Snetterton 2014
Thursday 9th / Friday 10th September 2014
Chris got home from work and looked at the work rota and cried out ‘No! No! No! I’m sure I booked the time off!’. There was panic. I stood in the kitchen, spoon poised – I was shoving the filling into puff pastry for the weekend’s lunches and wondered what we’d do with them all if we didn’t go. It was okay though as Chris’ name had been put down by accident.
We emptied the van that night but decided to leave the packing until the morning as we weren’t leaving until after lunch.
Martin arrived at noon and loaded the North onto his pick-up and we were on the road at 1pm. It poured with rain and the arse-hole in the black Fiesta AV12 ZDN, who squeezed in front of us, nearly got sandwiched between the Coke van and the van in front of him. The traffic slowed again and the road signs lit up with ‘Obstruction’. We thought ‘Oh please, please let it be the remains of the Fiesta.’
Then we joined the 4 kilometre queue for the Dartford tunnel. It took an age. Once through we stopped for the boys to have a comfort break.
We re-joined the M11 straight into another downpour and zero visibility. The traffic eventually ground to a halt and every now and again we crept forward. By the time we got to Snetterton we had been on the road five and a quarter hours!
Being so late meant we were able to drive straight up to the garage so one good thing came out of it. Spike joined us for supper and we sat glumly, our weekend totally spoilt because there was no Marshal Neil with us.
Saturday 11th September
Chris forgot the team motto and responded to a call from the race office for a small crash helmet to be loaned to another rider for the weekend.
Graham and Janet arrived and Martin, loaded with tickets, had to take the Hanka to the gate just as Chris was about to start practice (I don’t do bicycles).
The RPS was fine but Chris came in early on the North complaining he was running out of brakes. The fluid reservoir had come loose and covered the side of the bike and inside of the screen with brake fluid.
We had many visitors this meeting – Baldrick, Gerard from the Guzzi Club, Chris’ bro Richard and Chris’ niece Rebecca, Lesley of Nozzer and Mike Pink. Richard and Sandra Peckett came up for the weekend and they gave us a brilliant cooker which I used for every meal.
All Chris’ races went without a hiccup although he said he found the track very slippery in the morning. There was a long gap in the afternoon and the gearing was changed on the RPS. Lots of stoppages due to fallers and oil spillages.
After Chris’ last race of the day the sky got darker by the minute as a storm gathered over and around the circuit. The last two races of the day were postponed until Sunday. Everyone watched amazing lightning in the distance as the awesome cloud formation sat over us. It looked like the end of the world was coming. Then it rained harder and harder until the fire lane turned into a river, (Superb drainage Snetterton! Surrey County Council could learn a thing or two about that from you).
Chris and some colleagues were going out for a meal that evening but the Coke van had a flat battery again. The van was pushed into the garage where Tim had a go at jump starting it but they finally gave up and had to bump start it in reverse out of the garage and towards the gazebo which was two van lengths from the garage.
They got away eventually and I had supper with Richard, Rebecca, Spike and Martin.
On cue Ron arrived as I was starting the washing up. He had a cup of tea and we discussed the day.
The seal on the roof-light of our caravan had decided to stop being waterproof during the downpours so we had to keep mopping up.
Things got lively with Brendan Ryan and Baldrick in the gazebo that night. SO loud! (We apologise to our neighbours about the noise so late.) Brendan knocked over his beaker of sloe gin and I had to hold a full roll of kitchen paper on its side in front of the ensuing flood to stop it covering everything on the table. Then he knocked over Chris’ drink too and decided it was time for bed.
I was pleased to turn in as I had had a busy day and there were eleven of us for breakfast.
Sunday 12th September
We awoke to zero visibility. At 9.30 a call went out for the 125s to go to the holding area! We assumed the officials expected the riders to use ‘the force’ but then another call went out cancelling the first one. The fog was thick for so long the marshals weren’t called to their posts until 11.40. I barbecued bacon like it was going out of fashion while Richard buttered bread. Chris kept it in his trousers and finished a respectable 2nd behind Gary Thwaites in the 1300 National Race of the Year.
In the Race of Aces Chris and Cormac, in disgust, pulled out of the race two thirds of the way through – Chris having been ridden into on purpose twice and novice Ian Courts completely taken out by some brainless maniac. No-one was black-flagged for forcing Ian to crash. Shame on you CRMC. It’s all getting a bit bloody stupid at times.
The F750 Race of the Year was called and the riders gridded up and we waited for the warm-up lap. And we waited and waited and waited. At the garage there was some confusion as to the reason for the hold-up.
Engines were cut and starters called for. The riders were getting cold and we were beginning to lose the daylight. Cormac was in a dark visor! He’s so cool.
The reason for the delay was they’d realised there was a shortage in the ambulance department. They hadn’t returned from the hospital.
When the race started Cormac was ahead of Chris on the grid and got a good start. Chris took a couple of laps to get past Graham Williams before he could hunt for Cormac. Lap by lap Chris reeled him in. Cormac went through a couple of backmarkers and lost a little time and space so Chris was right back in it. On the last corner of the last lap Cormac looked over his shoulder only to see Chris with his head under the bubble maxing out the RPS. Cormac quickly got down and yanked the wire on Brendan’s bike to 11,000 and beat Chris by half a wheel. Great racing. Cormac being crowned the winner of the F750 Race of the Year.
It was getting dark as the last two races were run. Everyone had helped me pack up as much as we could (Thank you all) so we would be able to make an early getaway. We were home in two and a quarter hours. Much better.
Chris was pleased with his achievements at the meeting and for the year.
The RPS held together perfectly for the entire meeting. The North has cracked its barrel unfortunately but Chris has the whole winter to fix that hasn’t he.
Our sincere thanks to everyone who helped and supported Chris throughout the year.
Many of us will be at the CRMC AGM and Dinner Dance on the 6th December. Martin too! He’s just got to dig out his suit and polish his boots first. It will be great to have him with us to celebrate this successful year racing which is majorly down to him. Thank you so much Martin. You are star.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Chris got home from work and looked at the work rota and cried out ‘No! No! No! I’m sure I booked the time off!’. There was panic. I stood in the kitchen, spoon poised – I was shoving the filling into puff pastry for the weekend’s lunches and wondered what we’d do with them all if we didn’t go. It was okay though as Chris’ name had been put down by accident.
We emptied the van that night but decided to leave the packing until the morning as we weren’t leaving until after lunch.
Martin arrived at noon and loaded the North onto his pick-up and we were on the road at 1pm. It poured with rain and the arse-hole in the black Fiesta AV12 ZDN, who squeezed in front of us, nearly got sandwiched between the Coke van and the van in front of him. The traffic slowed again and the road signs lit up with ‘Obstruction’. We thought ‘Oh please, please let it be the remains of the Fiesta.’
Then we joined the 4 kilometre queue for the Dartford tunnel. It took an age. Once through we stopped for the boys to have a comfort break.
We re-joined the M11 straight into another downpour and zero visibility. The traffic eventually ground to a halt and every now and again we crept forward. By the time we got to Snetterton we had been on the road five and a quarter hours!
Being so late meant we were able to drive straight up to the garage so one good thing came out of it. Spike joined us for supper and we sat glumly, our weekend totally spoilt because there was no Marshal Neil with us.
Saturday 11th September
Chris forgot the team motto and responded to a call from the race office for a small crash helmet to be loaned to another rider for the weekend.
Graham and Janet arrived and Martin, loaded with tickets, had to take the Hanka to the gate just as Chris was about to start practice (I don’t do bicycles).
The RPS was fine but Chris came in early on the North complaining he was running out of brakes. The fluid reservoir had come loose and covered the side of the bike and inside of the screen with brake fluid.
We had many visitors this meeting – Baldrick, Gerard from the Guzzi Club, Chris’ bro Richard and Chris’ niece Rebecca, Lesley of Nozzer and Mike Pink. Richard and Sandra Peckett came up for the weekend and they gave us a brilliant cooker which I used for every meal.
All Chris’ races went without a hiccup although he said he found the track very slippery in the morning. There was a long gap in the afternoon and the gearing was changed on the RPS. Lots of stoppages due to fallers and oil spillages.
After Chris’ last race of the day the sky got darker by the minute as a storm gathered over and around the circuit. The last two races of the day were postponed until Sunday. Everyone watched amazing lightning in the distance as the awesome cloud formation sat over us. It looked like the end of the world was coming. Then it rained harder and harder until the fire lane turned into a river, (Superb drainage Snetterton! Surrey County Council could learn a thing or two about that from you).
Chris and some colleagues were going out for a meal that evening but the Coke van had a flat battery again. The van was pushed into the garage where Tim had a go at jump starting it but they finally gave up and had to bump start it in reverse out of the garage and towards the gazebo which was two van lengths from the garage.
They got away eventually and I had supper with Richard, Rebecca, Spike and Martin.
On cue Ron arrived as I was starting the washing up. He had a cup of tea and we discussed the day.
The seal on the roof-light of our caravan had decided to stop being waterproof during the downpours so we had to keep mopping up.
Things got lively with Brendan Ryan and Baldrick in the gazebo that night. SO loud! (We apologise to our neighbours about the noise so late.) Brendan knocked over his beaker of sloe gin and I had to hold a full roll of kitchen paper on its side in front of the ensuing flood to stop it covering everything on the table. Then he knocked over Chris’ drink too and decided it was time for bed.
I was pleased to turn in as I had had a busy day and there were eleven of us for breakfast.
Sunday 12th September
We awoke to zero visibility. At 9.30 a call went out for the 125s to go to the holding area! We assumed the officials expected the riders to use ‘the force’ but then another call went out cancelling the first one. The fog was thick for so long the marshals weren’t called to their posts until 11.40. I barbecued bacon like it was going out of fashion while Richard buttered bread. Chris kept it in his trousers and finished a respectable 2nd behind Gary Thwaites in the 1300 National Race of the Year.
In the Race of Aces Chris and Cormac, in disgust, pulled out of the race two thirds of the way through – Chris having been ridden into on purpose twice and novice Ian Courts completely taken out by some brainless maniac. No-one was black-flagged for forcing Ian to crash. Shame on you CRMC. It’s all getting a bit bloody stupid at times.
The F750 Race of the Year was called and the riders gridded up and we waited for the warm-up lap. And we waited and waited and waited. At the garage there was some confusion as to the reason for the hold-up.
Engines were cut and starters called for. The riders were getting cold and we were beginning to lose the daylight. Cormac was in a dark visor! He’s so cool.
The reason for the delay was they’d realised there was a shortage in the ambulance department. They hadn’t returned from the hospital.
When the race started Cormac was ahead of Chris on the grid and got a good start. Chris took a couple of laps to get past Graham Williams before he could hunt for Cormac. Lap by lap Chris reeled him in. Cormac went through a couple of backmarkers and lost a little time and space so Chris was right back in it. On the last corner of the last lap Cormac looked over his shoulder only to see Chris with his head under the bubble maxing out the RPS. Cormac quickly got down and yanked the wire on Brendan’s bike to 11,000 and beat Chris by half a wheel. Great racing. Cormac being crowned the winner of the F750 Race of the Year.
It was getting dark as the last two races were run. Everyone had helped me pack up as much as we could (Thank you all) so we would be able to make an early getaway. We were home in two and a quarter hours. Much better.
Chris was pleased with his achievements at the meeting and for the year.
The RPS held together perfectly for the entire meeting. The North has cracked its barrel unfortunately but Chris has the whole winter to fix that hasn’t he.
Our sincere thanks to everyone who helped and supported Chris throughout the year.
