, finished 4th overall, and 2nd in Class.
It rained after lunch so I took advantage of the calming pitter patter on the caravan and went to bed for a while. My sleep was constantly interrupted by various members of our party coming in to ask me where Chris had put this, that and the other. I'd suggest various places where Chris might have put his own stuff and they'd chat for a bit and leave. Every time the caravan door opened, the team opposite us could see me in bed, with a different bloke leaving. It was all so embarrassing I got up in the end. That afternoon, Chris started 6th in the second Formula 750 event, finished 6th overall, and 3rd in Class. For the Post Classics, started 2nd, finished 2nd overall, and 2nd in Class, and then for the 1300 National started 7th, finished 5th on track and 2nd in Class and he'll get a cheque for £80 in the post for his finishing position.
So today was a good day. Furthermore, the North won Bike of the Meeting with a trophy and a bottle of bubbly making today a very good day ! Jason Woodland won
Pillock of the Planet after waving to his wife Shirley at the end of a race and hitting the kill switch without realising it. Assuming he'd run out of petrol he pushed the bike quite a distance up a steep hill but, several heart attacks later, as he sat on the bike to freewheel down the other side he realised his mistake.
Another pleasant evening in the gazebo with Chris' Coq au Vin Blanc for supper and Team W.A.N.C.A. turned in for the night.
Sunday 16th May
And it's pissing down! Chris went out in the Formula 750 race but unfortunately the gear box lost drive on the first lap so that was
the end of that. Got another? It's a huge shame, Chris would have done well in that one in the downpour. It was Brendan Ryan's 62nd birthday today. Molly
and Tim Woolley got a cup cake with a candle in it for him and we gave him his broken bike back. The weather was dreadful - I can't believe they're going to have the Beezumph back here again this year. For the Post Classics, as a result of the DNF on Friday, Chris was last on the grid. The flag dropped and all we saw was Chris overtake most of the grid before anyone had moved. A great start. Finished 3rd. I keep noticing that the podium places in all the Post Classic races tend to be taken by non Post Classic bikes. Probably the reason they want them to be excluded from next year - give the Post Classic boys a chance of winning! Chris finally agreed his rear tyre had had it and started taking it very easy. In 1300 Classics, his final race of the weekend, he started 4th, finished 5th, and 2nd in Class. It stopped raining as Chris returned to camp and with only Formula 750 races in the afternoon for which he now had no bike, we had lunch, packed up and left. We were on the road by 3.15pm and we'd like to thank everybody who helped strike camp: Derek, Gavin, Martin and John.
The poor weather had made it quite an exhausting weekend and our parting thought was why do William and Kate want to live in this god forsaken place?
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
I was in Tesco at 6.30 this morning. I went again at 7.30am for the items I'd forgotten and Chris went again at 8.30am for the remainder of the stuff I'd forgotten. We were on the road at 10.35am and got a call from Jim who was about a mile in front of us on the M25. I wish I'd never mentioned it to Chris as he then made it his business to catch up with Jim in the shortest time possible which led to some hairy moments. We stopped at the services on the M6 near Stafford for Chris to use the gentlemen's relief facilities and for him to do some running repairs to the caravan's roof bumper with a drill and some gaffer tape. We were at the services for about an hour, not because the caravan took a long time to fix but because Chris went missing. His long absence was explained to me as all the other vehicles' owners were reappearing from the opposite direction to the one Chris left in. I spent my time thumb twiddling and having to endure other caravan owners spewing about the merits of their mobile dwellings. We spoke to John around 2pm. He told us that the track day at Anglesey was small and everyone was being allowed in as soon as they arrived and that he was guarding a hook up point like it was the holy grail.
At 4pm we crossed onto Anglesey and fuelled up at a petrol station with sixteen miles to go. My bottom had gone numb so I was glad we were so close to the circuit. Some clunge-head parked facing us at the vacant pump in front of us and spent as long as he could putting a fiver's worth of fuel in his 'vehicle'. He then expected us to reverse so he could drive out, although he'd driven in at the exit. Chris was remarkably calm probably because, before we left home, a cheque had arrived in the post for £30 for his place in the 1300 Nationals at Pembrey, and he was still glowing with satisfaction - another £30,000 Darling and you'll break even.
We had lovely weather that evening. A gentle breeze and no rain at Anglesey tends to make everyone nervous. The breeze strengthened during the night but there was nothing to worry about. No dashing out of the caravan at 3am in his pants in the pouring rain to hold down the gazebo as yet, for Chris. However, only a fool would allow himself to relax totally when Anglesey's weather gives him a bit of a break. Chris had used his newly discovered 'special' screws to hold the gazebo's feet to the tarmac, and the ends of its frame were strapped to the caravan and van wheels with strong elastic ropes. 'That baby's not going anywhere' was the general consensus, and for the first time in all our visits to this circuit, we slept without a care.
Friday the 13th ! Unlucky for some !
