Ace of Aintree Championship Race Reports.

17/05/03 Round 1. Race 1 - 1300 Open class Qualifier. Weather conditions today wre very bad, strong side wind and heavy rain. I went out with a wet front and dry rear but as we ere in the holding area the rain came again and conditions got even worse. I completed 2 laps and then as the bike was aqua-plaining at 150mph decided to pull in.Started last on the grid in 40th by the way. Race 2 - 600-1300 Class Qualifier. Very wet again, this time started from 34th on the grid. I was just going to ride around and see what I could manage. Problem was I could not see a bloody thing. The track is not used very often and is very dirty. Just managed to hold my position till was passed under a yellow flag, but was past caring by then. 26th/38 finishers. 156bhp is no fun in the wet. Race 3 - 500cc Open Class Qualifier. This race was staight after the 600-1300 race and had to run to the holding area after the rest of the grid had left, bike stone cold. From 37th on the grid got a flyer of a start and was 9th at the end of the first lap. Had a little battle with Ickle Pob but them mucked up the last corner and lost a load of time but was clear of the chacing pack and just rode around for 10th, safe and 3rd row for final. But there never was a final for either class as the meeting was abandoned due to weather conditions and a bloody sidecar dropping oil all the way around the track. 21/09/02 Round 5 - Final Round 2002 Race 1 - Formula 400 Qualifier. Finally got a good grid draw at Aintree, start for 3rd on the grid. I get a flier of a start and my desision to change gearboxes a couple of weeks ago at fairly high cost is totally vindicated. Into the first corner I am second. I sit behind Ian Waine for half a lap and then forst him into a error at Beeches and I get under him on the exit. For the first time since May I am leading a race at Aintree. I hjeld the lead for the next lap but along Valintines straight Duncan Burns passes me and pull back in front of me a bit to soon and I have to back of as not to hit him. This loses me drive arund beeches and Dave Bath and Colin Skillcorn both pass me up the inside forcing me a bit wide, next thing all hell breaks loose as Simon Griffiths passes me around the outside and must have been half on the grass. As he cuts back in his back wheel just clips my front wheel and sends me into a monster weave and I have to back of again to regain control. This lost me more drive and Tim Kermode and Ian Waine passed me again along the straight,down from 1st to 7th in one corner. I did manage to get Ian back at the last corner of the last lap but had to settle for 6th Race 2 - 500 Open Qualifier. Back to normal and 23rd on the grid. Got a good start and was up to about 12th at the first corner. Had a bit of a quite race and worked my way up to 9th but the top guys were away but not that far ahead and was happy for the main race that could get a good start and be up with them. Todays times are as fast if not faster than most of us have been around Aintree before, the pace is hot!! But so was my motor, more of that in a bit. Race 3 - Formula 400 Final. I again got a flyer and was 3rd going into turn one, behind the battling championship due of Burns and Skilicorn. I stuck with them for the first lap but Bath, Kermode and Griffiths all came passed along the back straight as my bike still lacks outright top speed, some of this is due to still not being able to run my ideal line around Beeches due to overbanding that was laid over the winter. On lap 4 I hit said overbanding and ran really wide and nearly onto the grass at about 120mph, new pants please! This again lost me drive down the staight and Dave Magden-Mygdal passes me waving, cheeky old fart. Now I not having that and tried to repassed him at the end of the straight but he shut the door on me, not detured I try again on the brakes at the end of the start finish and get under him on the exit and we are wheel to wheel into Valentines but I held of the brakes longer and make the move stick. Onto the back straight and we are side by side with Dave just having the advantage, 9stone verus 13stone I think. But I drop in behind and plan to slip stream him as we take the last lap flag. As I mentioned earlier the bike was baking and as we entered the last lap Dave seemed to have really upped the pace and was getting away. Onto the back straight and the bike really felt funny, I tried to change up when already in top gear and as I loked at the rev counter it was falling all the time I had the throttle wide open. As I backed of for the last corner I knew it was all over but decided to try and coast across the line and pick up some points as was still in 6th place.I crossed the line 6th but was nearly collected agiin by Griffiths who was coming back from a run on at the end of the straight and was travlling at over 100mph and I was coasting at about 30mph. New pants again please. Race 4 -500 Open Final. Was quite good really but I was not in it so can't be