Many of us will be at the CRMC AGM and Dinner Dance on the 6th December. Martin too! He’s just got to dig out his suit and polish his boots first. It will be great to have him with us to celebrate this successful year racing which is majorly down to him. Thank you so much Martin. You are star.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Cadwell Park 2014 - Track Day / BHR Race Day
Friday 26th September
This was Martin’s special day when he was relieved of his duties to Chris – we have photographic evidence of Chris working for Martin. Graham Redrup became Chris’ bitch for the day for which Chris was very grateful.
The boys had a great track day. Ian Stewart arrived with his son and put in a few good sessions before losing it on a petrol covered tyre and doing extraordinary things to his handlebars.
Tony Page, with one less nail to file having lost the end of one of his fingers when going through a car windscreen (as Graham pointed out, Tony can now only count up to 9), was in fine form both on and off the track.
Towards the end of his final session, Martin felt moisture on his right boot and decided to pull over – the nut on his crankshaft had unwound and milled its way through the timing case! He was returned to the paddock in the breakdown van.
By the end of the Friday track session the RPS silencer cracked almost all the way round, a welder 25 miles away said they could do it so the RPS was stripped of its silencer and Graham and Chris sped off in the van, Graham feeling that it was on two wheels for most of the journey, apparently.
It was quite busy at the gazebo for most of the day with people dropping in to discuss bikes etc. Several riders who I didn’t know went on a bit and made my eyes cloud over, with one of them going on for so long I found myself wanting to self-harm. The terms “bore” and “big bore” took on a new meaning.
We all missed Graham Jeffrey who couldn’t make it as he is recovering from a recent accident - Team W.A.N.C.A. wish him a speedy recovery.
Saturday 27th September
Marshall Neil arrived early for a relaxed weekend as a spectator for once. This lasted 20 minutes as a call went out saying they were desperate for Marshalls. We lent him Chris’ overalls and some gloves and for all his goodness he got the most boring corner of the circuit for the day. He was more than a little glum.
In Chris’ first race on the RPS, Gorgeous George set a new lap record of 141.2 for the BHR at Cadwell in his class. Chris came in 3rd. Race 2 on the North, Chris crossed the line in 2nd place with Gorgeous George 17 seconds in front of him. It was scary!
In Race 3 in the 750s, Chris and Cormac were neck and neck on the final lap when Chris had a back marker fall off in front of him and Chris missed a gear. He tried to get him back but Cormac pipped him at the post.
The RPS oil tank sprung another leak so when Neil returned to the paddock that evening, he had barely stepped out of the car when Chris started undressing him! He needed his overalls back to start work on the bike (aka oily pig).
Neil and I went off shopping in Louth and left the boys to it. My bill to Richard Peckett for washing up liquid and sponges is growing and I’ll be invoicing him at the end of the season.
Neil had brought his tent but omitted the poles. Luckily Chris had hired a van for this weekend to transport his and Martin’s Norths so the van became Neil’s bedroom on Saturday night. Martin had suggested Neil leave the van unlocked for safety but the light in the back would not go off unless the van was locked. It also became apparent that the horn would sound if one of the doors was not shut properly. E
Eventually Martin had to lock Neil in and leave the keys in the gazebo. Neil could get out if he needed to but wouldn’t be able to get the lights to go out again unless someone else was about to lock the doors for him. The horn went off twice and caused a fair amount of giggling from the boys whilst they worked out how to lock Neil in satisfactorily.
Sunday 28th September
Even more desperate for Marshalls than on Saturday, a plea went out over the PA for willing bodies and Neil pouted and moaned and got back into Chris’ even more oily overalls. This time he got the corner at Park and was much happier.
Chris got off to a flying start on the North, started 17th on the grid, finished 2nd to Gorgeous George of course.
It was a frantic morning for Martin and Graham as all Chris’ races were back-to-back. Lunchtime was a relief just to have everyone in the same place for an hour.
Chris had booked 11 races over the weekend and was back and forth constantly, swapping bikes. Ridiculous really as he was getting more and more tired and he had been out on the track all day Friday.
At the start of one race, with them starting from the back of the grid, Cormac’s and Chris’ fairings clashed at the first corner after scything their way through most of the field. Miraculously the RPS’ oil tank made it through the final race but was leaking again by the time Chris got back to the paddock.
Then Chris set a new lap record in the Over 50s race knocking 3 seconds off the previous record – Zimmer Class Gav calls it – No, Gav, that’s the CRMC’s Over 55s race which Chris is eligible for next year.
Anyway, what a great weekend it turned out to be – lovely weather and just the four of us was so relaxing and such fun. Quiet when we needed and LOTS of space. Graham said it was really nice and he’d had the best time ever! He agreed with me it’s our favourite type of racing weekend.
A big thank you to Martin and Graham for all their efforts.
Thank you to Tony and Hilary for saving us such a huge space.
I don’t know what’s going to happen about the RPS for Snetterton – the oil tank has been cracking constantly since Chris started using the bike covering the rear wheel in oil, and I am afraid that Chris could be risking a big crash as a consequence.
See you at Snetterton.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
This was Martin’s special day when he was relieved of his duties to Chris – we have photographic evidence of Chris working for Martin. Graham Redrup became Chris’ bitch for the day for which Chris was very grateful.
The boys had a great track day. Ian Stewart arrived with his son and put in a few good sessions before losing it on a petrol covered tyre and doing extraordinary things to his handlebars.
Tony Page, with one less nail to file having lost the end of one of his fingers when going through a car windscreen (as Graham pointed out, Tony can now only count up to 9), was in fine form both on and off the track.
Towards the end of his final session, Martin felt moisture on his right boot and decided to pull over – the nut on his crankshaft had unwound and milled its way through the timing case! He was returned to the paddock in the breakdown van.
By the end of the Friday track session the RPS silencer cracked almost all the way round, a welder 25 miles away said they could do it so the RPS was stripped of its silencer and Graham and Chris sped off in the van, Graham feeling that it was on two wheels for most of the journey, apparently.
It was quite busy at the gazebo for most of the day with people dropping in to discuss bikes etc. Several riders who I didn’t know went on a bit and made my eyes cloud over, with one of them going on for so long I found myself wanting to self-harm. The terms “bore” and “big bore” took on a new meaning.
We all missed Graham Jeffrey who couldn’t make it as he is recovering from a recent accident - Team W.A.N.C.A. wish him a speedy recovery.
Saturday 27th September
Marshall Neil arrived early for a relaxed weekend as a spectator for once. This lasted 20 minutes as a call went out saying they were desperate for Marshalls. We lent him Chris’ overalls and some gloves and for all his goodness he got the most boring corner of the circuit for the day. He was more than a little glum.
In Chris’ first race on the RPS, Gorgeous George set a new lap record of 141.2 for the BHR at Cadwell in his class. Chris came in 3rd. Race 2 on the North, Chris crossed the line in 2nd place with Gorgeous George 17 seconds in front of him. It was scary!
In Race 3 in the 750s, Chris and Cormac were neck and neck on the final lap when Chris had a back marker fall off in front of him and Chris missed a gear. He tried to get him back but Cormac pipped him at the post.
The RPS oil tank sprung another leak so when Neil returned to the paddock that evening, he had barely stepped out of the car when Chris started undressing him! He needed his overalls back to start work on the bike (aka oily pig).
Neil and I went off shopping in Louth and left the boys to it. My bill to Richard Peckett for washing up liquid and sponges is growing and I’ll be invoicing him at the end of the season.
Neil had brought his tent but omitted the poles. Luckily Chris had hired a van for this weekend to transport his and Martin’s Norths so the van became Neil’s bedroom on Saturday night. Martin had suggested Neil leave the van unlocked for safety but the light in the back would not go off unless the van was locked. It also became apparent that the horn would sound if one of the doors was not shut properly. E
Eventually Martin had to lock Neil in and leave the keys in the gazebo. Neil could get out if he needed to but wouldn’t be able to get the lights to go out again unless someone else was about to lock the doors for him. The horn went off twice and caused a fair amount of giggling from the boys whilst they worked out how to lock Neil in satisfactorily.
Sunday 28th September
Even more desperate for Marshalls than on Saturday, a plea went out over the PA for willing bodies and Neil pouted and moaned and got back into Chris’ even more oily overalls. This time he got the corner at Park and was much happier.
Chris got off to a flying start on the North, started 17th on the grid, finished 2nd to Gorgeous George of course.
It was a frantic morning for Martin and Graham as all Chris’ races were back-to-back. Lunchtime was a relief just to have everyone in the same place for an hour.
Chris had booked 11 races over the weekend and was back and forth constantly, swapping bikes. Ridiculous really as he was getting more and more tired and he had been out on the track all day Friday.
At the start of one race, with them starting from the back of the grid, Cormac’s and Chris’ fairings clashed at the first corner after scything their way through most of the field. Miraculously the RPS’ oil tank made it through the final race but was leaking again by the time Chris got back to the paddock.
Then Chris set a new lap record in the Over 50s race knocking 3 seconds off the previous record – Zimmer Class Gav calls it – No, Gav, that’s the CRMC’s Over 55s race which Chris is eligible for next year.
Anyway, what a great weekend it turned out to be – lovely weather and just the four of us was so relaxing and such fun. Quiet when we needed and LOTS of space. Graham said it was really nice and he’d had the best time ever! He agreed with me it’s our favourite type of racing weekend.
A big thank you to Martin and Graham for all their efforts.
Thank you to Tony and Hilary for saving us such a huge space.
I don’t know what’s going to happen about the RPS for Snetterton – the oil tank has been cracking constantly since Chris started using the bike covering the rear wheel in oil, and I am afraid that Chris could be risking a big crash as a consequence.
See you at Snetterton.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Cadwell Park 2014 (CRMC)
Friday 5th September
When you are packing like crazy and trying not to forget anything you don’t want someone coming round and engaging Chris in conversation. Chris was by the van and I watched a man in a suit walk up to him. I thought ‘I’ll give them a minute’.
I saw the man get out two small magazines. I was deciding whether or not to suggest that this was hardly the time when the man looked through the caravan window at the RPS. One of my worst nightmares was happening – a Jehovah's Witness who is also a racing enthusiast.
We were never going to be able to leave. I had to act fast and subtly. I grabbed the cold box from the kitchen and strode purposely towards the van. The JW turned and smiled and I gave him daggers.
Chris quickly said he must get on and they shook hands and the JW left – AND he’d raced velocettes in the BHR in the past and still does track days! A narrow escape! I picked up the ‘Awake’ and ‘Watch Tower’ - we add them to the magazines we give to Dave Whitfield as he doesn’t have a telly.
Cadwell was very full when we arrived after lunch. Amazingly we found a large space where we usually camp. Team Major arrived to help with the gazebo – they’re so good to us. Kevin put aside thoughts of the pain in his bad shoulder when he and Alan did a circus performance in the roof several times before the fabric was in position.
The North refused to start with its carb covers on and at 6.30pm supper was frozen solid. Rod gave us some helpful tips and, for the steaks, some zip bags with no holes in them so Chris could take them to the toilets and immerse them in cold water in the basin.
Meanwhile, Marshall Neil had a bike mechanic lesson with Martin and I peeled the carrots.
We ate eventually and had a very relaxed evening, and I only had four plates to wash up! Lovely weather all day. Warm and still.
Saturday 6th September
Sound testing then breakfast. Chris’ first race, Classic 1300, was red-flagged in the early stages. Mark George had crashed coming out of Barn, knocked himself out and broke his collar bone.
Martin came running up the hill to the gazebo to grab the fuel jug as Chris was worried he wouldn’t have enough petrol for another sighting lap and the restart. He came in 3rd on the road, 2nd in class. Gorgeous George 1st and Oversby 2nd.
Formula 750, Chris got 4th on the road and 3rd in class behind Gorgeous and Williams.