It's not too windy this morning and although it rained in the night it's dry now. Looking at the programme we find Chris' name is not in it at all. It turns out that the reason for this, and the reason for him not getting the No. 38 he usually has (which I ranted about last week), is that he sent his race entry form in so late! Apparently, the programmes are printed about 10 days in advance of each meeting so his omission is hardly surprising.
And as far as the numbers go, it is first come, first served. It's not rocket science, but Chris doesn't want to do the mundane bits to do with racing. He can't motivate himself. All of it is mundane to me, and I manageto get everything done.
First thing this morning it's scrutineering and as far as I can tell Chris and the North have been scrutinised successfully. We have extended practice until lunch with racing
this afternoon. Chris decides to use the rear tyre from Pembrey and a new tyre on the front. He says he's really happy with the set up and the bike is going well. By lunchtime, Martin and Gavin notice the front rocker cover has a minute leak which turns out to be because a head bolt has stripped its thread. There follows much head scratching as they struggle to come up with a solution.
Question:
What's the torque setting on a centre cylinder head bolt on Chris' North?
Answer:
A blob of silicon!
Brendan Ryan has generously offered Chris the use of his Piper-framed 750cc BSA. Chris took it out in practice and afterwards he commented that the bike was a bit lacking in the mid-range but other than that, absolutely lovely.
This weekend, the CRMC hosted the first two rounds of the UEM 2011 Vintage Cup and the Cup's four-round series concludes at Denmark's Ring Djursland on 20th and 21st August. (We'll just pop over for that one then, shall we?). Both Sweden and Finland are well represented in this series, with Denmark, Switzerland, France
and Ireland all participating as well. All this weekend the grid positions for the first race of the classes Chris is in are determined by a qualifying session instead of the usual "number out of a hat" system. Chris is in three classes, therefore he rides in three qualifying sessions today. The transponders really come into their own here!
First outing for Chris after the lunch interval was Post Classics. He started 6th on the grid, finished 2nd, and 2nd in Class. Next was the 1300 Classics, started 7th,
finished 4th, and 2nd in Class. In the Formula 750, Chris qualified only 22nd out of about 35 riders on the borrowed Piper 750. This was not bad considering that the tank strap came off every lap; on the first and second laps he pulled over to refit it and on subsequent laps had to hold it between his legs and fit it back on as and when the track allowed him to let go of the handle bars. He should be able to make up a good many places in the actual race.
At 6.55pm, it blew a gale with hail and torrential rain. The gazebo broke free from its "special" fixings which Chris had been raving about. Jim's wife and I were the only ones there holding it down - where were the W.A.N.C.A.s? (Check out my new team T-Shirt). I managed to send a text to John saying "Help" and the cavalry finally arrived and decided to encircle the gazebo with their wagons - they tied every guy rope to parts of the cars and vans. That should hold the bugger down! By 8pm the sky was clear. It was very windy still and I was dreading going to bed that night. It was all very nerve wracking, particularly for those who have experienced Anglesey before.
Saturday 14th May - 6.40am
We had a dry night with very strong winds. Every gazebo and awning had been thrashing about. So loud ! I'd forgotten my earplugs but Chris managed to find me a pair for tonight. It was sunny this morning, but the wind!!! No-one could relax. I miscalculated on the bacon front. I needed 72 rashers for the weekend, but could only find 56. Luckily we had eggs as well. The frying pan stuck like a bastard until the last egg and then it decided to become non-stick.
There was sound testing first thing which Brendan's 750 and Chris' bike passed. The first event was the Formula 750. Chris started 22nd on the grid, finished 6th overall, and 4th in Class. In the Post Classics, Chris started 2nd on the grid, but strangely came past us in 10th. We were confused until Chris returned to camp dripping in pink stuff. Pulling about 130mph up to the top complex behind the XR69 Suzuki belonging to Pat Walsh, its engine suddenly exploded showering Chris in crank case, con rod and piston fragments and covering him from head to toe in oil. Chris' visor was completely obscured and he inadvertently took to the grass but managed to keep it upright. Chris rode into camp and the whole pit crew leapt into laundry mode, from which he emerged sparkling after 40 minutes of extreme scrubbing. Thanks to Martin for buying Chris some more brake cleaner. And thanks to Pat Walsh for his last oil change being so recent, otherwise the results would have been far far worse. Racing was suspended for track cleaning and Chris' result for the Post Classics was DNF. In the 1300s Chris started 4th, finished 4th overall, and 2nd in Class.
It rained after lunch so I took advantage of the calming pitter patter on the caravan and went to bed for a while. My sleep was constantly interrupted by various members of our party coming in to ask me where Chris had put this, that and the other. I'd suggest various places where Chris might have put his own stuff and they'd chat for a bit and leave. Every time the caravan door opened, the team opposite us could see me in bed, with a different bloke leaving. It was all so embarrassing I got up in the end. That afternoon, Chris started 6th in the second Formula 750 event, finished 6th overall, and 3rd in Class. For the Post Classics, started 2nd, finished 2nd overall, and 2nd in Class, and then for the 1300 National started 7th, finished 5th on track and 2nd in Class and he'll get a cheque for £80 in the post for his finishing position.