bother to write about it.Plus I got though a meeting at Aintree without going grass tracking at the last corner, first time since June! Duncan Burns won Formula 400 title for the first time, I finished about 6th in the championship. Duncan also retained his 500 open title and I dropped from 4th to 5th with not taking part in the final race. About the same as last year but the pace was so much quicker this year it's been untrue. Pants about sums up my season at Aintree this year, I will have to think hard over the winter to see if I do Aintree again next season. There seems to be some bikes out there that are far to quick for a 76bhp Honda to live with. Make of that what you will!!!!!! 17/08/02 Round 4. Race 1 - Formula 400 Qualifier. I t has been a mad rush to get out for this meeting after my big get-off at Mallory so feeling totally knackered, why do we do this???? Started from 7th on the grid and still suffering with the close ratio box and ended up about 15th into the first corner. Had a bit of a uneventful race really and got up to 6th at the flag. Race 2 - 500 Open Qualifier. Started 9th on the grid and got a OK start. But at the end of the second lap I missed my braking marker while in 5th place and in a mad tussle for the lead. I ran off the track at the end of the staight dong about 100mph and had to go all the way to the fence on the grass and round the back of the abmulance and back on the track, butt arse last, I did manage to get back up to 16th but was a bit hacked off, that is two meetings on the trot here that I have done that. Race 3 - Formula 400 Final. Got a rubbish start again and spent most of the race catching back up to the front guy's. Bit uneventful and ended up finishing in 5th which this season aint to bad, I don't know what I have to do at this track to get a decent result? Race 4 - 500 Open Final. More of the above to tell the truth, got stuck behind Craig Charters, Dave Bath and Tim Kermode. I copuld stay with them but just could not get pasted them and ended up in 6th place and a bit down beat. We will be changing a couple of thing before we are back here in a months time.   13/07/02 Round 3. Race 1 - Formula 400 Qualifier. After the Southern 100 it was good to get back to a track with some run off areas. Peter Tyer, one of my sponsors, took my bike to the holding area and picked 34th on the grid for me, CHEERS!. Starting at the back again and after the last meeting I took it a bit steady throught turn one. To steady to be honest and missed the boat with the front group. It took a couple of laps to get through to sixth and then the flag came out. A second row start for the final, that will do. Race 2 - 500 Open Qualifier. After the last race grid I picked the peg and got 6th, thats better. Got a good start and slotted into second behind Duncan Burns.Dave Bath came passed on lap 3 but I repassed him the next lap only for him to pass again on the last lap along with Ian Perks on a 125 into the last corner, a bit of a desperate move to be honest as it was only the qualifier. Front row start in the final. Race 3 - Formula 400 Final. Got a good start and was up to 5th and onto the back straight can hold the slipstream of the faster bikes. Lap 2 Tim Kermode came passed on the back straight and I tucked in behind him. But left my braking a little to late and had to take to the grass or crash. I lost a ot of time and re-joined in 15th place. The next few laps were possible the best and hardest I have ever ridden to date. The front was letting go and so was the rear. I was hanging the rear out into the first corner and havin a ball. I managed to get up to 9th at the flag and could have had 7th with one more lap. Should be disapointed but I think that was one of the best rides I have done to get back to 9th. Race 4 - 500cc Open Final. Same as the earlier race but Craig Charters on his big single got into the lead. Duncan came past at Beeches on the first lap and that was him into the lead. Over the next couple of  laps I had a great battle with Craig, Dave Bath and Ian Perks. I was moving from 3rd to 5th. At the start of the last lap I was in 5th. Dave and Ian had pulled a couple of seconds on me and Craig, but I had a plan for Craig. I could have passed him a couple of time but he could get into my slipstream so waited for the back straight on the last lap and drafted him half way doWn the straight then pulled out jst before we hit the brakes. I knew I was better on the brakes and that gave me 4th. But I am getting fed up with 4th place this week. But I will take it and late found it is actually classed as 3rd in class. Nice big pot to take home to boot! 15/06/02 Round 2. Race 1 - Formula 400 Qualifier. After my last couple of weeks I could do with some good results this weekend, but drawing the grids was not a good start. 