In the second Classic 1300 of the day it was most important for Chris not to fall off if he wanted to make the most of Gorgeous Georges’ absence which was due to bike trouble. Chris came 2nd on the road and 2nd in class.
The last Formula 750 was really hard work for Chris. He’d ridden his arse off all day and was rewarded with a 3rd in class with Gorgeous 1st and Oversby 2nd.
I was more organised on the supper front that evening and we ate after prize-giving. Chris won two silver medals and I was pleased to see they are now on ribbons and not in a silly box.
I had been tired all day and went to bed early. Although the sky had been very grey all day it stayed dry until around 8pm. Then we had massive rain till 4ish Sunday morning.
Sunday 7th September
A bit of a rush after the first call to the holding area. The North had its brake lever off and Chris was climbing into his leathers and it was Gav to the rescue. The sun came out and Chris went off with a black visor. The heat on the water-logged ground made the mist rise quickly and Chris’ visor fogged up during qualifying for the Colin Breeze Trophy. He used the force and, having done most of the session half blind, got 12th on the grid.
A short break was called while the mist cleared from round the track.
In the UK Classic Chris, against ferocious opposition, and with the back brake lever falling off, crossed the line 6th.
Classic 1300s finished 2nd, 2nd in class and Formula 750s 4th in class. I don’t know what position he finished in as I didn’t watch, Chris couldn’t remember and there was no time sheet for it as the office printer had broken by then.
I had been furiously packing since lunch and we managed a pretty early getaway for us. Great to have dry gazebo to take home.
A very successful weekend for Chris. He had some great tussles with Tony Rainford and Brendan Ryan’s new rider, Dave Butler.
The Colin Breeze Trophy is awarded to the highest placed unsupported rider in the race. There is prize money for the first five unsupported riders across the line. Chris came in 3rd and for some reason we don’t understand won £85 (which came in the post today) when it said in the programme it would be £125. Well done anyway Chris.
Chris wants to thank - Molly for all the times she started Chris’ bikes in the holding area so our starter could be kept in the paddock.
... Martin for running about all weekend and transporting the North,
... Gav for keeping an eye on Chris and diving over to help,
... Me for everything,
and Lesley of Nozzer for spending Saturday with us - Always good to catch up with her.
We will be at Cadwell again for a track day on 28th September followed by Saturday and Sunday with the British Historic club.
See you then
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
When you are packing like crazy and trying not to forget anything you don’t want someone coming round and engaging Chris in conversation. Chris was by the van and I watched a man in a suit walk up to him. I thought ‘I’ll give them a minute’.
I saw the man get out two small magazines. I was deciding whether or not to suggest that this was hardly the time when the man looked through the caravan window at the RPS. One of my worst nightmares was happening – a Jehovah's Witness who is also a racing enthusiast.
We were never going to be able to leave. I had to act fast and subtly. I grabbed the cold box from the kitchen and strode purposely towards the van. The JW turned and smiled and I gave him daggers.
Chris quickly said he must get on and they shook hands and the JW left – AND he’d raced velocettes in the BHR in the past and still does track days! A narrow escape! I picked up the ‘Awake’ and ‘Watch Tower’ - we add them to the magazines we give to Dave Whitfield as he doesn’t have a telly.
Cadwell was very full when we arrived after lunch. Amazingly we found a large space where we usually camp. Team Major arrived to help with the gazebo – they’re so good to us. Kevin put aside thoughts of the pain in his bad shoulder when he and Alan did a circus performance in the roof several times before the fabric was in position.
The North refused to start with its carb covers on and at 6.30pm supper was frozen solid. Rod gave us some helpful tips and, for the steaks, some zip bags with no holes in them so Chris could take them to the toilets and immerse them in cold water in the basin.
Meanwhile, Marshall Neil had a bike mechanic lesson with Martin and I peeled the carrots.
We ate eventually and had a very relaxed evening, and I only had four plates to wash up! Lovely weather all day. Warm and still.
Saturday 6th September
Sound testing then breakfast. Chris’ first race, Classic 1300, was red-flagged in the early stages. Mark George had crashed coming out of Barn, knocked himself out and broke his collar bone.
Martin came running up the hill to the gazebo to grab the fuel jug as Chris was worried he wouldn’t have enough petrol for another sighting lap and the restart. He came in 3rd on the road, 2nd in class. Gorgeous George 1st and Oversby 2nd.
Formula 750, Chris got 4th on the road and 3rd in class behind Gorgeous and Williams.
In the second Classic 1300 of the day it was most important for Chris not to fall off if he wanted to make the most of Gorgeous Georges’ absence which was due to bike trouble. Chris came 2nd on the road and 2nd in class.
The last Formula 750 was really hard work for Chris. He’d ridden his arse off all day and was rewarded with a 3rd in class with Gorgeous 1st and Oversby 2nd.
I was more organised on the supper front that evening and we ate after prize-giving. Chris won two silver medals and I was pleased to see they are now on ribbons and not in a silly box.
I had been tired all day and went to bed early. Although the sky had been very grey all day it stayed dry until around 8pm. Then we had massive rain till 4ish Sunday morning.
Sunday 7th September
A bit of a rush after the first call to the holding area. The North had its brake lever off and Chris was climbing into his leathers and it was Gav to the rescue. The sun came out and Chris went off with a black visor. The heat on the water-logged ground made the mist rise quickly and Chris’ visor fogged up during qualifying for the Colin Breeze Trophy. He used the force and, having done most of the session half blind, got 12th on the grid.
A short break was called while the mist cleared from round the track.
In the UK Classic Chris, against ferocious opposition, and with the back brake lever falling off, crossed the line 6th.
Classic 1300s finished 2nd, 2nd in class and Formula 750s 4th in class. I don’t know what position he finished in as I didn’t watch, Chris couldn’t remember and there was no time sheet for it as the office printer had broken by then.
I had been furiously packing since lunch and we managed a pretty early getaway for us. Great to have dry gazebo to take home.
A very successful weekend for Chris. He had some great tussles with Tony Rainford and Brendan Ryan’s new rider, Dave Butler.
The Colin Breeze Trophy is awarded to the highest placed unsupported rider in the race. There is prize money for the first five unsupported riders across the line. Chris came in 3rd and for some reason we don’t understand won £85 (which came in the post today) when it said in the programme it would be £125. Well done anyway Chris.
Chris wants to thank - Molly for all the times she started Chris’ bikes in the holding area so our starter could be kept in the paddock.
... Martin for running about all weekend and transporting the North,
... Gav for keeping an eye on Chris and diving over to help,
... Me for everything,
and Lesley of Nozzer for spending Saturday with us - Always good to catch up with her.
We will be at Cadwell again for a track day on 28th September followed by Saturday and Sunday with the British Historic club.
See you then
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Donington 2014
Thursday 7th / Friday 8th August 2014
I don’t like Donington Park. We have to use the M1 to get there. It’s very noisy as the circuit is at the end of the East Midlands airport runway and we’ve always had to queue for hours to get in, and this year was no exception.
In the CRMC notes we were informed that Paddock 2 could be accessed at 2.30pm and Paddock 1 at 5.30pm. How thrilled were we, when we arrived at 3.40pm, to be told that the earliest we would be able to enter Paddock 1 would be 8pm as an evening session had been booked since CRMC had booked (some geezer named Richard Branson was the reason for all the delay so we all hate him).
So we sat in a field, dehydrating slowly as we didn’t want to drink too much as there were no toilets and I couldn’t get past our caravan’s bathroom door as there was a sodding bike in the way. It was a pretty poor show.
At around 5.30pm the traffic started to move towards the entrance gate. Before long the whole area was grid-locked and no-one could enter or leave the circuit. At 6pm we were told through the grapevine that all vehicles for Paddock 1 could go in! We were delighted but because Donington is run by a load of pillocks we couldn’t get past the gridlock either. So we sat and we sat and we sat, when we could have been in and setting up and I wouldn’t have had to wonder whether or not I would wet my pants before we got through the gate. All that lack of organisation. It’s such a waste of life.
Eventually we got in a little earlier than we’d expected but the long wait and being told that the wine seller had gone out of business was too much for Martin to bear and he had to ‘borrow’ a bottle of Oxford Landing from Molly and drink himself into a stupor.
The cargo planes were very low and loud that evening and Marshal Neil, retired actor, went into ‘voice projection’mode but was quickly defeated by the thunderous noise. It was a lovely warm and still evening. We ate and Gav handed out the chainsaw earplugs and some of us slept.
Chris had booked two track sessions in the morning so he had to get up to sign on at 7.30am and attend the riders’briefing at 8.30am. Chris had taken the wheels off the RPS to have its new tyres fitted and the North refused to start so he postponed his sessions until later. After taking the plugs out of the North and heating them up on the stove to give them a good clean, all was well. Chris had originally lit the stove in the garage and got a healthy two foot high flare going when Martin pointed out the sign – No naked flames in the pit garage - so they retreated to the gazebo with it.
Mid morning I set off with Jim and Matt Pipe to buy a microwave and loads of wine for Martin.
The race program started after lunch but it was constantly having to be amended as there were more and more fallers and a lot of oil spillages. Chris’ first, and only race that day was a Formula 750. There had been some torrential rain and both George and Cormac came off at Redgate in separate incidences. George going into it and Cormac going out of it.
Cormac returned looking almost totally organic he was so covered in mud. George made it to the Formula 750 race but poor Cormac, although uninjured, was holed up in the medical centre waiting to be released so he missed the race. Result - 1st Gorgeous George, 2nd Gary Thwaites aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand (big gap)
3rd Chris Chapman.
Molly started the clean up of Cormac’s leathers and his bike. Derek and Deb Gallon got to work on the tyres with a brush and a scraper and Derek’s trousers weren’t quite as clean as when he’d arrived only an hour before. Mike Edwards and Sean Emmett were out on the track during the day as this was a ‘Special’ meeting. Steve Parrish was around somewhere. The person on the paddock PA system was getting more and more exasperated as the day went on as he was told to tell us about more and more restrictions.
Martin returned to his tent to find a notice stuck on it which said he was camping illegally! (He and others have camped there every year.) The rain came down and the Wheatcroft Trophy Qualifying was cancelled until the next day.
Martin and Chris went to visit our French neighbours from Anglesey to take them some sloe gin and see if they had any wine for sale. There was a mock wedding going on with the couple dressed up. They insisted Martin and Chris had some food and try some of their drinks, one of which was a pear schnapps which was home-made. God knows what proof it was but they both tottered back to the gazebo slightly the worse for wear with no wine.
After supper Martin moved his tent into the garage and we gave him all the blankets we had so he could put them under his roll mat as he found the concrete rather hard to sleep on. He’s a delicate little flower.
I started the washing up and, on cue, Marshal Ron arrived and kept me company over a cup of tea. Lots of rain that night and planes taking off into the early hours.
Saturday 9th August
First up was the Wheatcroft Trophy Qualifying. Chris qualified 16th out of 63 riders.
In the 1300s Chris came 2nd in class to Gary Thwaites’ 1st in class and Sean Emmett won the race.
Saturday’s 1st Formula 750 Chris finished 5th on the road, 5th in class. Chris came back to the paddock and the RPS clutch would not release. One of the steel plates had split so he only just made it through the race.
In the 1300s Chris came 6th but 2nd in class and in the final 750 of the day, Chris repeated his result of 5th on the road, 5th in class.
When Chris came back to the garage Martin noticed there was only ONE allen bolt holding the sprocket on. All the others had broken their heads off! So two close shaves in the 750s.
A Lancaster flew over at lunch time and did several passes over the circuit which was lovely to see.