So today was a good day. Furthermore, the North won Bike of the Meeting with a trophy and a bottle of bubbly making today a very good day ! Jason Woodland won
Pillock of the Planet after waving to his wife Shirley at the end of a race and hitting the kill switch without realising it. Assuming he'd run out of petrol he pushed the bike quite a distance up a steep hill but, several heart attacks later, as he sat on the bike to freewheel down the other side he realised his mistake.
Another pleasant evening in the gazebo with Chris' Coq au Vin Blanc for supper and Team W.A.N.C.A. turned in for the night.
Sunday 16th May
And it's pissing down! Chris went out in the Formula 750 race but unfortunately the gear box lost drive on the first lap so that was
the end of that. Got another? It's a huge shame, Chris would have done well in that one in the downpour. It was Brendan Ryan's 62nd birthday today. Molly
and Tim Woolley got a cup cake with a candle in it for him and we gave him his broken bike back. The weather was dreadful - I can't believe they're going to have the Beezumph back here again this year. For the Post Classics, as a result of the DNF on Friday, Chris was last on the grid. The flag dropped and all we saw was Chris overtake most of the grid before anyone had moved. A great start. Finished 3rd. I keep noticing that the podium places in all the Post Classic races tend to be taken by non Post Classic bikes. Probably the reason they want them to be excluded from next year - give the Post Classic boys a chance of winning! Chris finally agreed his rear tyre had had it and started taking it very easy. In 1300 Classics, his final race of the weekend, he started 4th, finished 5th, and 2nd in Class. It stopped raining as Chris returned to camp and with only Formula 750 races in the afternoon for which he now had no bike, we had lunch, packed up and left. We were on the road by 3.15pm and we'd like to thank everybody who helped strike camp: Derek, Gavin, Martin and John.
The poor weather had made it quite an exhausting weekend and our parting thought was why do William and Kate want to live in this god forsaken place?
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Pembrey 2011
Team Dynamics !
Thursday - We had a good journey to Pembrey and had a short wait in the queue before being allowed across the track to set up camp. It was a very hot day, so hot in fact that we delayed erecting the gazebo until early evening when it would be cooler.
It started to get a little windy and it was at this time that we realised that we had no pegs for the gazebo, so we borrowed the pegs from Martin Pink's tent and let him know that if he wanted his tent to stay up over the weekend he had better call round to Chez Chapman to pick up the gazebo pegs for us. Jane had to tell Sarah (who was out to dinner that night) to forget her lie-in the following morning, as Martin was going to arrive precisely between 9 and 10am.
Meanwhile, back at Pembrey, Chris "Last Minute.com" Chapman waxes his leathers, Gavin changes the tyres on the North and Jane, who was heard wailing "no, no, no, no, no" in the gazebo, after finding the stew had leaked into the cool bag. Unfortunately, it also had cheese in it, so Jane starts washing the cheese.
Friday - At 9.45am the skies open as Cormac arrives. The luck of the Irish! We start the bike for the first time - it sounds like it is running well. A top up of fuel and oil and we are ready for the first session, which goes very well. Chris is getting used to the track again, no heroics! The sun comes out making it a hot day for those in leathers. Gary Thwaites is looking mega fast - Rossi eat yer heart out! Second session, Chris is finding it difficult to find the right line through the left handers and keeps scraping the toe of his boot, but is gradually building up to race pace. By the final session he is looking very smooth and he seems to have the left handers sorted.
This evening Chris decides to stay with the test day tyres for racing tomorrow, bearing in mind these tyres saw action at Mallory and Cadwell previously. The evening starts with the game called "How many people does it take to start a barbecue?". Jane is trying to get the dinner cooked before everyone disappears and so the usual scenario is that dinner is ready and the diners are nowhere to be seen ! So Jane rings their mobiles and one by one they go off in the fruit bowl or by the teabags or under the table. Chris has gone to sign on at this time and to be scrutineered, the other diners have now returned but John has disappeared and he's meant to be cooking the salmon!
Jane is near a Mallory repeat on the potatoes front. Eventually dinner is cooked and Martin Pink arrives just in time to eat a delicious meal, which is enjoyed by all. Thank you Jane and John !
We had some showers throughout the day, but as it is was so hot everything dried out really quickly. However in the late evening, it suddenly gets very overcast and we have a downpour. There proceeds a frantic gathering in of all the items carelessly abandoned around the camp.
All of our party are supposed to be off to the cinema after dinner except Jane, Jim and myself. I've never known so many people take so long to get their act together. They are seeing the new 3D TT film, with Guy Martin in. Jane spends the next couple of hours washing up and making potato salad. We decide to call it a night at 10.30pm. The others aren't expected back from the cinema until 11pm, so we turn off the light in the gazebo to save the van battery and leave Jane's pink knife on the chopping board next to where she has been sitting.
Saturday - 8.20am - Jane has gone mad. She has had her prized pink knife stolen! We hunt for it for hours, so thank you to whoever nicked it and we would be grateful if you would return it at the next race meeting. It's easy ... you return the knife ... Jane gives you a tissue for your bleeding nose.
