Darley Moor
We got to Darley around 4pm on Saturday and managed to get scutineered, so that would save a rush on Sunday morning. Having got set up we cooked tea and then went to the pub!
Sunday morning, and the weather was dull and cool (not what they had forecast), we had had some light rain over night. I walked the track to re-familiarise myself with it as it had been about eight years since I had raced at Darley.
I went out in timed practise and took it steady for a couple of laps, Jon Mould came past (I think he was trying to prove something!) and he pulled a bit of a gap. I gradually built up speed and soon caught him up, I then realised that it is not an easy track to over take on, so I tucked in behind him to see where he was quick and where he was slow (as he was generally the quickest of the Earlystocks riders there, and therefore my main opposition).
I sussed out that he was quite quick off the corners and down the straight, I could gradually pull him back towards the end of the straights, but I was much quicker though the chicanes. I decided to stay behind him as I didn’t want to give away my game plan.
As usual we were out with several other classes, but I qualified fifth which put me on the second row.
Race One
Track conditions were dry and not too hot so pretty much ideal.
I lined up on the start and realised that it was very tight on the grid, being on the second row I lined myself up to go straight between the two riders in front of me. The lights went out and I got a flyer, the two riders seemed to be closing the gap but I was much quicker, I breathed in! And went straight through (just brushing arms with the guy on the left) I pulled over to the right side of the track to block the line and I was first into the first corner.
With no one in front of me I pushed as hard as I dared (on cold tyres). As I got to the far side of the circuit, one of the GP bikes came past (not in my class) so not too concerned, then another came past at the hairpin, that didn’t last long as he missed his breaking at the end of the main straight and went straight through the gravel trap and into the tyre wall! (he was ok).
I got my head down and tried to keep focused, I realised that this wasn’t going to be as easy as the previous round at Donington, my bike didn’t seem to be as suited to this track and so it was obviously going to be a tough to get away.
On lap four I could hear a bike right behind me, he came past at the right hander at the end of the start straight, I didn’t recognise him, he wasn’t one of our guy’s, so therefore not in my race and not anyone to worry about, (thankfully) as he was very quick!
I carried on concentrating on my own race.
But on lap seven coming around the left kink which brings you on to the main straight, the gear lever had stuck down and I couldn’t change up (this has happened a few times, I think the linkage may be get caught under my foot as it is working perfectly when tested), after several attempts it changed but by this time I had lost some momentum, I could see in my peripheral vision, that a bike was coming along side me. He came past, and to my surprise it was Pete Stringer and not Jon Mould! Pete had developed an oil leek at the previous round so wasn’t all that quick, so I hadn’t even thought of him as being a threat, just goes to show… you should never assume anything!
I set about going after him, he like Jon was pretty quick off the corners, so it wasnt going to be a case of driving straight past him. I was catching him towards the end of the back straight, I was once again a lot quicker through the chicane so I closed right in on him and managed to go around the out side of him on the left hander, putting me on the inside for the hairpin. I was back in front and put my head down.
By the end of the race I had managed to pull a bit of a gap on him.
I had once again finished 1stin class and 1st in the Earlystocks class, so I was over the moon, not only that but had finished 3rd on track in the overall positions! This was a bonus as that would put me 3rd on the grid in the second race, on the front row.
Race Two
The weather (which was far from the 29 degree’s forecast) had changed for the worse and it had started drizzling, I lined up on the grid, pointing the bike towards the right side of the track, which is the line into the first chicane.
The lights went out and we were off, once again a fling start straight into the lead, through the chicane and down to the first right hander, this time the unknown rider came up the inside into the corner, (it turned out that he was a late entry, on a big classic bike, as well as racing in the superstocks class).
That’s ok I thought, not in my race, not my problem! I got up to the hairpin and once again the two GP bikes came past, once again same scenario, not in my race…
I settled into the race and all was well. It was now more like light rain, but there was quite a lot of rain on my visor, always a difficult situation because you just don’t know how wet the track is getting, so you don’t know how hard you can push! I kept my head down.
I think probably because I spent most of the race on my own, I started thinking too much about my line through the fist chicane, trying to go faster I managed to cut in too tight on the way in, I went across the painted rumble strip and the front tucked.. Oh bugger!!! This could be a whole lot of pain!! It all happened very quickly (obviously) but as the tyre came back onto the tarmac, somehow (miraculously) it gripped again, this then gave me a big tank slapper, which then put me right off line. I went straight off the track over the rumble strip, over the grass and then back onto the track… phew… Still upright and in one piece ( the moral of this storey is… don’t think too hard about a certain part of the track, just concentrate on being smooth!!)
I had obviously lost quite a bit of time with my off track antics, and lost momentum, once again a bike comes past me and once again it was Pete! By this time we were getting towards the later part of the race, I re-composed myself, and went about chasing after Pete who had gained a bit of ground on me. By the end of that lap I was getting close to him, I saw out of the corner of my eye the last lap flag! Double bugger!!! I need to get pas him and I need to do it in the next minute or so! I chased him down the back straight and once again I was much quicker through the back chicane, I closed him down and went to go around him again, we were level but I was on the inside for the hairpin, fair play to him, he didn’t back down, and cut across my nose, I had to turn really tight in order not to run into him! This slowed my momentum out of the corner and on to the main straight; he had now got a couple of bike lengths on me. I tucked in behind him, half way down the straight I remember saying to myself.. ‘There is NO WAY I am letting him, beat me!’
There was just the last corner to go…. It went through my mind.. ‘I would rather crash in the gravel than let him beat me!’ I pulled out to the inside (we are doing something in the region of 140MPH at this point) I waited for him to brake; he seemed to be leaving it rather late!! Then he braked.. I didn’t! I made sure I was past him then hit the brakes hard, trouble is I’m on the inside which is making the corner tighter than it would be on my normal line, I tipped in and then drifted out to the white line on the exit (if he is trying to get around the outside he will have to give way or he will be on the grass!) I was past, victory was only 20 yards away…. or was it?
The flag man, now had both flags, the last lap flag in one hand and the chequered flag in the other!! He was obviously confused, and if he wasn’t I certainly was! There was no way I was stopping now, I put my head down and went as fast as I could, knowing that Pete couldn’t be far behind. I successfully completed another lap in the lead and won the race, in fact I had pulled a bit of a gap as I had put in my fasted lap on that last one.
Once again, 1st in class and 1st in Earlystocks, but by no means an easy win, in fact I think that was one of the hardest races I have ever had, on a par with the battle with Cooty at Mallory back in 2003!
A great days racing and a great result, you couldn’t ask for any more than that.
Next we are of to Oulton Park for some testing, then on to Mallory Park
Once again I would like to thank all the people who have helped and supported me this season, including Nigel Lawrence,
KJD Motorcycles, Hiflo Filters andNorth Norfolk Mouldings
Without their help and support I wouldn’t be here!
Thank you all very much
Keith 221
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