We had a frantic supper as there were so many of us and it seemed to take an age to clear up. I can always rely on Ron to stay until I’ve finished even if he’s knackered. We haven’t seen much of him this year so it’s good to make the most of him.
Sunday 10th August
It rained all night and all morning and the water on the track was flowing like a river. There was a lake in the pit lane and a mud slick at the hairpin. Jim said it was going to dry up around noon but the wind would get boisterous. I started emptying the gazebo and I was standing in there with Janet when a big gust blew the gazebo across the tarmac, pushing the folding table up in the middle.
Graham came running over and shouted ‘I’ve got it!’ as he grabbed hold of the frame and held on. We expected him to turn green and his shirt sleeves to rip open at any moment.
Chris and the others arrived and got the sides off and everything was bundled into the garage.
More heavy rain and a change in the program was announced. Neil arrived like a drowned rat and said there was next to no shelter for the marshals at their posts out there. Be ashamed Donington. It wouldn’t cost much to build a few bus stops for them.
A while after the rain had stopped a parade was sent out to test the track. The Wheatcroft Trophy was held next. Although the field was seriously depleted as so many riders had gone home, all the fast boys were out there. Chris came in 9th after three huge slides during the race. The race was won by a Phil Atkinson but we don’t know who he is.
Chris last race was the 1300 National and he came 3rd with George 2nd and Thwaites 1st.
So this was the second Donington Classic Motorcycle Festival and I hope to god it’s the last. Nasty irritatingly noisy bikes being revved incessantly. You couldn’t hear the announcements or the commentator. And where did Donington put them to be displayed and fired up? Right outside the toilet block so no-one could get in and out. The best thing for them is a gallon of petrol and a match.
See you at Cadwell.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
I don’t like Donington Park. We have to use the M1 to get there. It’s very noisy as the circuit is at the end of the East Midlands airport runway and we’ve always had to queue for hours to get in, and this year was no exception.
In the CRMC notes we were informed that Paddock 2 could be accessed at 2.30pm and Paddock 1 at 5.30pm. How thrilled were we, when we arrived at 3.40pm, to be told that the earliest we would be able to enter Paddock 1 would be 8pm as an evening session had been booked since CRMC had booked (some geezer named Richard Branson was the reason for all the delay so we all hate him).
So we sat in a field, dehydrating slowly as we didn’t want to drink too much as there were no toilets and I couldn’t get past our caravan’s bathroom door as there was a sodding bike in the way. It was a pretty poor show.
At around 5.30pm the traffic started to move towards the entrance gate. Before long the whole area was grid-locked and no-one could enter or leave the circuit. At 6pm we were told through the grapevine that all vehicles for Paddock 1 could go in! We were delighted but because Donington is run by a load of pillocks we couldn’t get past the gridlock either. So we sat and we sat and we sat, when we could have been in and setting up and I wouldn’t have had to wonder whether or not I would wet my pants before we got through the gate. All that lack of organisation. It’s such a waste of life.
Eventually we got in a little earlier than we’d expected but the long wait and being told that the wine seller had gone out of business was too much for Martin to bear and he had to ‘borrow’ a bottle of Oxford Landing from Molly and drink himself into a stupor.
The cargo planes were very low and loud that evening and Marshal Neil, retired actor, went into ‘voice projection’mode but was quickly defeated by the thunderous noise. It was a lovely warm and still evening. We ate and Gav handed out the chainsaw earplugs and some of us slept.
Chris had booked two track sessions in the morning so he had to get up to sign on at 7.30am and attend the riders’briefing at 8.30am. Chris had taken the wheels off the RPS to have its new tyres fitted and the North refused to start so he postponed his sessions until later. After taking the plugs out of the North and heating them up on the stove to give them a good clean, all was well. Chris had originally lit the stove in the garage and got a healthy two foot high flare going when Martin pointed out the sign – No naked flames in the pit garage - so they retreated to the gazebo with it.
Mid morning I set off with Jim and Matt Pipe to buy a microwave and loads of wine for Martin.
The race program started after lunch but it was constantly having to be amended as there were more and more fallers and a lot of oil spillages. Chris’ first, and only race that day was a Formula 750. There had been some torrential rain and both George and Cormac came off at Redgate in separate incidences. George going into it and Cormac going out of it.
Cormac returned looking almost totally organic he was so covered in mud. George made it to the Formula 750 race but poor Cormac, although uninjured, was holed up in the medical centre waiting to be released so he missed the race. Result - 1st Gorgeous George, 2nd Gary Thwaites aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand (big gap)
3rd Chris Chapman.
Molly started the clean up of Cormac’s leathers and his bike. Derek and Deb Gallon got to work on the tyres with a brush and a scraper and Derek’s trousers weren’t quite as clean as when he’d arrived only an hour before. Mike Edwards and Sean Emmett were out on the track during the day as this was a ‘Special’ meeting. Steve Parrish was around somewhere. The person on the paddock PA system was getting more and more exasperated as the day went on as he was told to tell us about more and more restrictions.
Martin returned to his tent to find a notice stuck on it which said he was camping illegally! (He and others have camped there every year.) The rain came down and the Wheatcroft Trophy Qualifying was cancelled until the next day.
Martin and Chris went to visit our French neighbours from Anglesey to take them some sloe gin and see if they had any wine for sale. There was a mock wedding going on with the couple dressed up. They insisted Martin and Chris had some food and try some of their drinks, one of which was a pear schnapps which was home-made. God knows what proof it was but they both tottered back to the gazebo slightly the worse for wear with no wine.
After supper Martin moved his tent into the garage and we gave him all the blankets we had so he could put them under his roll mat as he found the concrete rather hard to sleep on. He’s a delicate little flower.
I started the washing up and, on cue, Marshal Ron arrived and kept me company over a cup of tea. Lots of rain that night and planes taking off into the early hours.
Saturday 9th August
First up was the Wheatcroft Trophy Qualifying. Chris qualified 16th out of 63 riders.
In the 1300s Chris came 2nd in class to Gary Thwaites’ 1st in class and Sean Emmett won the race.
Saturday’s 1st Formula 750 Chris finished 5th on the road, 5th in class. Chris came back to the paddock and the RPS clutch would not release. One of the steel plates had split so he only just made it through the race.
In the 1300s Chris came 6th but 2nd in class and in the final 750 of the day, Chris repeated his result of 5th on the road, 5th in class.
When Chris came back to the garage Martin noticed there was only ONE allen bolt holding the sprocket on. All the others had broken their heads off! So two close shaves in the 750s.
A Lancaster flew over at lunch time and did several passes over the circuit which was lovely to see.
We had a frantic supper as there were so many of us and it seemed to take an age to clear up. I can always rely on Ron to stay until I’ve finished even if he’s knackered. We haven’t seen much of him this year so it’s good to make the most of him.
Sunday 10th August
It rained all night and all morning and the water on the track was flowing like a river. There was a lake in the pit lane and a mud slick at the hairpin. Jim said it was going to dry up around noon but the wind would get boisterous. I started emptying the gazebo and I was standing in there with Janet when a big gust blew the gazebo across the tarmac, pushing the folding table up in the middle.
Graham came running over and shouted ‘I’ve got it!’ as he grabbed hold of the frame and held on. We expected him to turn green and his shirt sleeves to rip open at any moment.
Chris and the others arrived and got the sides off and everything was bundled into the garage.
More heavy rain and a change in the program was announced. Neil arrived like a drowned rat and said there was next to no shelter for the marshals at their posts out there. Be ashamed Donington. It wouldn’t cost much to build a few bus stops for them.
A while after the rain had stopped a parade was sent out to test the track. The Wheatcroft Trophy was held next. Although the field was seriously depleted as so many riders had gone home, all the fast boys were out there. Chris came in 9th after three huge slides during the race. The race was won by a Phil Atkinson but we don’t know who he is.
Chris last race was the 1300 National and he came 3rd with George 2nd and Thwaites 1st.
So this was the second Donington Classic Motorcycle Festival and I hope to god it’s the last. Nasty irritatingly noisy bikes being revved incessantly. You couldn’t hear the announcements or the commentator. And where did Donington put them to be displayed and fired up? Right outside the toilet block so no-one could get in and out. The best thing for them is a gallon of petrol and a match.
See you at Cadwell.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Brands Hatch 2014
The run up to the weekend
It was all about the RPS since Lydden. P&M, being busy, could not look at it straight away. Dave got Chris to bring the bike over on Sunday 30th and they were very frustrated by the end of the day.
Chris left it there and returned to P&M immediately after work on Wednesday to collect the bike. Having been up at 6am he was quite tired when he got home late evening and was going to put the new fairing on the RPS and the decals on both bikes when he realised he had left the bag full of ratchet straps in P&M’s yard and had to go back and fetch them as Dave had gone home. It was so late by the time he got back he just put the RPS in the garage and had to go to bed.
Thursday after work Chris settled into the garage to put the finishing touches to the bikes. As the RPS had been down-jetted to see if it would overcome the running problem and P&M didn’t have time to do it, Chris put back the original main jets, got one stuck sideways and had to take the carbs off to get the float chamber off to get at it. So he didn’t start putting the fairing and decals on the bikes until after midnight. I finished emptying the van into my garage and it was after 2am when we eventually crawled into bed with everything done.
Friday I had to go to work for a couple of hours, so I left Chris to load the racing stuff. Martin arrived early and we left for Brands at 2pm.
We had to wait till 5.30pm to be let across the track but Martin managed to zoom down the tunnel and throw his pick-up into the last space by the fence, right opposite our garage. He suggested the gazebo opened towards the track and it was so private. Everyone loved it.
Tim had done the track day up to the point when one of his bikes shat itself from McLaren’s to Clark’s. Very expensive!
Marshal Neil arrived after a long journey from Sheffield. His drivers door window had stuck down and we were expecting a lot of rain. I continued to empty the van and
set up while Chris and Martin stripped down the door inner and all the electrical connections and got the window working. We had a late supper and it rained heavily from 10pm to 9am the next morning.
Saturday 5th July
Graham and Janet arrived with deodorant and Danish pastries. We were grateful for both.
The sun came out and the track dried.
Chris had a new tyre to scrub in on the North but only did a couple of laps as it was running on two. The screw on one of the spark plug tops was loose so the problem was cured quickly but Chris had only the warm up lap in his first race to finish scrubbing in.
Alan Major won his first race with an enormous gap between himself and the next rider – Graham was going to ask Alan if he’d mind slowing down a bit for one lap at Surtees so he could get a photo with him in it. So far he was only getting a shot of the tarmac. We can see Marshal Neil’s post from our pitch – Great wrist action there Neil!
Jim and family drifted in during the day and Graham’s friend Clive joined us.
Chris came in 3rd in the North’s first race. Thwaites 1st. Gorgeous George 2nd. Our hearts were in our mouths all weekend watching Thwaites and GG. It was spectacular but scary stuff for us mere mortals. The North came in needing a good wash and needing a little oil to be emptied from the oil tank (sigh) - Martin got to work and kindly cleansed my washing up bowl for me with brake cleaner. There was a small oil leak from a head bolt which appeared to be loose but on closer inspection transpired to be a stripped pillar bolt in the barrel – so that’s head off and a strip down before Donington.
Formula 750s and the RPS is not going well at all. Very frustrating for Chris. He managed a 5th in class which was well done under the circumstances but he would have liked a shot at a 4th. Rob Wittey blew up his engine, drove to Brighton, unbolted the lower spec engine from the bike they were building and brought it back and bolted in for Sunday’s racing.
In the second of the 1300 multis the North was flying. Gary Thwaites threw his chain on the start line. Chris stayed on the bike and came in 2nd, 2nd in class. Gary poked his head into our garage after and Chris said ‘I’m so sorry about your chain.’ and Gary said ‘Please. Say it with a bit more feeling.’