Saturday Practice - Chris finds the bike is misfiring between 6000 and 8000 rpm and an investigation begins. We cannot find out what it is that is causing the misfire. Team owner John manages to blag us another practice session and the bike seems to be running fine.
First race though the misfiring starts again and Chris only comes 7th in class and 13th on the track and he's very disappointed. Gavin and Chris investigate the issue further, this time taking the fairing off to check the ignition and it turns out to be a loose spade connector on the coils.
Race 2 - the bike is now running perfectly and Chris comes 3rd in class, winning another ******* ashtray. At lunch Gavin suggests that Chris lets him drop the forks through the yokes by 5mm to see if this will speed up the steering. This in theory will speed up the turning and improve Chris' cornering speed. They also change the front tyre, which is on a seperate wheel, hence this leads to having to swap the discs as the bolts wouldn't fit in the hub as the disc has been misdrilled. They finally test the suspension and the bike is all ready for the afternoon's racing.
It's Martin Pink's 53rd birthday today, Jane has spent most of the day trying to soften the icing tube left over from Graham Redrup's birthday the year before last. She wants to put "Martin" on the cake in pink letters but sadly it remains rock solid and unsqueezable ... the icing that is, I look at the use by instructions and it says, "use within 3 weeks of opening !" Do the Maths !
We have glorious weather for the evening, it is warm and still. Our little party gets quite drunk. Jane has made the most superb spag bol for dinner followed by birthday cake, after Martin has blown his candles out and made a wish. We turn in in the early hours of the morning. Chris has decided to wear earplugs to bed as John's snoring is like roadworks and he needs his beauty sleep.
Sunday - this morning is hazy but you can tell that it is going to be hot later. Jane has been gently packing since we unpacked on Thursday. We have quite a crowd for lunch today, so she's busy in the kitchen already, preparing some of the goodies. Chris completes the day without falling off making for a very successful weekend's racing. He's won three 3rd in class prizes. The bike is still unscathed. Chris realises he has to lose some weight and take getting fit more seriously. The tea and cake diet has got to stop !
Steve Bateman, who's been in endurance racing for 8 years on the continent, has a ride on Chris' bike for both of today's parade sessions. He is able to give Chris a few helpful tips about the set up of the North.
Chris' last race is mid afternoon so we get an early finish for our party. While packing up the caravan Jane finds the Easter cake her mother gave her and we decide we'll have "one more" cup of tea to wash it down with. We set off from the track about 5.30pm and after a few miles on the M4 Chris asks if anyone put the caravan roof light down. Jane's getting really cranky about the fact he should be checking these things for himself. We see a "Services 6 miles" sign but he's gone straight past. Then "Services 1 mile" - "oh damn" says Chris as we sail on by again. Fifth time lucky and we pull in to check the roof light. Once inside the caravan we find various items have come adrift from their travelling positions. These are resecured and we have a cup of coffee, before setting off for home again. The roads are quiet for a bank holiday weekend and we're back home by 9.30pm.
Thanks go to Jane Chapman (Camp Commandant), Gavin (Chief Mechanic), Martin Pink (Chief of Electronics) and Jim Pipe.
Chris' step brother Patrick Robinson came down for the day on Saturday. Jane and Chris were so happy to see him as he came all the way from Preston - a good effort ! We were also pleased to have Derek Wiltshire with us again this year and he came all the way from 20 minutes down the road - well done Derek and thank you for the shopping !
Thank you for your continued support, see you all at Anglesey (May 13th - May 15th) !
Ashley Barnett
Webmaster and Factotum
It started to get a little windy and it was at this time that we realised that we had no pegs for the gazebo, so we borrowed the pegs from Martin Pink's tent and let him know that if he wanted his tent to stay up over the weekend he had better call round to Chez Chapman to pick up the gazebo pegs for us. Jane had to tell Sarah (who was out to dinner that night) to forget her lie-in the following morning, as Martin was going to arrive precisely between 9 and 10am.
Meanwhile, back at Pembrey, Chris "Last Minute.com" Chapman waxes his leathers, Gavin changes the tyres on the North and Jane, who was heard wailing "no, no, no, no, no" in the gazebo, after finding the stew had leaked into the cool bag. Unfortunately, it also had cheese in it, so Jane starts washing the cheese.
Friday - At 9.45am the skies open as Cormac arrives. The luck of the Irish! We start the bike for the first time - it sounds like it is running well. A top up of fuel and oil and we are ready for the first session, which goes very well. Chris is getting used to the track again, no heroics! The sun comes out making it a hot day for those in leathers. Gary Thwaites is looking mega fast - Rossi eat yer heart out! Second session, Chris is finding it difficult to find the right line through the left handers and keeps scraping the toe of his boot, but is gradually building up to race pace. By the final session he is looking very smooth and he seems to have the left handers sorted.
