Email: info@surecloudracing.co.uk
We were going to race 2 endurance races this year. One with Hottrax Endurance in the national series and one with No Limits in their new endurance races in the 1000cc open class.
Unfortunately Jamie who was to race in the Hottrax race suffered a big off two days before the race at a practice track day. He lost the bike at Craner Curves and suffered broken hand, fingers, wrist and toes as well as having concussion. Thoughts are with him as he recovers from these injuries.
No Limits Donington Open Class Endurance 29th June 2013.
No Limits have just started a race club this year and their rules state that you have to have at least one novice in the team. Paul and I decided to pair up. Paul has never raced before but Donington is his 'home track' as he only lives 45 minutes away so knows it very well.
We arrived on the Friday evening for scrutineering in the pouring rain. No dramas and both bikes got through with no observations. We signed on and Paul went home and I went down to Brum to stay at my parents.
Saturday, we arrived at about 7:00am and took up our position in garage 1. We went to the briefing at 8:30 where Claire from No Limits commented on our SureCloud racing T shirts during the briefing. the other teams just looked at us probably thinking 'wankers' LOL. We felt like man and wife with matching helmets! ha ha!
Qualifying started at 10:30 and I went out first on new tyres. I went round until I clocked a 1:46 and pulled in. Paul went out and he did mid 1:46s. He came out with about 7 minutes to go and I went out again to put in a fast lap. After a warm up lap I got into the groove and knocked in a 1:44, and then went for it on the next lap..... RED FLAG.... oh bugger! I was on for at least a 1:43.... hey ho that's qualifying.
We ended up being 5th on grid, and the fastest lap was only a just over a second more than us, so we felt confident and I know from other endurance races that qualifying mid pack is not an issue and have won from there before.
Our pit crew arrived, friends of Paul's and mine. Rich, Steve, Steve, Steve, Scott and Kev and we dished out the responsibilities, pit board, changeover timing etc.
It had been decided that I would start and that Paul wanted to take the chequered flag for his first race.
Race prep started and I went out for the out lap and lined up with Paul. We were waved off for the warm up lap and again lined up. Paul holding the back of the bike and me walking across the track waiting for the start.
Red lights go out and I sprint (well shuffle) across the track, jump on the bike, start it, put it in gear (wont start in gear) and hare off. I maintain 5th place off the start. Guys in front of me are going pretty well and one guy really gets away... but I never race at 100% in an Endurance as it is a long old race. I have a nice tussle with one guy passing each other back and forth and after 45 minutes I had made up 2 places to 3rd and came in. It was well hot and I thought my head was going to explode. But it had been a reasonable session with mostly in the 1:44 to 1:46 times with a best of 1:43
Paul goes out for his first ever endurance race session, I bet that felt funny. If he had butterflies he didnt show it as he immediately hit 1:45s and 1:44s. He kept this up for his session and after 15 minutes we had made up a place to 2nd. Just before he was due in the safety car went out. We had decided that he should stay out even if it was greater than 45 minutes as you lose too much time, although he was low on fuel. Fuel usage had been one of my big worries, I had come in on reserve for my first stint despite brimming it. Anyway ,again, no dramas and Paul came in and I went out for my second and final 45 minute session. I had dowsed myself with water all inside my leathers and my helmet to keep cool. I am not fit, whereas Paul is a mega fit cyclist who each week knocks out 40 miles up and down dale inside of 2 hours! Paul is a bit like Pedrosa about 9 stone dripping wet compared to my near 14 stone corpulent bulk.
I circulated around again mainly 1:45s as after 2 hours we were leading the race by 1 lap. Although at about the 2 hour mark, 30 minutes into my session I lost the rear around the Melbourne Loop (see it in the video) but somehow stayed on. After that I dropped a second per lap or so as we didn't need to risk it.
I come in and Paul goes out. Because there is a minimum of 3 minutes changeover period then you can have a chat with the other rider. I said to Paul we were at least 2 minutes ahead and just to bring it home.
Paul goes out and starts doing 1:44s and 45s again. So clearly ignored what I suggested LOL! He keeps knocking this laps in at this pace for his last session and also gets fastest lap for us by 2 tenths in the 3rd lap from the end. There I am on pit wall having kittens hoping he will knock the pace off!!!!
Anyway the chequered flag comes out for Paul and he flies through and we have won!! First race and first win for Paul! Damn good!
Congratulations and thanks for all our pit crew for helping us out. fantastic effort by all.
No Limits Cadwell Open Class Endurance 17th August 2013.