Lunchtime and our good friends Buzz, Sonia and Morgan Davy arrived – Sonia fresh from a knee op. We parked her and her crutches next to Spike and his crutches then Rod came to say Hello and watch for a bit but left as we were looking like the disabled’s viewing platform. We were keen to see how much Morgan would like the close up bike action as opposed to his preference to cars - If he’s not track-side he’ll be on the track at McLarens in some ridiculously fast thing.
After the first Formula 750 Martin and Chris decided to change the carbs on the RPS. It was even worse! Chris was lapped for the first time ever! but was determined to bring it home to get any points he could and finished 5th in class.
It was going to be a long night working on the RPS so we had an early supper, which was a miracle in itself, and Martin and Chris set to work. Tim came by and suggested they look at the HT leads to the coils. He had had the same problem a while ago which nearly drove him nuts and eventually they found it was the leads. Sure enough he was right. They discovered that the clips to the PVL coils weren’t compatible with the carbon leads which were found to be corroded and burnt – one was blue! They shortened them and put on new clips. (The North has them too so that will have to be done some time)
The Tapsell brothers had borrowed Chris’ Pazon (which they blew the coil on and had to buy another from Richard) and required a load of clips for the PVL coils. Dave had
given Chris enough clips for the Tapsells and have some spare which was a lifesaver as they’d have been buggered without them. Marshal Ron, the first we’d seen of him this year, sat with me while I washed up and cleaned the barbeque, which seemed to take me for ever. We talked for ages and the boys worked late.
We only saw Martin when he popped down for tea. Chris managed to blag a practice for the morning and went to bed much happier.
Sunday 6th July
By 8.30am we had the pleasure of the company of a rather soggy Group Captain Steve Horne and his daughter Amelia. It had rained for a while!
Chris’ brother Richard sensibly left the bike at home and arrived with his daughter, Becky, in the car.
Dave Cruickshank arrived and got his feet out of a carrier bag and passed them round and later, the wonderful Pete Getgood arrived and spent a lot of time laying on the caravan roof.
The RPS ran great in practice. Having started 9th on the grid Alan Major came past us at Surtees in the lead. The rain had stopped but the track was still quite wet. We were glad it would be dry for Chris’ race.
1300 Multi's and Twaites led for most of the race with the sort of lead where you’d think he’d be safe but Gorgeous George eventually caught him and got past to win with Thwaites 2nd, Rob Wittey rewarding himself with 3rd and Chris 4th, 4th in class.
Chris did the King of Brands trophy race on the RPS as the North had become incontinent again and needed to survive to do the final 1300 multis of the meeting. It was a shame as the North was a second per lap quicker than the RPS. He finished 8th. The winner, Michael Cooper, was great to watch. No one could catch him ........... (was he wearing his underpants over his trousers? – Cuperman!)
Formula 750. A split second only separated Georgeous and Thwaites as they crossed the line. Thwaites having to settle for 2nd followed by Wittey and Chris coming in 4th, 4th in class. Thwaites’ drive belt went in the 1300 multis allowing Chris to get a 3rd on the road and in class with Wittey 2nd and Gorgeous 1st.
Chris nursed the North through the final race getting a 4th in class. 1st Thwaites, Georgeous George, Carl Adams, Wittey, Chris. So the North made it to the end then sighed with relief and weed in Martin’s pick-up after it was loaded. Petrol this time. That’s yet to be investigated.
Dave Lord came down on his RPS road bike, one of only two built. You’ll see nice shots eventually in the gallery of the racing and the road going RPSs taken by Graham.
Steve and Amelia, while pondering over being a father and daughter side car team, shelved their idea after a horrendous sidecar crash happened in front of them at Paddock Hill.
Many thanks to all our visitors for making the weekend particularly enjoyable.
To Lesley for her lunchtime drying up skills.
Mike Pink, Graham Redrup, Dave Cruickshank and Martin for their help striking camp.
The lovely Spike for being willing to eat the leftovers.
And Janet for keeping the secret of the Saturday cake swindle from Graham.
And it was great to see and have the support of Richard and Sandra Peckett this weekend.
We are heading to Cadwell Park for Beezumph Thursday evening and we’re hoping to arrive before the witching hour.
We are looking forward to catching up with Derek Gallon and hopefully more of the family. We haven’t seen them since last September and Derek will be there with his camera. Whether there be sunshine, rain, pestilence, disease. You can be sure he’ll get your picture.
Richard is happy for Chris to ride the RPS at Beezumph while the North is in bits. The RPS is looking rather smart with its new fairing, pin-striping etc. Chris took a lot of care doing the job and it looks great.
Then on to Donington 8th, 9th, 10th August.
See you there.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
It was all about the RPS since Lydden. P&M, being busy, could not look at it straight away. Dave got Chris to bring the bike over on Sunday 30th and they were very frustrated by the end of the day.
Chris left it there and returned to P&M immediately after work on Wednesday to collect the bike. Having been up at 6am he was quite tired when he got home late evening and was going to put the new fairing on the RPS and the decals on both bikes when he realised he had left the bag full of ratchet straps in P&M’s yard and had to go back and fetch them as Dave had gone home. It was so late by the time he got back he just put the RPS in the garage and had to go to bed.
Thursday after work Chris settled into the garage to put the finishing touches to the bikes. As the RPS had been down-jetted to see if it would overcome the running problem and P&M didn’t have time to do it, Chris put back the original main jets, got one stuck sideways and had to take the carbs off to get the float chamber off to get at it. So he didn’t start putting the fairing and decals on the bikes until after midnight. I finished emptying the van into my garage and it was after 2am when we eventually crawled into bed with everything done.
Friday I had to go to work for a couple of hours, so I left Chris to load the racing stuff. Martin arrived early and we left for Brands at 2pm.
We had to wait till 5.30pm to be let across the track but Martin managed to zoom down the tunnel and throw his pick-up into the last space by the fence, right opposite our garage. He suggested the gazebo opened towards the track and it was so private. Everyone loved it.
Tim had done the track day up to the point when one of his bikes shat itself from McLaren’s to Clark’s. Very expensive!
Marshal Neil arrived after a long journey from Sheffield. His drivers door window had stuck down and we were expecting a lot of rain. I continued to empty the van and
set up while Chris and Martin stripped down the door inner and all the electrical connections and got the window working. We had a late supper and it rained heavily from 10pm to 9am the next morning.
Saturday 5th July
Graham and Janet arrived with deodorant and Danish pastries. We were grateful for both.
The sun came out and the track dried.
Chris had a new tyre to scrub in on the North but only did a couple of laps as it was running on two. The screw on one of the spark plug tops was loose so the problem was cured quickly but Chris had only the warm up lap in his first race to finish scrubbing in.
Alan Major won his first race with an enormous gap between himself and the next rider – Graham was going to ask Alan if he’d mind slowing down a bit for one lap at Surtees so he could get a photo with him in it. So far he was only getting a shot of the tarmac. We can see Marshal Neil’s post from our pitch – Great wrist action there Neil!
Jim and family drifted in during the day and Graham’s friend Clive joined us.
Chris came in 3rd in the North’s first race. Thwaites 1st. Gorgeous George 2nd. Our hearts were in our mouths all weekend watching Thwaites and GG. It was spectacular but scary stuff for us mere mortals. The North came in needing a good wash and needing a little oil to be emptied from the oil tank (sigh) - Martin got to work and kindly cleansed my washing up bowl for me with brake cleaner. There was a small oil leak from a head bolt which appeared to be loose but on closer inspection transpired to be a stripped pillar bolt in the barrel – so that’s head off and a strip down before Donington.
Formula 750s and the RPS is not going well at all. Very frustrating for Chris. He managed a 5th in class which was well done under the circumstances but he would have liked a shot at a 4th. Rob Wittey blew up his engine, drove to Brighton, unbolted the lower spec engine from the bike they were building and brought it back and bolted in for Sunday’s racing.
In the second of the 1300 multis the North was flying. Gary Thwaites threw his chain on the start line. Chris stayed on the bike and came in 2nd, 2nd in class. Gary poked his head into our garage after and Chris said ‘I’m so sorry about your chain.’ and Gary said ‘Please. Say it with a bit more feeling.’
Lunchtime and our good friends Buzz, Sonia and Morgan Davy arrived – Sonia fresh from a knee op. We parked her and her crutches next to Spike and his crutches then Rod came to say Hello and watch for a bit but left as we were looking like the disabled’s viewing platform. We were keen to see how much Morgan would like the close up bike action as opposed to his preference to cars - If he’s not track-side he’ll be on the track at McLarens in some ridiculously fast thing.
After the first Formula 750 Martin and Chris decided to change the carbs on the RPS. It was even worse! Chris was lapped for the first time ever! but was determined to bring it home to get any points he could and finished 5th in class.
It was going to be a long night working on the RPS so we had an early supper, which was a miracle in itself, and Martin and Chris set to work. Tim came by and suggested they look at the HT leads to the coils. He had had the same problem a while ago which nearly drove him nuts and eventually they found it was the leads. Sure enough he was right. They discovered that the clips to the PVL coils weren’t compatible with the carbon leads which were found to be corroded and burnt – one was blue! They shortened them and put on new clips. (The North has them too so that will have to be done some time)
The Tapsell brothers had borrowed Chris’ Pazon (which they blew the coil on and had to buy another from Richard) and required a load of clips for the PVL coils. Dave had
given Chris enough clips for the Tapsells and have some spare which was a lifesaver as they’d have been buggered without them. Marshal Ron, the first we’d seen of him this year, sat with me while I washed up and cleaned the barbeque, which seemed to take me for ever. We talked for ages and the boys worked late.
We only saw Martin when he popped down for tea. Chris managed to blag a practice for the morning and went to bed much happier.
Sunday 6th July
By 8.30am we had the pleasure of the company of a rather soggy Group Captain Steve Horne and his daughter Amelia. It had rained for a while!
Chris’ brother Richard sensibly left the bike at home and arrived with his daughter, Becky, in the car.
Dave Cruickshank arrived and got his feet out of a carrier bag and passed them round and later, the wonderful Pete Getgood arrived and spent a lot of time laying on the caravan roof.
The RPS ran great in practice. Having started 9th on the grid Alan Major came past us at Surtees in the lead. The rain had stopped but the track was still quite wet. We were glad it would be dry for Chris’ race.
1300 Multi's and Twaites led for most of the race with the sort of lead where you’d think he’d be safe but Gorgeous George eventually caught him and got past to win with Thwaites 2nd, Rob Wittey rewarding himself with 3rd and Chris 4th, 4th in class.
Chris did the King of Brands trophy race on the RPS as the North had become incontinent again and needed to survive to do the final 1300 multis of the meeting. It was a shame as the North was a second per lap quicker than the RPS. He finished 8th. The winner, Michael Cooper, was great to watch. No one could catch him ........... (was he wearing his underpants over his trousers? – Cuperman!)
Formula 750. A split second only separated Georgeous and Thwaites as they crossed the line. Thwaites having to settle for 2nd followed by Wittey and Chris coming in 4th, 4th in class. Thwaites’ drive belt went in the 1300 multis allowing Chris to get a 3rd on the road and in class with Wittey 2nd and Gorgeous 1st.
Chris nursed the North through the final race getting a 4th in class. 1st Thwaites, Georgeous George, Carl Adams, Wittey, Chris. So the North made it to the end then sighed with relief and weed in Martin’s pick-up after it was loaded. Petrol this time. That’s yet to be investigated.
Dave Lord came down on his RPS road bike, one of only two built. You’ll see nice shots eventually in the gallery of the racing and the road going RPSs taken by Graham.