This evening Chris decides to stay with the test day tyres for racing tomorrow, bearing in mind these tyres saw action at Mallory and Cadwell previously. The evening starts with the game called "How many people does it take to start a barbecue?". Jane is trying to get the dinner cooked before everyone disappears and so the usual scenario is that dinner is ready and the diners are nowhere to be seen ! So Jane rings their mobiles and one by one they go off in the fruit bowl or by the teabags or under the table. Chris has gone to sign on at this time and to be scrutineered, the other diners have now returned but John has disappeared and he's meant to be cooking the salmon!
Jane is near a Mallory repeat on the potatoes front. Eventually dinner is cooked and Martin Pink arrives just in time to eat a delicious meal, which is enjoyed by all. Thank you Jane and John !
We had some showers throughout the day, but as it is was so hot everything dried out really quickly. However in the late evening, it suddenly gets very overcast and we have a downpour. There proceeds a frantic gathering in of all the items carelessly abandoned around the camp.
All of our party are supposed to be off to the cinema after dinner except Jane, Jim and myself. I've never known so many people take so long to get their act together. They are seeing the new 3D TT film, with Guy Martin in. Jane spends the next couple of hours washing up and making potato salad. We decide to call it a night at 10.30pm. The others aren't expected back from the cinema until 11pm, so we turn off the light in the gazebo to save the van battery and leave Jane's pink knife on the chopping board next to where she has been sitting.
Saturday - 8.20am - Jane has gone mad. She has had her prized pink knife stolen! We hunt for it for hours, so thank you to whoever nicked it and we would be grateful if you would return it at the next race meeting. It's easy ... you return the knife ... Jane gives you a tissue for your bleeding nose.
Saturday Practice - Chris finds the bike is misfiring between 6000 and 8000 rpm and an investigation begins. We cannot find out what it is that is causing the misfire. Team owner John manages to blag us another practice session and the bike seems to be running fine.
First race though the misfiring starts again and Chris only comes 7th in class and 13th on the track and he's very disappointed. Gavin and Chris investigate the issue further, this time taking the fairing off to check the ignition and it turns out to be a loose spade connector on the coils.
Race 2 - the bike is now running perfectly and Chris comes 3rd in class, winning another ******* ashtray. At lunch Gavin suggests that Chris lets him drop the forks through the yokes by 5mm to see if this will speed up the steering. This in theory will speed up the turning and improve Chris' cornering speed. They also change the front tyre, which is on a seperate wheel, hence this leads to having to swap the discs as the bolts wouldn't fit in the hub as the disc has been misdrilled. They finally test the suspension and the bike is all ready for the afternoon's racing.
It's Martin Pink's 53rd birthday today, Jane has spent most of the day trying to soften the icing tube left over from Graham Redrup's birthday the year before last. She wants to put "Martin" on the cake in pink letters but sadly it remains rock solid and unsqueezable ... the icing that is, I look at the use by instructions and it says, "use within 3 weeks of opening !" Do the Maths !
We have glorious weather for the evening, it is warm and still. Our little party gets quite drunk. Jane has made the most superb spag bol for dinner followed by birthday cake, after Martin has blown his candles out and made a wish. We turn in in the early hours of the morning. Chris has decided to wear earplugs to bed as John's snoring is like roadworks and he needs his beauty sleep.
Sunday - this morning is hazy but you can tell that it is going to be hot later. Jane has been gently packing since we unpacked on Thursday. We have quite a crowd for lunch today, so she's busy in the kitchen already, preparing some of the goodies. Chris completes the day without falling off making for a very successful weekend's racing. He's won three 3rd in class prizes. The bike is still unscathed. Chris realises he has to lose some weight and take getting fit more seriously. The tea and cake diet has got to stop !
Steve Bateman, who's been in endurance racing for 8 years on the continent, has a ride on Chris' bike for both of today's parade sessions. He is able to give Chris a few helpful tips about the set up of the North.
Chris' last race is mid afternoon so we get an early finish for our party. While packing up the caravan Jane finds the Easter cake her mother gave her and we decide we'll have "one more" cup of tea to wash it down with. We set off from the track about 5.30pm and after a few miles on the M4 Chris asks if anyone put the caravan roof light down. Jane's getting really cranky about the fact he should be checking these things for himself. We see a "Services 6 miles" sign but he's gone straight past. Then "Services 1 mile" - "oh damn" says Chris as we sail on by again. Fifth time lucky and we pull in to check the roof light. Once inside the caravan we find various items have come adrift from their travelling positions. These are resecured and we have a cup of coffee, before setting off for home again. The roads are quiet for a bank holiday weekend and we're back home by 9.30pm.
Thanks go to Jane Chapman (Camp Commandant), Gavin (Chief Mechanic), Martin Pink (Chief of Electronics) and Jim Pipe.
Chris' step brother Patrick Robinson came down for the day on Saturday. Jane and Chris were so happy to see him as he came all the way from Preston - a good effort ! We were also pleased to have Derek Wiltshire with us again this year and he came all the way from 20 minutes down the road - well done Derek and thank you for the shopping !