Well after the success at Donington Paul decided that he may be able to fit in Cadwell if he moved his shifts around and called in some favours. One race, one win.... see how it gets you going.
Paul then made three visits up Cadwell to get some practice in. Indeed he went really well and got down to a 1:40 which is very very respectable.
I havent been there since 2009 and couldnt make it up to Cadwell at all, so decided to book the evening track day before race day just to remember the lines, gear change points and braking points. In the end it was all a bit of a disaster. I had a hell of a headache all day whilst I was driving up and it was very hot when I got there. Anyway went out for the first session and only got about 2 laps in after the sighting laps before the checkered flag. Went back to my car and tried starting my genny and it broke! I missed the second session whilst I found a couple of mates who lent me theirs (thanks Monty and Keith from Team Green), and waited for the third session. It took for ages as there were two big crashes which delayed things. Managed to get out and they only gave us 5 laps, so only 3 timed laps. Got back in and felt so bad just went straight to the B&B and was in bed by 8:30. 6 laps only what a pain, although I was reasonably pleased that at least I had got a 1:47 under my belt even in these few laps.
Usually i have a rule, if I am not in bed by 10:00 ..... I go home!
Anyway race day dawns and I feel much better. Go to the track and Paul arrives and we set our kit up in the massive Marquee provided by No Limits in the pit lane. Indeed the Marquee is being used the next weekend by the BSB crew.
Qualifying came and we were just about to go out and a few spots of rain come down. We immediately decide that I change to wets and Paul stays on wets and we cover our bases dependent on the weather.
Paul goes out but its too damp and he can only get in 2:11s. He comes in and I go out for a few laps and get down to 1:54 on a damp track. Buts its drying and wearing my tyres out so I come in and after another 10 minutes teh track has dried out and Paul goes out for the last few minutes of qualifying and gets down to a 1:46 and 6th place on the grid.
All our support crew have now arrived which we are very thankful for. Thanks lads.
We have already decided that Paul will have a go at starting a race. So I give him the tip that he cant rely on hearing his engine start so that he knows that it has started due to the noise of all the engines around and he should watch his rev counter.
We line up on the grid, Paul wanders over to the other side of the track and the lights go out and he runs across jumps on his bike and as he told me himself forgot my tip and had a big problem telling that the bike had started and unfortunately had a crap getaway! I didnt say anything tio him when he did come in as I knew he was telling himself off more than I ever could!
Anyway Paul lost about 10 places on his start, but frankly I wasnt worried. he quickly made the places up from about 14th place and 15 minutes after I took over we were 7th overall but 1 lap behind the leaders, not too good. Although Paul had got down to a 1:41. I was having to use the race to learn the circuit, but in my 45 minutes I managed to put some 1:43s in so was quite happy.
Not sure what position I managed to get us up to but towards the end of the session it started to rain and then it all went tits up.
It started raiming about 4 laps from the end of my session and was quite wet up by Park and Chris Curve so I was just waiting to be called in so that Paul could go out on wets.
I came in to the pits and saw that Paul was not on wets he was still on his road tyres. That was mistake #1, but mistake #2 was bigger. Instead of me going out again and Paul changing his wheels I pulled in and helped him and the crew change his wheels. 20:20 hindsight said this was madness, I still cant believe we did this. Both of us are not quite sure why this mistake was made. So the change took over 10 minutes rather than the minimum three and we lost 4 laps. What a pair of plonkers! It would have been better for me to have bimbled around the track whilst he changed his wheels. I guess the stress of the racing moment.
Anyway Paul went out and circulated very well and I changed to my wets, mistake #3. Towards the end of his session the rain stopped, the wind blew hard and dried the track in about 10 minutes. No time for me to change back into drys and so I went out on wets on a dry track! As I went out I said to the crew to get Paul changed over to dry tyres and pull me in soon as I would be wrecking a pair of good wets. So after about 20 minutes I came in and Paul went out and finished the last 15 minutes of the race. One good thing about the last change was that from entering the pits to leaving the pits was only 19 seconds which was pretty damn good.
In the end we finished 7th overall but 3rd in class, so at least we got a trophy.
Team Green had made the same mistake but they got hit hardest they moved from 1st overall at the 1 hour interval to 10th at the 2nd hour and only got back to 8th at the end.
We certainly learned a lot from that race. After analysing the differences between the top 7 places, best case if we had made the right decision we would definately have been 2nd in class and 2nd overall and may even have been first and first as it is difficult to tell from the timing whether we were 4.0 laps behind or 4.9 laps behind due to the way the timimg works.
Oh well that's racing!
Thanks to all that helped us and in the end we finished shiny side up so that's always a bonus!