Steve and Amelia, while pondering over being a father and daughter side car team, shelved their idea after a horrendous sidecar crash happened in front of them at Paddock Hill.
Many thanks to all our visitors for making the weekend particularly enjoyable.
To Lesley for her lunchtime drying up skills.
Mike Pink, Graham Redrup, Dave Cruickshank and Martin for their help striking camp.
The lovely Spike for being willing to eat the leftovers.
And Janet for keeping the secret of the Saturday cake swindle from Graham.
And it was great to see and have the support of Richard and Sandra Peckett this weekend.
We are heading to Cadwell Park for Beezumph Thursday evening and we’re hoping to arrive before the witching hour.
We are looking forward to catching up with Derek Gallon and hopefully more of the family. We haven’t seen them since last September and Derek will be there with his camera. Whether there be sunshine, rain, pestilence, disease. You can be sure he’ll get your picture.
Richard is happy for Chris to ride the RPS at Beezumph while the North is in bits. The RPS is looking rather smart with its new fairing, pin-striping etc. Chris took a lot of care doing the job and it looks great.
Then on to Donington 8th, 9th, 10th August.
See you there.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Anglesey 2014
Thursday 12th June
8am - That moment of dread when the caravan mover stops half way down the drive and Chris is madly pressing the buttons. It’s alright though. The caravan was still joined to the garage by the hook up cable. We were on the road by 10.30am with Martin following and, with a couple of twenty minute stops, we arrived at the circuit at 4.10pm. There was a Jamie Whitham training day on and Martin had a chat to Jamie before he left.
The garages couldn’t be used until the next morning so only the gazebo could be sorted. It was quite windy so Chris screwed it into the tarmac and Martin added a couple of straps to the frame and tied them to his pick-up. We were allowed to leave the fridge plugged in to the garage over night so I quickly had to consider what I needed out before they locked it in. I’d forgotten the butter and had to ring Lou and ask them to stop somewhere along the way. We appreciate the effort they went to especially as it turned out to be a more complicated thing to achieve than they first thought.
The barbeque gas bottle had a leak, still. I mentioned it at Pembrey and Lydden but I think people think I’m just being fussy. It was cook outside or be gassed. So we cooked outside. The weather became warm and still by the time we got to bed and the thought of not having to get up early in the morning was so nice.
Friday 13th June - Unlucky for some
Everyone’s up by 8am with the bladder alarm. It’s an age thing. The van had a flat battery so we’d have to sort that at some time. The garages eventually became unlocked at 10am and I went to get bacon from the fridge which Chris had plugged in but not switched on.
Gav and Lou moved their house to the Majors’ camp to try out the new gazebo. The effect one’s gazebo has on its occupants’ looks very much depends on the colour of the walls and the roof. On the one hand the yellow walls of Gav’s gazebo made everyone look like they were jaundiced, whereas on the other Kevin looked radiant with flowing locks of golden hair. The roof of our 6 x 3 is purple/blue and we all look like alcoholics. Always go for white or grey when choosing your tent.
Marshal Neil arrived in his pyjamas.‘LOUNGE TROUSERS!!’ he says. No Neil. They’re pyjamas. Rod had suffered a breakdown – mechanical not nervous – and was expected later on. We unpacked the van and plugged everything in and got ready for the afternoon track sessions.
Chris took the North out first as it had been apart since Lydden. Martin set off to watch from beyond the pit lane and Chris didn’t come past, so he hastily made his way back again thinking Chris had broken down. All it was though was Chris hadn’t done his handle bars up again after the work on the front end. He said he had to do the whole lap very carefully. The North ran fine after that. Mark George crashed and knocked himself unconscious and the air ambulance took him to hospital, because when he came round he was vague and didn’t know what was going on. (Chris is like that all the time Mark so I wouldn’t worry about it.)
The RPS had a misfire which was annoying. They tried various things and found a few loose connections but it was still there. Rod finally arrived and was squeezed in near Gav and Lou. Another very relaxed evening as we weren’t starting racing on Saturday until 10am!
It was another warm night. You could tell because Marshall Neil went to bed without the fleecy blanky and hot water bottle.
Saturday 14th June
The van has a flat battery again.
The RPS still had a misfire in practice but the North was going well. Concentrating on the RPS, Chris worked on the misfire while Martin decided to replace the two broken sprocket bolts he’d just noticed hanging on their lock-wires. He took the allen key to one of the whole bolts and the head of the bolt snapped off. It could have been nasty to have set off at top speed and your sprocket drops off.
Chris’ first race 1300 Multis. Started 2nd. Finished 4th. 4th in class behind Cormac 3rd, Thwaites 2nd and the winner, Gorgeous George. It’s going to be tough from now on with all the fast boys back.
Alan Major won his first race by at least ten seconds and broke the lap record. Gav knocked two seconds off his lap time compared to last year, which was to become six seconds by the end of the meeting.
Uneventful races for the rest of the day for Chris. The Formula 750s mixed with 350s was wild. TZ350s - proper GP bikes - and their riders fell off a lot! He got a 5th in class in the first one and a 4th in class in the second, and a 4th in class in the second 1300 multi's.
Patrick spent the day with us with his children and I gave him the camera to fill up the gallery a bit as I don’t seem to get out there much.
More time was spent on the RPS. It’s spark plugs were black when they came out and they decided to drop a jet size. Thanks to Brendan and Nigel for supplies. The misfire was still there but a little better.
A much cooler evening this time. Marshal Neil decided it would be prudent to have the fleecy blanky tonight as he was a little chilly.
Sunday 15th June
UK classic: 1st Gorgeous George, coming in 13 seconds ahead of Gary Twaites! Rob Wittey came 3rd and Chris, a respectable (for someone of his age and capability) 4th place.
Spike had a horrible crash at the Banking and (clench your buttocks/teeth now) split his heel bone right through. The doctors told him it was very rare to break it like that. That’s Spike for you. He’s just got to be unusual.
Formula 750s. Chris lost the front end in the last lap on the left hander before the Corkscrew. He sat out the race then bump-started it down the hill and rode it back to the paddock. A new front tyre was purchased with the help of a low interest loan from Carl and Annie Adams. It was not a violent crash by any means but Chris’ gloves were totally ruined, and most of the slide was on grass. He lost skin off his little finger where the fabric just pulled apart. Total crap. He’d have had more protection with my gardening gloves (‘Town & Country’ if you fancy a pair). A photo and an email are being sent to the glove manufacturer saying what a pile of poop they are.
1300 multis: Chris came in behind the top four again in 5th place, 5th in class – this time, 1st Gary Twaites, 2nd Cormac, 3rd Rob Wittey, 4th Gorgeous George.
Formula 750s: Chris got a 5th in class and was quite happy to finish the weekend in one piece. Four accidents required the air ambulance. There were many other fallers though. Some of the injuries, like Spike’s, were nasty.
Alan Major won all his races again and we’re all getting a bit bored now. He could give them all a lap head start maybe.
Well done Rob Wittey for winning on aggregate the gold medal in his class on Saturday. His friend Drew’s put a cracking bike together.
Thanks everyone for a great weekend.
See you at Brands, which is sooner than you think.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
8am - That moment of dread when the caravan mover stops half way down the drive and Chris is madly pressing the buttons. It’s alright though. The caravan was still joined to the garage by the hook up cable. We were on the road by 10.30am with Martin following and, with a couple of twenty minute stops, we arrived at the circuit at 4.10pm. There was a Jamie Whitham training day on and Martin had a chat to Jamie before he left.
The garages couldn’t be used until the next morning so only the gazebo could be sorted. It was quite windy so Chris screwed it into the tarmac and Martin added a couple of straps to the frame and tied them to his pick-up. We were allowed to leave the fridge plugged in to the garage over night so I quickly had to consider what I needed out before they locked it in. I’d forgotten the butter and had to ring Lou and ask them to stop somewhere along the way. We appreciate the effort they went to especially as it turned out to be a more complicated thing to achieve than they first thought.
The barbeque gas bottle had a leak, still. I mentioned it at Pembrey and Lydden but I think people think I’m just being fussy. It was cook outside or be gassed. So we cooked outside. The weather became warm and still by the time we got to bed and the thought of not having to get up early in the morning was so nice.
Friday 13th June - Unlucky for some
Everyone’s up by 8am with the bladder alarm. It’s an age thing. The van had a flat battery so we’d have to sort that at some time. The garages eventually became unlocked at 10am and I went to get bacon from the fridge which Chris had plugged in but not switched on.
Gav and Lou moved their house to the Majors’ camp to try out the new gazebo. The effect one’s gazebo has on its occupants’ looks very much depends on the colour of the walls and the roof. On the one hand the yellow walls of Gav’s gazebo made everyone look like they were jaundiced, whereas on the other Kevin looked radiant with flowing locks of golden hair. The roof of our 6 x 3 is purple/blue and we all look like alcoholics. Always go for white or grey when choosing your tent.
Marshal Neil arrived in his pyjamas.‘LOUNGE TROUSERS!!’ he says. No Neil. They’re pyjamas. Rod had suffered a breakdown – mechanical not nervous – and was expected later on. We unpacked the van and plugged everything in and got ready for the afternoon track sessions.
Chris took the North out first as it had been apart since Lydden. Martin set off to watch from beyond the pit lane and Chris didn’t come past, so he hastily made his way back again thinking Chris had broken down. All it was though was Chris hadn’t done his handle bars up again after the work on the front end. He said he had to do the whole lap very carefully. The North ran fine after that. Mark George crashed and knocked himself unconscious and the air ambulance took him to hospital, because when he came round he was vague and didn’t know what was going on. (Chris is like that all the time Mark so I wouldn’t worry about it.)
The RPS had a misfire which was annoying. They tried various things and found a few loose connections but it was still there. Rod finally arrived and was squeezed in near Gav and Lou. Another very relaxed evening as we weren’t starting racing on Saturday until 10am!
It was another warm night. You could tell because Marshall Neil went to bed without the fleecy blanky and hot water bottle.
Saturday 14th June
The van has a flat battery again.
The RPS still had a misfire in practice but the North was going well. Concentrating on the RPS, Chris worked on the misfire while Martin decided to replace the two broken sprocket bolts he’d just noticed hanging on their lock-wires. He took the allen key to one of the whole bolts and the head of the bolt snapped off. It could have been nasty to have set off at top speed and your sprocket drops off.
Chris’ first race 1300 Multis. Started 2nd. Finished 4th. 4th in class behind Cormac 3rd, Thwaites 2nd and the winner, Gorgeous George. It’s going to be tough from now on with all the fast boys back.
Alan Major won his first race by at least ten seconds and broke the lap record. Gav knocked two seconds off his lap time compared to last year, which was to become six seconds by the end of the meeting.
Uneventful races for the rest of the day for Chris. The Formula 750s mixed with 350s was wild. TZ350s - proper GP bikes - and their riders fell off a lot! He got a 5th in class in the first one and a 4th in class in the second, and a 4th in class in the second 1300 multi's.
Patrick spent the day with us with his children and I gave him the camera to fill up the gallery a bit as I don’t seem to get out there much.
More time was spent on the RPS. It’s spark plugs were black when they came out and they decided to drop a jet size. Thanks to Brendan and Nigel for supplies. The misfire was still there but a little better.
A much cooler evening this time. Marshal Neil decided it would be prudent to have the fleecy blanky tonight as he was a little chilly.
Sunday 15th June
UK classic: 1st Gorgeous George, coming in 13 seconds ahead of Gary Twaites! Rob Wittey came 3rd and Chris, a respectable (for someone of his age and capability) 4th place.
Spike had a horrible crash at the Banking and (clench your buttocks/teeth now) split his heel bone right through. The doctors told him it was very rare to break it like that. That’s Spike for you. He’s just got to be unusual.