Thank you for your continued support, see you all at Anglesey (May 13th - May 15th) !
Ashley Barnett
Webmaster and Factotum
Mallory Park 2011 - Journey To
We set off at 12.15 & made good progress until the latter part of the journey. The van has a sat nav fitted & we had a Tom Tom on board, but John had downloaded a google map & insisted we use it.
We drove a few extra miles up & down a dual carriageway & round & round an industrial estate before Jim, who was following us, went round a roundabout the wrong way so he could get in front of us & lead us to the circuit.
We arrived in glorious sunshine & set up camp. Gavin arrived as we were dishing up supper. Chris made a new light for the garage end of the gazebo. It was so bright you needed a welding mask to look at it. Within three-quarters of an hour the thing had burned out the transformer leaving us with no light in the garage at all.
Gavin was put to work after supper as Chris couldn't get the fire to light in the caravan. I was having trouble with the legs for the single bed. After two years of them being the perfect height, now one was too long & the other too short. I got Gavin to saw a tad off one of them. Then we found it was too short by the amount he'd sawn off. He lengthened it again using a £2 coin under a piece of gaffer tape.
We were all glad when it was time for bed ! The smell from the large lump of Camembert in the cold bag had driven most people out of the gazebo early so it was much quieter than it usually is at that time of night. I will remember that when I am selecting the cheese in future !
We drove a few extra miles up & down a dual carriageway & round & round an industrial estate before Jim, who was following us, went round a roundabout the wrong way so he could get in front of us & lead us to the circuit.
We arrived in glorious sunshine & set up camp. Gavin arrived as we were dishing up supper. Chris made a new light for the garage end of the gazebo. It was so bright you needed a welding mask to look at it. Within three-quarters of an hour the thing had burned out the transformer leaving us with no light in the garage at all.
Gavin was put to work after supper as Chris couldn't get the fire to light in the caravan. I was having trouble with the legs for the single bed. After two years of them being the perfect height, now one was too long & the other too short. I got Gavin to saw a tad off one of them. Then we found it was too short by the amount he'd sawn off. He lengthened it again using a £2 coin under a piece of gaffer tape.
We were all glad when it was time for bed ! The smell from the large lump of Camembert in the cold bag had driven most people out of the gazebo early so it was much quieter than it usually is at that time of night. I will remember that when I am selecting the cheese in future !
Friday Test Day
This morning there were black grease marks all over the floor mats in the caravan. Now the inside smells of petrol as we had to use half a jerrycan-full to get the oil off. It's not a good start for me. People have been dodging in & out of the caravan all morning as I've been throwing things. It was chairs & lemons at Anglesey, but for Mallory knives are proving to be very theraputic.
The paddock has burst into life. The ducks on the lakes are probably deaf if they've lived here a while, as they are swimming happily with the mayhem all around. Chris is out second session. Weather is great. Black visors today.
The North is running sweet as a peach leaving Gav free to fix everyone else's bikes for them. Chris is in his newly let-out leathers & using up most of the four inches Nine Lives put in ... the tea & cake diet is definitely working. Practice is going fine.
Chris has done a couple of sessions on Sophie Walls' spare bike, a Honda RS125 which is owned by Ian Sinclair. Chris said it an absolute hoot to ride & that he just had to loose seven stone to become a serious contender. He did look like St Paul's on a pimple.
The rod for the handle to the back door of the van has broken so we can't get in & the front paddock stand & various other necessities are still in there. Enter Paul Potter with a large screw driver. The doors won't shut now but we've till Sunday to be innovative about that.
Chris has gone to a meeting & Gav's not sure if Chris wants the North's tyres changed. Finally, Chris has reappeared and Gavin has set about removing the wheels on the North to change the tyres. Of course it's now dark, he's been waiting for Chris for so long, we've no light in the garage so they've now moved into our dining area thus supper is suspended.
I've asked them to tell me when they're 20 minutes from finishing so I can put the potatoes on. (Time passes...) Supper is now very delayed. Originally this was bearable, but when Chris decided he had to balance the wheels on the dining table, enough was enough. The potatoes were becoming ruined, they'd been on so long and when I went to boil the kettle for water to steam the beans, it wouldn't stay on, so many people had plugged into our extension lead (thank you John) it kept tripping out the kettle. They got it working, then it went off again (repeat several times).
I gave up - they'd finally worn me down, I gave up, shouted a few parting pleasantries at everybody as I passed and shut myself away in the caravan for the rest of the night, leaving the potatoes artfully scattered across the floor of the gazebo.Thus Test Day proved to be somewhat more testing than expected.
The paddock has burst into life. The ducks on the lakes are probably deaf if they've lived here a while, as they are swimming happily with the mayhem all around. Chris is out second session. Weather is great. Black visors today.
The North is running sweet as a peach leaving Gav free to fix everyone else's bikes for them. Chris is in his newly let-out leathers & using up most of the four inches Nine Lives put in ... the tea & cake diet is definitely working. Practice is going fine.
