Snetterton 3, 4/5th May 2002
Practice 3rd May 2002
As we have done for every event so far this season, Andrew
and I signed up for the practice day that is available prior to each race day.
This allows us time to get ‘dialled into’ the track and blow the cobwebs
away before race day. I was doing
1:16s at best last year and hence that was my yardstick. Changed the gearing as Snetterton is a very fast track, yes
even faster than Silverstone! Dropped
down two teeth on the rear sprocket from the Silverstone setting, this held it
off the limiter down the back straight, the Speedo showed 175, but that is
162mph in reality (about a 8%reduction in ratio results to the speedo over
reading by 8%). For the latter part
of last season I was using Dunlop D208GPs, I had grown to like these and build
my confidence in them, the thing I liked the most was the feedback, especially
from the front. Due to finances we
have switched to Michelin Pilot Race 2s, several reports suggest that these are
very good tyres. They look just like slicks (have the most feeble excuse for
tread I have ever seen!). As I had
built up quite a rapour with the Dunlops I was a bit hesitant/nervous to know if
I would get on with the Michelins (why deter from a good thing). For the practice sessions I had designated the tyres I was
using in the Silverstone Supersport races (Dunlops, with a turned round rear and
well worn) I decided I would put the Michelins on for one of the sessions to
scrub them in.
On the day the sessions were ½ hour long, so we had
4*30min sessions, which is different to the normal 6*20 min sessions.
I prefer the 6 session format as 20 mins is ample to get some practice in
but not too long so as you begin to get fatigued/loose concentration.
I figured I would wear the Pilot out too much if I did a whole 30 min
session so decided to do about 15 mins worth on it to a: scrub them in and b:
see what they are like, but not wear them out.
In an ideal world I would have had a set of them for the practice day and
a set for race day … but hey, that isn’t an ideal world, my world consists
of turning old tyres round to get maximum life out of them!!!
Felt very rusty in the first session, but felt a bit better
near the end. Decided to put the
Pilots on for the 2nd session just in case it rained later and I
would miss the opportunity to scrub them in.
As with all un-scrubbed tyres I took it gingerly for the first lap, then
‘worked’ them up, after about 3 laps they are good to go, they felt very
different from the 208s and I wasn’t 100% sure if that was down to them being
nice and new or just the difference in compound/profile etc.
They seemed Grippy enough but lacked that ‘feel’, however like most
things ‘different’ isn’t necessarily bad, I just needed time to get used
to them and give them a chance, I may grow to love them too.
However like I said I wanted to conserve this new rubber for the races
the next day. Did about 3 flyers
and pulled in the pits, hopped on the spare bike and finished the session on
that. Have no idea what laptimes I
was pulling by the end of the day, but Andrew was pulling 1:19s, I was faster,
but not sure by how much (wish I had a laptimer).
I felt I was ‘getting it on’ ok and found answers to the corner that
foxed me most last time I was there, but would probably be struggling to be 3
seconds faster than Andrew, let alone the 5-6 seconds I needed to be.
Finished the day pleased that we had once again done this
practice thing (didn’t do them last year).
Race day 4th May 2002
Race 1, Clubman 600 Start position 4th
(Saturday)
Started P4, front row of the grid, reflecting my position
in the championship. Pulled away
for the warm up lap and got good drive, then backed off for the first corner and
turned in holding a nice tight line, but not going particularly mad. That t**t
(he shall remain nameless) chopped my nose off for no reason and nearly took my
front wheel out … I thought jeeez this is only the warm up lap, there was no
need for that and I gesticulated he was a bit of a ‘hand pump’ (not that he
would have been able to see but everyone else would .. ).
Got an ok start with the same old story of taking it a bit
easy on the first lap or so to let things settle down.
Prolly about 8th by the middle of the second lap, things had
settled a bit and I started to get my head down, made my way through the pack
ok, until I came across P3&P4 people, they were having a bit of a jostle and
very close. As it was I would either have to sit behind or pass both at once,
kinda got held up for a bit because of this, but eventually managed to pick P4
off then deal with P3 in the lap or so. Hunted
down P2 , caught him and made the pass, we changed position a few times, he
would slip stream down the backstraight and make the pass into the lefthander of
‘The Esses’ I would get him back elsewhere; this continued. On the last lap,
knowing he would try the same move I took a defensive line down the backstraight
and entering ‘The Esses’ he pushed really hard into the left hander,
realising at that speed and entry angle he would have to go a bit wide I
modified my line and hung back a bit so I could get good drive to the bomb-hole,
this worked a treat and I managed to get the better of him, then held him off to
the line.
Pretty pleased with that.
Andrew had taken a tumble on the first lap, so Bob-a-Job,
Rick had some fixing to do.
Race 2, Supersport 600 Start position ??
(Saturday)
Don’t pay much attention to what goes on during these
races sorry …
Race 3, Clubman 600 Start position 2nd
(Saturday)
I was sat in the collecting area minding my own business,
when ‘thump’ something hit my leg/boot … managed to keep balance on the
bike, and looked round … the same bloke that nearly took me out on the warm up
in the first race had decided to run into my leg with his bike. He didn’t
offer any reason/excuse and I have to say I was a little perplexed by it.
I guess most people would have thumped him for it, but I am not that sort
of bloke.
Pulled up to the grid and I noticed someone was in my grid
position, they had realised this and kinda embarrassed, moved over … I did
chuckle. Start went ok and did my
usual in the open laps of just trying to keep tabs, but not trying anything
heroic. Made my way through the
pack after that and had a bit of a battle to get 3rd, proceeded to
change places with Mr P4 a few times as he would draft me down the back
straight, I was faster everywhere else, but nothing I could do about him passing
me there. Marked my stamp on P3 by
digging in modifying my line into ‘The Esses’ on the final lap and held P4
off. Went into Russel Bend
(chicane) Really hard so as to keep him abay and turned in nicely, realising he
wouldn’t be able to pass me from here I was content … then SMACK!! … P4
had T-Boned me, I didn’t instantly come off, but he took me onto the grass, he
consequently fell and I was pleased to still be on, I though ‘ok, just a dab
of front brake when I get to the track the other side of the chicane and turn it
in, unfortunately my plan was foiled by the lack of a front brake leaver!!!
Basically the impact had broken my front leaver off and hence I was grabbing a
hand full of nothing, I had tyres full of sh** and was going way too fast to
turn it when I actually crossed the track … the next stop was the Tyre wall,
managed to scrub a bit more speed off with the rear brake, but the wall was fast
approaching, so I took the executive decision to bail out. Stood on the rear and
tuned the bike in, did a controlled low-side and kicked myself away form the
bike, the bike and I probably hit the wall at about 20MPH still, but it was
better this way than head on. I
jumped up and hurled myself over the wall.
I took my lid off … at this point I realised my hand hurt. I was later
told that I threw my lid on the floor in what seemed like a tantrum, but I think
it was just where my focus changed to my hand and in the heat of the moment, I
literally let go of the lid. My finger didn’t look broken, but the nail had
shoved itself half way up towards the first joint and looked a bit loose. I then heard my name being called from the crowd and looked
over, it was Kym (Bob-a-jobs girlfriend) asking if I was ok, I said yeah, I’m
ok, and passed her my gloves and lid (which I picked up off the floor), the
Marshall said that would have to be scrutineered, so I took it back and handed
it to him. By this time the
bloke who took me out had dusted himself off and had come over to apologise, for
some reason I wasn’t really that annoyed at him at that point and said don’t
worry about it, that’s racing … he said ‘Nick I really wanted that 3rd
place’ … I though, well I wouldn’t have minded it myself … and P4 would
have been better than DNF and bits!!! P5
had also taken a tumble on the debris and we all walked back to the pits like 3
horseless amigos after a bustup in a spaghetti western.
After picking my bike up from scruteneering, I had time to
reflect on what had just happened. Not
only had I just had 3rd place and all those points stolen from me
(and a trophy), the guy who was threatening my championship had just been gifted
3rd from his 6th place. I was running 2nd in the championship prior top
this incident too .. To cap it all I would have to start at the back of the grid
for the next race the following day. I
couldn’t believe it, 32nd on the grid, all that traffic would spell
a nightmare to try and get back in the top 5, whilst the boys at the front can
simply clear off.
Race 4, Supersport 600 Start position ??
(Saturday)
Made this race ok, the bike wasn’t too difficult to fix
up.
Race day II 5th May 2002
Race 1, Clubman 600 Start position 32nd
(Sunday)
After a sleepless night trying to work out how I was going
to get up the front from way back of the pack, we were greeted on Sunday morning
with rain … I was extra miffed as not only did I have to start from the back
of the pack but in conditions that I didn’t like.
I kinda wrote this race off in my head and just thought I would try and
take it easy and stay on ready for an attack in the afternoon if it dried out.
Andrew and I bought some new wets for this season, the Avons last year
were never really any good and they were certainly knackered by the end of the
season too. We went for Metz Rains,
these are a million times better than the Avons, but I still don’t have the
confidence of others in the rain. Although
32nd on the grid probably only 25-28 people were in front of me
(presumably the others bottled it). Start
was ok, making a few places before the first corner, made my way round that and
then just tried to stay out of trouble and ride smoothly.
I didn’t have to do much work really as people were dropping like
flies, so I just took people as they came and not forcing the issue. That seemed
like the longest race ever and I was willing the last lap flag to come out …it
seemed like I had done 20 laps when it finally did and I just brought it home.
Amazed that I had actually pulled in a 7th place.
As it happens I couldn’t really have hoped for a much
better position had it been bone dry, so the weather may actually have worked in
my favor. Who knows if I had
started from the front then I may have got a better place, but I was pretty
happy with that ‘damage limitation’ seventh.
Race 2, Supersport 600 Start position ?? (Sunday)
Good old supersport bedlam
Race 3, Clubman 600 Start position 7th
(Sunday)
Although now only 2nd row, I was pretty pleased
to be at the front (ish) of the grid again.
Normal start and opening laps, but really got held up trying to get
through the traffic, by the time I got past what I thought was 4th
place bloke there was no one to be seen in front, I was banging in a few
reasonable laps, but nothing special to try and make a bit of a break. Took a
look round and the now P5 bloke was a safe distance behind, so I backed off
enough to maintain that sort of gap, keeping him just far enough back that he
couldn’t draft me down the straights and giving me a bit of room for error,
yet not risking it by riding on the limit.
This went on for about 4 laps and the last lap flag came out, realising I
was well clear I just bought it home safely, not even tucking in for to the
finish line.
Got back to the pits and discovered it was actually 3rd
I had got, so pretty chuffed with that all things considered.
Race 4, Supersport 600 Start position ?? (Sunday)
It rained again after the clubman race, we were knackered
and hurting anyway, so we decided to pack up and go home.