Formula 750s. Chris lost the front end in the last lap on the left hander before the Corkscrew. He sat out the race then bump-started it down the hill and rode it back to the paddock. A new front tyre was purchased with the help of a low interest loan from Carl and Annie Adams. It was not a violent crash by any means but Chris’ gloves were totally ruined, and most of the slide was on grass. He lost skin off his little finger where the fabric just pulled apart. Total crap. He’d have had more protection with my gardening gloves (‘Town & Country’ if you fancy a pair). A photo and an email are being sent to the glove manufacturer saying what a pile of poop they are.
1300 multis: Chris came in behind the top four again in 5th place, 5th in class – this time, 1st Gary Twaites, 2nd Cormac, 3rd Rob Wittey, 4th Gorgeous George.
Formula 750s: Chris got a 5th in class and was quite happy to finish the weekend in one piece. Four accidents required the air ambulance. There were many other fallers though. Some of the injuries, like Spike’s, were nasty.
Alan Major won all his races again and we’re all getting a bit bored now. He could give them all a lap head start maybe.
Well done Rob Wittey for winning on aggregate the gold medal in his class on Saturday. His friend Drew’s put a cracking bike together.
Thanks everyone for a great weekend.
See you at Brands, which is sooner than you think.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Lydden 2014
Friday 16th May 2014
Followed by His Pinkness, we arrived at the circuit around 1.30pm. We set up right next to the holding area. A perfect position for us. An electrician was working on the hook-ups all afternoon so we had to make tea on the petrol stove.
Finally we were told that all was well and off the chap sped in his little van. There were six sockets and we plugged four lines but found only two sockets worked. So we used two splitters and shared, muttering about crap electricians. At 10.30pm one of the sockets went off and we were plunged into darkness. More mutterings. We ended up with one line split four ways and continued our evening.
Before supper the entire area was invaded by a vile smell as Lydden’s stink lorry came to sort out the loos. Marshall Neil went for a walk using some orange scented wet-wipes as a nose-gay and Jim hung a couple over his ears to perfume the air around him.
Saturday 17th May 2014
Chris lost a contact lens during Rob North practice and came in with a bit of a squint. The North had a slight fuel leak from a stuck float but it sorted itself out and the RPS was fine. Graham and Janet arrived and we were all grateful for a cloudy sky as it was already SO hot.
First out were the Formula 750s, this time they were put with the 500s which, around Lydden, were extremely nimble. Chris started 1st and led for six laps. Finished 3rd. 1st in class.
In the Classic Unlimited the North was going really well. Chris started 2nd. Finished 1st. 1st in class. Unfortunately Gary Thwaites had mechanical problems and Nigel Hall-Smith lost the front end at the hairpin. Thankfully he wasn’t hurt.
Second race for the RPS Chris started in second place. He had a good race but got caught up with back-markers and had to settle for 5th but was 2nd in class, which was the important bit. Meanwhile, our idol Alan Major got his first ever win on the Honda RS125.
Chris continued his high-scoring Saturday with a 3rd in class on the North and was proud that neither bike had missed a beat. He got two gold medals at prize-giving that evening for the aggregate scores on each bikes.
Great entertainment was provided later by two local girls who sang brilliantly, and Lou did some dancing for us. Peter Arnold joined us for supper and a very jolly evening was had by all.
It was quite late when one of the marshals came to chat to Jim in the gazebo. Suddenly the power went off. It was then that the marshal told us that the hook-ups work when you buy a £10 card from the race office. So there was nothing wrong with the other sockets after all. We’d just happened to find two with some credit on them. One of which ran out Friday evening. So this is the beginning of the end of free power at circuits by the look of it.
Sunday 18th May 2014
We had a late start due to Sunday noise regulations and everyone enjoyed the lie-in.
First race on the RPS. Started 5th. Finished 4th, and the most important bit – 2nd in class.
Then Chris took the North out in the Unlimiteds and was lying in second place when he was a little over-exuberant (his words, not mine) on the throttle coming out of the Devil’s Elbow and lost the back end. He went through the screen and he said at one point he was staring at the front mudguard from above, which he did not recommend doing whilst hanging onto the handle-bars as it does nothing for good bike control. His injuries include a bruised left nipple, which is a first in his long and distinguished assortment (see picture above).
As far as the North was concerned, it suffered from Lydden’s seriously aggressive track surface. It got the normal hole in the fairing but it also wore through to the front pulley which damaged the belt. The usual array of levers, footrests and the handle-bar were written off, along with the top fairing stay, and the rev counter was damaged but can be saved – and, it goes without saying, the screen!
Chris hardly had time to draw breath as he had to get a ‘Fitness to ride’ certificate from the medical centre and have his race gear scrutineered and all his races were very close together. Steve Royal and Janice had arrived just in time to see Chris throw himself at the scenery. After that he had to put his sensible hat on as he had to use the RPS for the last three races.
It was so hot and I was so busy I only had time to jot down the results in class. Formula 750s 3rd and Unlimiteds 4th. There was also a trophy race in which Chris came 5th. He is going to write a piece about that as it was, apparently, very exciting. So Ashley will put that on the website when he gets it.
It was lovely to see Tony and Hilary at the meeting. They camped on the cool grass up the hill as they had the dogs with them, and came down frequently to the sweltering paddock to gloat.
Thanks to Martin, Gav , Graham and Jim for all their input.
Thanks to everyone who came to support Chris. Steve and Janice, Richard and Ali, (Richard drove down two days running) Great to see Dave Whitfield on Sunday and Baldrick, who arrived after racing had finished – but it’s the thought that counts.
And finally – Is there NO END to the brilliance of Alan Major. He won ALL of his 125cc races, BROKE the 125cc lap record for Lydden, AND was made ‘Man of the Meeting’ – at a race track he’d NEVER raced at before. Huge Wow. Team W.A.N.C.A.s’ jaw is on the floor.
See you at Anglesey.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Followed by His Pinkness, we arrived at the circuit around 1.30pm. We set up right next to the holding area. A perfect position for us. An electrician was working on the hook-ups all afternoon so we had to make tea on the petrol stove.
Finally we were told that all was well and off the chap sped in his little van. There were six sockets and we plugged four lines but found only two sockets worked. So we used two splitters and shared, muttering about crap electricians. At 10.30pm one of the sockets went off and we were plunged into darkness. More mutterings. We ended up with one line split four ways and continued our evening.
Before supper the entire area was invaded by a vile smell as Lydden’s stink lorry came to sort out the loos. Marshall Neil went for a walk using some orange scented wet-wipes as a nose-gay and Jim hung a couple over his ears to perfume the air around him.
Saturday 17th May 2014
Chris lost a contact lens during Rob North practice and came in with a bit of a squint. The North had a slight fuel leak from a stuck float but it sorted itself out and the RPS was fine. Graham and Janet arrived and we were all grateful for a cloudy sky as it was already SO hot.
First out were the Formula 750s, this time they were put with the 500s which, around Lydden, were extremely nimble. Chris started 1st and led for six laps. Finished 3rd. 1st in class.
In the Classic Unlimited the North was going really well. Chris started 2nd. Finished 1st. 1st in class. Unfortunately Gary Thwaites had mechanical problems and Nigel Hall-Smith lost the front end at the hairpin. Thankfully he wasn’t hurt.
Second race for the RPS Chris started in second place. He had a good race but got caught up with back-markers and had to settle for 5th but was 2nd in class, which was the important bit. Meanwhile, our idol Alan Major got his first ever win on the Honda RS125.
Chris continued his high-scoring Saturday with a 3rd in class on the North and was proud that neither bike had missed a beat. He got two gold medals at prize-giving that evening for the aggregate scores on each bikes.
Great entertainment was provided later by two local girls who sang brilliantly, and Lou did some dancing for us. Peter Arnold joined us for supper and a very jolly evening was had by all.
It was quite late when one of the marshals came to chat to Jim in the gazebo. Suddenly the power went off. It was then that the marshal told us that the hook-ups work when you buy a £10 card from the race office. So there was nothing wrong with the other sockets after all. We’d just happened to find two with some credit on them. One of which ran out Friday evening. So this is the beginning of the end of free power at circuits by the look of it.
Sunday 18th May 2014
We had a late start due to Sunday noise regulations and everyone enjoyed the lie-in.
First race on the RPS. Started 5th. Finished 4th, and the most important bit – 2nd in class.
Then Chris took the North out in the Unlimiteds and was lying in second place when he was a little over-exuberant (his words, not mine) on the throttle coming out of the Devil’s Elbow and lost the back end. He went through the screen and he said at one point he was staring at the front mudguard from above, which he did not recommend doing whilst hanging onto the handle-bars as it does nothing for good bike control. His injuries include a bruised left nipple, which is a first in his long and distinguished assortment (see picture above).
As far as the North was concerned, it suffered from Lydden’s seriously aggressive track surface. It got the normal hole in the fairing but it also wore through to the front pulley which damaged the belt. The usual array of levers, footrests and the handle-bar were written off, along with the top fairing stay, and the rev counter was damaged but can be saved – and, it goes without saying, the screen!
Chris hardly had time to draw breath as he had to get a ‘Fitness to ride’ certificate from the medical centre and have his race gear scrutineered and all his races were very close together. Steve Royal and Janice had arrived just in time to see Chris throw himself at the scenery. After that he had to put his sensible hat on as he had to use the RPS for the last three races.
It was so hot and I was so busy I only had time to jot down the results in class. Formula 750s 3rd and Unlimiteds 4th. There was also a trophy race in which Chris came 5th. He is going to write a piece about that as it was, apparently, very exciting. So Ashley will put that on the website when he gets it.
It was lovely to see Tony and Hilary at the meeting. They camped on the cool grass up the hill as they had the dogs with them, and came down frequently to the sweltering paddock to gloat.
Thanks to Martin, Gav , Graham and Jim for all their input.
Thanks to everyone who came to support Chris. Steve and Janice, Richard and Ali, (Richard drove down two days running) Great to see Dave Whitfield on Sunday and Baldrick, who arrived after racing had finished – but it’s the thought that counts.
And finally – Is there NO END to the brilliance of Alan Major. He won ALL of his 125cc races, BROKE the 125cc lap record for Lydden, AND was made ‘Man of the Meeting’ – at a race track he’d NEVER raced at before. Huge Wow. Team W.A.N.C.A.s’ jaw is on the floor.
See you at Anglesey.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Pembrey 2014
Friday 18th April 2014
Well we did leave Thursday night in the end and, sharing the driving, arrived at 3.30 Friday morning. Hard to tell where to park up in the dark so we walked up and down with a torch for a few minutes having a look. Gav and Lou were stuck in the soft ground until daylight and we didn’t want to suffer the same thing. We woke quite early and soon heard the tractor towing Gav and Lou out and they moved to firmer ground. It was strange to get up in the morning and still have all the equipment to put out.
Chris’ first track day session on the RPS went without a hitch but his new leathers showed no mercy to the few pounds extra he was carrying. He hadn’t cycled or swum for over two weeks due to early and long working hours and being away on courses. There were many people for Chris to catch up with and lots of long discussions to have about each others’ bikes. The words ‘bore’ and ‘big bore’ kept coming up. How appropriate.
Chris found the North ran a lot better with the carb covers off and it ran fine once it was able to breathe. Spike had had the same problem with his bike then remembered he’d stuffed the carbs with tissues.
We were expecting Chris’ brother Patrick and his children, Leah and Aiden, on Saturday. Graham and Janet arrived Friday mid morning and Graham took on the role of being ‘Chris’ bitch’ for the rest of the day. We had Jim with us and marshal Neil. We had an early supper and Afterwards Jim went off visiting for a bit. When he came back just after 10.30pm he found we’d all headed off to bed. Everyone really missed Martin. He’s part of the furniture.