Chris has done a couple of sessions on Sophie Walls' spare bike, a Honda RS125 which is owned by Ian Sinclair. Chris said it an absolute hoot to ride & that he just had to loose seven stone to become a serious contender. He did look like St Paul's on a pimple.
The rod for the handle to the back door of the van has broken so we can't get in & the front paddock stand & various other necessities are still in there. Enter Paul Potter with a large screw driver. The doors won't shut now but we've till Sunday to be innovative about that.
Chris has gone to a meeting & Gav's not sure if Chris wants the North's tyres changed. Finally, Chris has reappeared and Gavin has set about removing the wheels on the North to change the tyres. Of course it's now dark, he's been waiting for Chris for so long, we've no light in the garage so they've now moved into our dining area thus supper is suspended.
I've asked them to tell me when they're 20 minutes from finishing so I can put the potatoes on. (Time passes...) Supper is now very delayed. Originally this was bearable, but when Chris decided he had to balance the wheels on the dining table, enough was enough. The potatoes were becoming ruined, they'd been on so long and when I went to boil the kettle for water to steam the beans, it wouldn't stay on, so many people had plugged into our extension lead (thank you John) it kept tripping out the kettle. They got it working, then it went off again (repeat several times).
I gave up - they'd finally worn me down, I gave up, shouted a few parting pleasantries at everybody as I passed and shut myself away in the caravan for the rest of the night, leaving the potatoes artfully scattered across the floor of the gazebo.Thus Test Day proved to be somewhat more testing than expected.
Saturday Racing
That's what we call fine tuning !
Saturday morning I emerged from the caravan feeling refreshed. We were expecting Martin Pink that morning but he didn't arrive. He phoned after lunch to say he had just got home after a traumatic experience with public transport. He had planned his route the day before with the help of the internet and found he could get a train from Woking to Croydon, and then change for Sanderstead where his bike was ready to be picked up from Carl Rosner's. Taking the train meant he didn't have to load his bike into the back of his pickup, he could just ride it away. There was only a minute or two for him to make his connection at Croydon so he leapt onto the train and was somewhat surprised to shoot straight through Sanderstead, not stopping till Gatwick. So we didn't end up seeing Martin today - he's missed out on the Camembert again.
Then Lou, Gavin's girlfriend, arrived loaded with delicious home baked calories for our diet & Spike Livingstone materialised full of the joys of Spring. He was going to be busy once he got home if the bootfull of 'work' he left with was anything to go by.
First race of the day, Post Classics - Chris was quite surprised at being classed as a reserve for this race after being told he would definitely be racing in the Post Classics. So he started from the back of the grid on every Post Classics race over the weekend whatever his finishing position had been from the previous race. So he was 27th on the grid, finished 13th, 8th in Class.
Second race in the Post Classics, started 27th, finished 8th, 5th in Class.
Saturday's first race in 1300 multis - Started 2nd on the grid. Finished 3rd in class and was awarded a trophy (another ashtray).
Cormac broke a barrel on his 930 and broke the gearbox on his 750, thus putting himself out of the game for Sunday's races. So a terrible weekend for him especially as he has to come such a long way. At least in any race Cormac completes he's at the front & gets good points.
Today was freezing compared to Thursday and Friday, not much else to say about it. Lunch & supper happened. There was quite a crowd in the gazebo that night. Chris kept turning on the space heater & making everyone sweat. It was ridiculous. Like a sauna in there with all that extra hot air. Everyone kept working their chairs subtly towards the door to get a little oxygen from under the zip.
Then Lou, Gavin's girlfriend, arrived loaded with delicious home baked calories for our diet & Spike Livingstone materialised full of the joys of Spring. He was going to be busy once he got home if the bootfull of 'work' he left with was anything to go by.
First race of the day, Post Classics - Chris was quite surprised at being classed as a reserve for this race after being told he would definitely be racing in the Post Classics. So he started from the back of the grid on every Post Classics race over the weekend whatever his finishing position had been from the previous race. So he was 27th on the grid, finished 13th, 8th in Class.
Second race in the Post Classics, started 27th, finished 8th, 5th in Class.
Saturday's first race in 1300 multis - Started 2nd on the grid. Finished 3rd in class and was awarded a trophy (another ashtray).
Cormac broke a barrel on his 930 and broke the gearbox on his 750, thus putting himself out of the game for Sunday's races. So a terrible weekend for him especially as he has to come such a long way. At least in any race Cormac completes he's at the front & gets good points.
Today was freezing compared to Thursday and Friday, not much else to say about it. Lunch & supper happened. There was quite a crowd in the gazebo that night. Chris kept turning on the space heater & making everyone sweat. It was ridiculous. Like a sauna in there with all that extra hot air. Everyone kept working their chairs subtly towards the door to get a little oxygen from under the zip.
Sunday Racing
Sunday was a warmer day. We were up bright & early - well, early anyway. We just finished breakfast & had a call from Graham Redrup and Dave Cruickshank who were at the gate of the circuit & needed tickets to get in. Of course I could find nobody willing to take the tickets to them so I had to go myself. It's all uphill to the gate on foot & it feels like miles - like I need that sort of exercise.
