Final Preparations.
Calm before the storm.
I started, le-man style, with a run across the track and got away well and started putting laps in. Within the first 15 minutes or so, a crash brought the pace car out while they cleared the debris up, and they got him back to the pits, so that gave me a breather. Back up to speed I had a couple of little slides but thought nothing of it, then Chris called me into the pits early, as the bike was reported to have been smoking. We pulled the panels off and thought it was the oil tank over full so drained some off, cleaned the bellypan out and I went back out. Half a dozen laps or so I was called in again, still puffing smoke. Pulled all the panels off to find the oil pressure switch was weeping. I cycled up to the main paddock (in my now very hot leathers!), to get one out of the spare engine while Rick loosened the one on the bike, then fitted the new one. The team re fitted all the panels while I got kitted up again and was relieved to get some airflow back through my kit! I pulled the pin a bit and was lapping in 1.03/1.04s to try to unwind some of the lost laps. Finally got called in for rider change and a fuel stop, which went like clockwork. Ricky was then out for an hour and was real consistent with his laps, almost every one a 1.06.
Ready to roll.
Next stop we re-fuelled, then Chris and Pete changed the rear tyre, Ricky and I changed the front and I went out. Was in the 1.04/1.05 bracket this time. Half an hour in and the pace car came out again, this time for a bit of a nasty crash so we were circulating slowly for about 20 mins. Good to get my breath back but riding slowly played havoc with my right shoulder. Still, we got back up to speed and Chris made me do another half hour assuming that the 70 minute rider maximum didn’t count when the pace car was out. Hmm.
More fuel, and a swap over to a worn out Ricky. The first hour had taken it’s toll but he was still doing 1.07s with a few 1.06s though they dropped off towards the end of his session. We’d made some time up so Chris called him in at 45 minutes, we did more fuel, both tyres again and I went out for my last session. For saying we didn’t have quick fuelling rigs or air guns like a lot of the teams, the changes were very slick. We actually got the award for the best pit crew for our efforts!
In the commentary booth, Russell Gardener was kept busy with the three sheets of A4 we’d given him full with info about us to help him talk for 6 hours! At some points it was like Team Spidey Radio, just like last year at NG!
I took a few laps to get up to pace as my calves has seized up a bit in between but once I’d got them working, I was in the 1.05s again. Chris said he’d give me a time board to let me know how long I’d been out but I had a clock on the dash and went out at 4.40. Knowing Ricky was suffering I thought I’d do as long as I could, the longer I did, the less he’d have to. I did think that as soon as my lap times dropped off enough to below what Ricky could do I’d pull in but even though I was completely exhausted, I still kept seeing 1.05s when I had clear track! I kept going till 5.30 giving Ricky only 30 minutes to do, but I could hardly stand when I got off the bike. I’d got us up to 15th place, almost 3 laps ahead of the 16th placed team which included Dazzzler, current NG MiniTwin Champion on their R1. Our swap over and fuel stop cost us a lap and as Ricky joined the circuit the R1 came past again, leaving them one lap to gain on us in half an hour if they wanted 15th and the last championship point. Trouble is, Ricky was doing 1.09s and they were doing 1.06s, and Russell was adding to the tension over the tannoy by doing the maths and warning that they could catch us. We gave Ricky the hurry up and he managed to get back into the 1.07s and held them off to the line so he took the chequered flag in 15th which was fab. We did 279 laps, the overall winner did 320 but without the two oil problem stops, we’d have nudged the 300 mark I’m sure. Certainly a third rider to keep us all a bit fresher would have helped too.
That was easy!!!
So, quite an achievement, and very pleased with how it all went. The team was fab, not just doing pitstops but keeping Rick and I fed and watered and our kit ready to go. Feel absolutely beaten up today; hands blistered, muscles aching, and very, very tired. But hey, when I asked the other guys at work here what they did over the weekend all I got was, “oh, nothing much”……
What a team!