Saturday 19th April 2014
Practice went well for both bikes. A very slippery track apparently and the weather was cold and cloudy but dry.
Race 1 for the North and Chris came in complaining of constantly losing the back end. There was oil all over the back of the bike where he’d overfilled the oil tank, again. We equipped Graham with the necessaries and he got down to giving the North a good wash. He seems always to be in a WHITE T-shirt when he has to do the washing up. Anyway, we assumed the ‘losing the back end problem’ had been solved. Chris had started 4th. Finished 5th. 4th in class. Not a bad start to the weekend for Chris.
There was a incident in the Post Classics where Gorgeous George high-sided on the TZ350 requiring Cormac and Steve Reap to take avoiding action that ended up with them crashing also. Cormac broke his collarbone, for the ninth time, and Steve Reap was badly bashed about but no bones were broken, we believe. George broke his wrist, and broke a rib as well. So not a good start to the season for them.
Formula 750 race 1 and the RPS wouldn’t start. The alternator had failed. The boys all got stuck in. The timing side of the bike had to be taken apart and carefully marked up before reassembly. They worked fast but it was a DNS for the Formula 750.
The sun came out and the track started to dry.
This was an important weekend for Gav as he needed only two more signatures to lose his novice bib. He had a moist pants moment in one race when he misjudged the hairpin, out-braked everyone, passed most of them and scared the on-lookers.
Race 2 for the North. Chris started 5th on the grid and was going well but eventually got held up by back markers and let a rider through finishing 6th. 4th in class. He said he felt he couldn’t give it his all as the back tyre was still sliding. I lent him £175 and he bought a new one (he had one at home) and Patrick stayed with the fitter to give him a hand. It was during this race that the voice of Graham Lawler (commentator) suffered the curse of the digestive biscuit as he inhaled a crumb so everything went silent for a bit.
The second Formula 750 race saw Chris start from the back of the grid in 23rd position. Rob Wittey, also having had a DNS in the last race, was one place in front of Chris on the grid. He got a much better start than Chris and, although they both ploughed their way through the field, Rob was so fast Chris couldn’t catch him. A good race though. Chris starting 23rd. Finishing 2nd. 2nd in class.
Sunday 20th April 2014
Chris had begged a practice to scrub in the new tyre. It made a lot of difference. Starting 6th in the UK Classic Chris somehow managed to get ahead of Nigel Hall-Smith and finished in 3rd place behind Rob Wittey and Gary Thwaites.
In the Formula 750 first race of the day, Chris was 2nd on the grid behind Rob Wittey. Chris kept up the chase hoping to keep his second place but luck was not on Rob’s side. Suffering mechanical problems, Rob had to pull off half way through the race allowing Chris to come in first.
The new back tyre on the North enabled Chris to keep up with the fast boys in the final race for the Multis. Started 3rd. Fought with Nigel Hall-Smith and Symon Woodward for the first couple of laps but eventually got away from them and then put in his fastest lap on lap 5, in the wet. Finishing 2nd, behind Gary Thwaites.
It had been raining quite hard for a while and some of the riders had gone home. Gav, having deprived us of seeing him (in leathers) in his black patent rain suit, got the final signature and was no longer a novice.
The final Formula 750 of the meeting saw a much depleted grid of only nine riders. It was raining, and standing in the holding area with the starter and my boots in the puddle Chris had parked in front of, I couldn’t believe how long it took for the last six riders to arrive. No wonder they are always running out of time at these meetings. Talk
about casual. Chris’ main concern was to not stall the RPS. However, he got a good start and never looked back. Comfortable in the wet, he stretched his lead with each lap. Gav said to me when Chris had finished ‘he was in the next postcode’. So just for the record. 1st on the grid. Finished 1st. 1st in class.
A successful weekend for Chris then. He kept it in his trousers and made hay while the sun shone. When George and Cormac get back on the track and Rob Wittey‘s bike is sorted the tables will be turned once more.
A mega successful weekend for Alan Major. Kevin did tell Chris the results but although Chris wrote them down we now can’t find what he wrote them down on. All I can say is Alan got so many points we are not worthy even to kiss the hem of his sock. Well done Alan.
The Thank You list is long. Gav and Lou for transporting the North. Mark Bates for picking up the RPS. Richard Peckett and Dave Whitfield for having the RPS ready in time. Paul Potter for doing the North’s bodywork at such short notice, again. Graham Redrup for all his hard work and risking his favorite T-shirt, again. Patrick and Aiden Robinson for all their support in the paddock. Lea Robinson for creating the winner’s garland for Chris. Baldrick for coming back from Kingswood to Leatherhead to take the North off Gav and Lou. The Majors for posting us a ticket as Chris forgot to order any extra. Jim Pipe for offering to hire a van for the North and plod up to Pembrey with it if
Gav and Lou couldn’t do it. Rod for the alcohol (sorry about the empty bottle) and Marshal Neil Boorman for the brilliant limericks and for not putting my fleecy covered hot water bottle down his pyjamas (well that’s what he told me anyway).
It doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing Marshal Ron this year as he’s at other meetings. We miss him already. And we DO miss the lovely Martin. We hope he’ll be with us at Lydden.
See you all there.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife
Well we did leave Thursday night in the end and, sharing the driving, arrived at 3.30 Friday morning. Hard to tell where to park up in the dark so we walked up and down with a torch for a few minutes having a look. Gav and Lou were stuck in the soft ground until daylight and we didn’t want to suffer the same thing. We woke quite early and soon heard the tractor towing Gav and Lou out and they moved to firmer ground. It was strange to get up in the morning and still have all the equipment to put out.
Chris’ first track day session on the RPS went without a hitch but his new leathers showed no mercy to the few pounds extra he was carrying. He hadn’t cycled or swum for over two weeks due to early and long working hours and being away on courses. There were many people for Chris to catch up with and lots of long discussions to have about each others’ bikes. The words ‘bore’ and ‘big bore’ kept coming up. How appropriate.
Chris found the North ran a lot better with the carb covers off and it ran fine once it was able to breathe. Spike had had the same problem with his bike then remembered he’d stuffed the carbs with tissues.
We were expecting Chris’ brother Patrick and his children, Leah and Aiden, on Saturday. Graham and Janet arrived Friday mid morning and Graham took on the role of being ‘Chris’ bitch’ for the rest of the day. We had Jim with us and marshal Neil. We had an early supper and Afterwards Jim went off visiting for a bit. When he came back just after 10.30pm he found we’d all headed off to bed. Everyone really missed Martin. He’s part of the furniture.
Saturday 19th April 2014
Practice went well for both bikes. A very slippery track apparently and the weather was cold and cloudy but dry.
Race 1 for the North and Chris came in complaining of constantly losing the back end. There was oil all over the back of the bike where he’d overfilled the oil tank, again. We equipped Graham with the necessaries and he got down to giving the North a good wash. He seems always to be in a WHITE T-shirt when he has to do the washing up. Anyway, we assumed the ‘losing the back end problem’ had been solved. Chris had started 4th. Finished 5th. 4th in class. Not a bad start to the weekend for Chris.
There was a incident in the Post Classics where Gorgeous George high-sided on the TZ350 requiring Cormac and Steve Reap to take avoiding action that ended up with them crashing also. Cormac broke his collarbone, for the ninth time, and Steve Reap was badly bashed about but no bones were broken, we believe. George broke his wrist, and broke a rib as well. So not a good start to the season for them.
Formula 750 race 1 and the RPS wouldn’t start. The alternator had failed. The boys all got stuck in. The timing side of the bike had to be taken apart and carefully marked up before reassembly. They worked fast but it was a DNS for the Formula 750.
The sun came out and the track started to dry.
This was an important weekend for Gav as he needed only two more signatures to lose his novice bib. He had a moist pants moment in one race when he misjudged the hairpin, out-braked everyone, passed most of them and scared the on-lookers.
Race 2 for the North. Chris started 5th on the grid and was going well but eventually got held up by back markers and let a rider through finishing 6th. 4th in class. He said he felt he couldn’t give it his all as the back tyre was still sliding. I lent him £175 and he bought a new one (he had one at home) and Patrick stayed with the fitter to give him a hand. It was during this race that the voice of Graham Lawler (commentator) suffered the curse of the digestive biscuit as he inhaled a crumb so everything went silent for a bit.
The second Formula 750 race saw Chris start from the back of the grid in 23rd position. Rob Wittey, also having had a DNS in the last race, was one place in front of Chris on the grid. He got a much better start than Chris and, although they both ploughed their way through the field, Rob was so fast Chris couldn’t catch him. A good race though. Chris starting 23rd. Finishing 2nd. 2nd in class.
Sunday 20th April 2014
Chris had begged a practice to scrub in the new tyre. It made a lot of difference. Starting 6th in the UK Classic Chris somehow managed to get ahead of Nigel Hall-Smith and finished in 3rd place behind Rob Wittey and Gary Thwaites.
In the Formula 750 first race of the day, Chris was 2nd on the grid behind Rob Wittey. Chris kept up the chase hoping to keep his second place but luck was not on Rob’s side. Suffering mechanical problems, Rob had to pull off half way through the race allowing Chris to come in first.
The new back tyre on the North enabled Chris to keep up with the fast boys in the final race for the Multis. Started 3rd. Fought with Nigel Hall-Smith and Symon Woodward for the first couple of laps but eventually got away from them and then put in his fastest lap on lap 5, in the wet. Finishing 2nd, behind Gary Thwaites.
It had been raining quite hard for a while and some of the riders had gone home. Gav, having deprived us of seeing him (in leathers) in his black patent rain suit, got the final signature and was no longer a novice.
The final Formula 750 of the meeting saw a much depleted grid of only nine riders. It was raining, and standing in the holding area with the starter and my boots in the puddle Chris had parked in front of, I couldn’t believe how long it took for the last six riders to arrive. No wonder they are always running out of time at these meetings. Talk
about casual. Chris’ main concern was to not stall the RPS. However, he got a good start and never looked back. Comfortable in the wet, he stretched his lead with each lap. Gav said to me when Chris had finished ‘he was in the next postcode’. So just for the record. 1st on the grid. Finished 1st. 1st in class.
A successful weekend for Chris then. He kept it in his trousers and made hay while the sun shone. When George and Cormac get back on the track and Rob Wittey‘s bike is sorted the tables will be turned once more.
A mega successful weekend for Alan Major. Kevin did tell Chris the results but although Chris wrote them down we now can’t find what he wrote them down on. All I can say is Alan got so many points we are not worthy even to kiss the hem of his sock. Well done Alan.
The Thank You list is long. Gav and Lou for transporting the North. Mark Bates for picking up the RPS. Richard Peckett and Dave Whitfield for having the RPS ready in time. Paul Potter for doing the North’s bodywork at such short notice, again. Graham Redrup for all his hard work and risking his favorite T-shirt, again. Patrick and Aiden Robinson for all their support in the paddock. Lea Robinson for creating the winner’s garland for Chris. Baldrick for coming back from Kingswood to Leatherhead to take the North off Gav and Lou. The Majors for posting us a ticket as Chris forgot to order any extra. Jim Pipe for offering to hire a van for the North and plod up to Pembrey with it if
Gav and Lou couldn’t do it. Rod for the alcohol (sorry about the empty bottle) and Marshal Neil Boorman for the brilliant limericks and for not putting my fleecy covered hot water bottle down his pyjamas (well that’s what he told me anyway).
It doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing Marshal Ron this year as he’s at other meetings. We miss him already. And we DO miss the lovely Martin. We hope he’ll be with us at Lydden.
See you all there.
Jane Chapman - Long Suffering Wife