21st on the grid for race 1. Never mind best get a good start then. And for a change this year that is exactly what I did, from 21st to 3rd into the first corner and 2nd into the second corner. But then comes the dreaded back straight and got blasted down the back, was going to fight for the position the thought better of it as it was only the qualifier for the championship race in the afternoon. This was the same story on the next two laps and had dropped to 5th but had clear track behind and would settle for a second row astart in the final. Race 2 - 500cc Open Qualifier. Today was not a good grid day, 39th and the back row start thios time out. I need another good start. I get a ok start but as we hit the first corner the is a rider mid pack goes down on the inside and it's like a pack of cards. I can see what is coming but can do nothing to aoid it and I get collected by a wayward 125. And down I go ,again! I actually landed on top of the bike that hit me and do a couple of rolls down the track, as I turn to see where the bike is I can see it still stood up propped up by the bike that has hit me. It is carnage, about ten bikes have crashed and the are bikes and riders all over the place. The bike starts first time and I am out of there. The race is red flagged and cancelled till after dinner. All that is broken is a clutch lever and this is changed in the break. I get a ok start in the restart but the clutch lever has make my clutch problems re-apear and I ride for a finish and finish 14th. Not a happy camper. Race 3 - Formula 400 Final. 5th on the grid and get a rubbnish start and finish lap1 in 11th place and still having clutch problems. The a novice passed me and the red mist came down, sod the clutch if it goes, it goes. With that I start to move through the field and manage to get 6th, with another lap I recon I could of had 5th. It points for the championship and  it will be better next round. Race 4 - 500cc Open Final. Another OK start and first lap the clutch is slipping like mad. Then getts a bit better and I move up to 6th and start to pull clear of the two riders behind.  Two laps to go and I look behind and am well clear, then 2 things happened. 1 I got stuck behind a rider I was about to lap and 2 the clutch though in the towel big time and I could not rev passed 12,000rpm. So on the last lap I looked behind only to see 2 bikes right on my tail, onto the back straight and Mark Hampshire is right along side me and as we hit6 the braking point I hold of that fractoin later on the brakes and hold both of over the line to secure another 6th place. All things considered that was a hard day and one I am glad is over. 18/05/02 Round 1. Race 1- 500cc Open 4/Stokes Qualifier. At last I have lost my grid position nightmare and drew 12th out of the bag. The weather was dreadful, with rain and wind. As we lined up after the warm up lap the flag marshal moved and the lights went red, the off, then red again. I moved then stopped and had to paddle back to my position and the the lights just went dead. With that the front two rows went, so what the hell lets get going. I must admit that I had forgotten that I had the close ratio gearbox fitted and the bike with Aintree gearing was a pig to get going. But into the first corner I was about 6th, into the second corner about 3rd, into the 3rd corner in the lead. I then lead for the next 2 laps till Dave bath and Tim Kermode both got me going into the fast Beeches corner, the were having one hell of a ding-dong and I thought better of joining then and backed of, but a little to much and was passed by a rider of who I know not. A quick look behind and it was clear we were well clear of the rest of the pack and a front row start for the championship race was in the bag. So 4th it was. Race 2 - Formula 400 Qualifier. Much like the first race really exept I got into third on lap one and stayed there. Weather was WET!!! Race 3 - 500cc Open 4/strokes Final. The sun has come out and the track is dry. This is when my day took a turn for the worst. Started like race one, into the lead on the first lap, held it for a lap and a half but then first former British Super Bike rider Jim Hodson came past me on the back straight like I was stuck in first, that think was f888in quick, then I got mugged by three bikes at once. My bike just could not live with them on the back straight even with a slip stream I could not hold them. Could catch back on the brakes for the final corner but was to far back to make a pass. So 5th this time. Race 4 - Formula 400 Final. The track was now fully dry and I was not looking forward to this. I had changed the gearing in between races to try and hold a slipstream on the back straight. This made getting the bike of the line a bit easier but truth be known no better on the back straight. I got a OK start into 5th place and seemed to stay there. Not really loosing the pack in front but not being able to keep up on the back straight. Then to add to the pain I was passed on the back straight again on the last lap and could not make a move at the last turn to regain the place and crossed the line in 6th. Not a happy bunny I can tell you. Bit of a re-think, in the next month, before next round me thinks!