First race 1300 Multi's. Started 2nd on grid. Finished 9th. 2nd in class. (Remember it's a mixed grid of three classes of machine - 1300 Twins, Multi's & 500 Clubman to make a full grid).
Second race of the 1300 Multi's. Started 9th on grid. Finished 8th. 2nd in class.
First race in the Post Classics - Started 27th. Finished 9th. 6th in class.
Second race in the Post Classics - Started 27th. Finished 11th. 7th in class.
1300cc National - Finished 10th. 3rd in Class
Mike Norris' wife, Lesley, brought one of Mike's bikes down & entered it into the parade sessions. Chris rode it during one of these on the proviso of "you break it, you buy it". Two of Lesley & Mike's friends, Tony & the infamous Carl Adams entered their Honda 4 into the sidecar championship. They finished every race, which was a miracle as they'd had a collapsed wheel bearing & a lot of brake problems to deal with.
Apart from baking, another of Lou's skills is specialist massage. Lou was manipulating my bad neck, shoulder & left arm when John happened to knock on the caravan door & open it. Lou told him we were having a little 'girl on girl' time, which got him all hot and bothered.
All in all Chris had a very successful weekend. He kept it in his trousers & brought the bike in unscathed. One 3rd & two 2nds in class is great for the first race meeting of the year. Long may it last !
At the end of racing Lou left for Colchester & we started to pack up. There was Superbike racing at Donington this weekend & not wanting to be caught in the traffic, we took our time dismantling the camp. We said goodbye to Gavin & only had to hitch up the caravan & do a light check. Three quarters of an hour later we finally left after Chris & John had to totally rebuild the plug which connects the caravan's lights to the van as we had no brake lights. There's always something.
Your guess is as good as ours as to whether we drove up there with any brake lights or not as none of us checked. Mind you, when I picked the caravan up from the vendor in Witley Bay with John two years ago, we had no right indicator working. It made overtaking on the motorway interesting. Anyway, we had a good journey home, paying our respects to McDonalds on the way.
Thankyou to everyone who came to support Chris - Thanks especially to Gav our mechanic (who worked on troubled machines of numerous fellow racers also), to Lou for her work with oils & wet wipes, to John for his mediating & managing & walking miles, (hope your legs feel better by the time you have to drive home) & to Jim for learning to duck & dive in the gazebo so he wouldn't get accidently stabbed & for saying he'd give me a lift home early if I couldn't stand it there any more & finally to Chris for making my life a misery & giving me ulcers !
Written by Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
First race 1300 Multi's. Started 2nd on grid. Finished 9th. 2nd in class. (Remember it's a mixed grid of three classes of machine - 1300 Twins, Multi's & 500 Clubman to make a full grid).
Second race of the 1300 Multi's. Started 9th on grid. Finished 8th. 2nd in class.
First race in the Post Classics - Started 27th. Finished 9th. 6th in class.
Second race in the Post Classics - Started 27th. Finished 11th. 7th in class.
1300cc National - Finished 10th. 3rd in Class
Mike Norris' wife, Lesley, brought one of Mike's bikes down & entered it into the parade sessions. Chris rode it during one of these on the proviso of "you break it, you buy it". Two of Lesley & Mike's friends, Tony & the infamous Carl Adams entered their Honda 4 into the sidecar championship. They finished every race, which was a miracle as they'd had a collapsed wheel bearing & a lot of brake problems to deal with.
Apart from baking, another of Lou's skills is specialist massage. Lou was manipulating my bad neck, shoulder & left arm when John happened to knock on the caravan door & open it. Lou told him we were having a little 'girl on girl' time, which got him all hot and bothered.
All in all Chris had a very successful weekend. He kept it in his trousers & brought the bike in unscathed. One 3rd & two 2nds in class is great for the first race meeting of the year. Long may it last !
At the end of racing Lou left for Colchester & we started to pack up. There was Superbike racing at Donington this weekend & not wanting to be caught in the traffic, we took our time dismantling the camp. We said goodbye to Gavin & only had to hitch up the caravan & do a light check. Three quarters of an hour later we finally left after Chris & John had to totally rebuild the plug which connects the caravan's lights to the van as we had no brake lights. There's always something.
Your guess is as good as ours as to whether we drove up there with any brake lights or not as none of us checked. Mind you, when I picked the caravan up from the vendor in Witley Bay with John two years ago, we had no right indicator working. It made overtaking on the motorway interesting. Anyway, we had a good journey home, paying our respects to McDonalds on the way.
Thankyou to everyone who came to support Chris - Thanks especially to Gav our mechanic (who worked on troubled machines of numerous fellow racers also), to Lou for her work with oils & wet wipes, to John for his mediating & managing & walking miles, (hope your legs feel better by the time you have to drive home) & to Jim for learning to duck & dive in the gazebo so he wouldn't get accidently stabbed & for saying he'd give me a lift home early if I couldn't stand it there any more & finally to Chris for making my life a misery & giving me ulcers !
Written by Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife