Brands Indy 11th and 12th September 2004

Prologue and Practice day 10th September 2004

After feeling so ‘raw’ at the last few rounds where there had been a long gap between rounds, Andrew and I decided to do the official practice day this time. For me it was simply practice to try and get my head in track gear again and try and get on ‘the pace’. For Andrew it was also to give his new Ducati a tryout. We had given the new Duke a shakedown at Snetterton when Andrew first got it, he was going well on it right up to the point where he blew it up by changing gear the wrong way (to be fair he was running a ‘reverse box’ for the first time ever! It had now been rebuilt with a ‘right way round’ gear linkage and this was a good test to see if it would hold together!!

Arrived at Brands by about 8am and got set up, although first session was something like 9:30 that hour and a half disappeared! It had rained and was wet, I was the 3^rd session out (Andrew was the 4^th). It had stopped raining now, so it was set to dry out, basically I couldn’t really be bothered to change my wheels for wets and it was all a little rushed anyway, so I decided to forgo my first session hoping for better weather to follow. I used the time to sort out a few other bits and bobs including getting Andrew ready for his session.

It wasn’t really drying and another shower came over Brands, so I decided to change to wets for my next session (I didn’t want to miss two!!). Went out and well to be fair didn’t do anything spectacular, my fastest wet time was a 58 I believe, I got my times down to a LOW 1:00 (60) by session end. Got back and timed Andrew in his session, he was putting in similar times to what I had been doing (64, 63s) then the times dropped down, he put in a HIGH 59, so he was slightly faster, but for all intense and purposes lapping about the same.

Andrew wasn’t really feeling comfortable on the Duke and was muttering that he might revert back to the SP1, I suggested that he stay with the Duke for a bit and see how he feels after a few more laps.

Next session out was dry tyres. Times came down to 54s.

As the day went on, Andrew became more comfortable with his Duke and my times were down to consistent low 53s with the odd 52. My fastest RACE time at Brands being mid 51s, set when I was there back in July. So although I would have liked to see more 52 so I knew I was more ballpark, I realised that it was only practice and with new tyres 51s weren’t out of the question.

Decided to not do the last session as I wasn’t really improving my times, the tyres had gone off and it would only serve to wear me out more. Also missing it out allowed me to get scrutineered ready for race day.

The Duke had caused a few more teething problems during the day, most notable being that the rear brake had evidently partially seized on and as such burnt the rear pads to the extent they fell apart when dismantled!!! You have to love Ducati don’t you!! ;o)

This was a 'double weekend' with races on the Saturday and Sunday, so 8 races lay ahead, well actually 9 as they were doing a re-run of the Powerbikes from the Snetterton round that was cancelled due to high winds back in March.

Saturday 11th

Morning practice

It was nice and dry. New tyres on for this, there are a new version of the Metz Rennsports out, i love the Rennsports, they give me lots of confidence, and these new ones were supposed to be better still. Funnily enough they retail for an extra £20, but hey I was willing to give them a go. Got out and took the first lap or so to settle in and scrub the tyres, then got to work .... hummm, struggling to get below 54s here!! Never mind, tyres feel 'different', but are gripping well, lets see how the races pan out.

Race 1 Supersport 600 AM race.

Started 20^th Finish 21st

First race of the day and the kamikazes were out!!! Total and utter bedlam on the open lap or two, bikes down at pretty much every turn ... to no surprise it was red flagged!!! The race was restarted missing a few! To be honest this was the first race of what was set to be a long w/e and I wasn't willing to throw it all away for nothing this early. What makes the insanity even more nonsensical was that this was actually a NON championship round for Supersport (although a SS race was run, the points scoring round was on Sunday!!). Was happy just to cross the line in one bit. 52.54 was my fastest lap.

Race 2 Powerbikes.

Start 10^th Finish 13th

First up of the powerbikes! I can't really remember much from this race, but I was feeling better still on the bike, crossed the line in 13th, fastest lap 51.9

Race 3 Supersport 600PM final

Start 13th, finish 24^th (out of 25!!)

Although a dry start, from the very first lap it was spitting of rain, especially round the clearways end of the track, I basically wasn't sure how wet it was out there, so rode accordingly cautiously, unfortunately caution and Supersport racing don't mix and I went backwards!!! Andrews and Is racing buddy Paul Mullen back from our Rookie days overtook me, this gave me a kick in the behind and I attempted to pick up my pace so he didn't get to far away. To e honest I wasn't comfortable, but I did manage to eventually start reeling him in. By the end of the race it had started raining properly all over the track, I wasn't going to be a hero and just wanted to finish, many had retired early due to the deteriorating conditions, including Mr Mullen, so by default I beet him ... and I didn't even need to make a pass!!! :o). Fastest lap 53.08, but no surprise really.

Race 4 Powerbike PM race.

Start 13th, Finish 19^th

Humm, kinda went backwards at the start here ... made my way past a few during the race, but the game was all but over really ...

Fastest lap 51.99

Race 5 Powerbike Snetterton re-run race. (this was the re-run of the cancelled race earlier in the season)

Start 23^rd( I think), Finish 9^th

Lots of people failed to make this grid, got my head down had a few slides fomr the now gettign tired rear, so didn't overly push it out of clearways or out of Druids, but still 'trying' crossed the line in 9th. Fastest lap 51.56

Andrew had retired with a slipping clutch ... Ducatis, you gotta love them!! ;oD

Sunday 12th

I was knocking around my fastest ever personal laptime, but I really wanted to beet it, yet at this point in time it was alluding me!! I had been revving out slightly down the start finish if I had got good drive out of Clearways, so decided to drop a tooth on the rear to give me that extra little that I seemed to need. This was quite exciting in its own way as I used to always get away with using a 48 at Brands Indy, I had been using a 47 and I was slapping on a 46!! that was the same gearing as I used to use at Snetterton with my old engine!! This new engin rocks!! That is an extra 7mph it is pulling down that straight :o)

Under advice I had also changed the front ride height at the last Brands round and I had never been happy with it since, the front feeling more vague. I had tried to live with it, but I was in the hunt for 50s laps!! I asked Matt my spanner man and Edi Trainee spanner man to revert back to my original settings.

Race 1 Supersport 600 AM race.

Started 24^th Finished 17^th.

New tyre on the rear for today, I knew I had to scrub this in during this race, took it a bit easy on the opening lap or two, but as I have said previously in SS6 you can't get away with this!!! and by this time I had slipped right back!! As I got more confident in the tyre, I got my head down and started making my way forward! Wow the front was back!! i had much more confidence in the front and was tucking it under people, over people, I just didn't care!! made up about 10 places in total by the end of the race!! 51.84 was my fastest lap, not bad as i was fighting through traffic the whole time!!

Race 2 Powerbikes.

Start 19^th Finish 12th

Was still a bit fired up from the previous race and soon got on the pace, got clear of a few then had a bit of a lonely race. Crossing the line in 12th.

Kym had timed my fastest lap at 50.9, but unfortunately in the official results 51.20 was the figure ... a new personal lap record, but still not happy, I wanted 50s!! I felt I had ridden hard there, but obviously need a bit more still!!

Race 3 Supersport 600PM final

Start 17h, Finish 13^th

Can't remember much from this race, but remember getting clear of the pack I was in and then seeing that the blokes in front were just that little bit to far ahead to get a tow, I could maintain the distance, but just couldn't close it down enough to get the tow.

Fastest lap 51.22 .. arrrrrrr the retchid 50s still allude me!!!

Race 4 Powerbike PM race.

Start 12^th, Finish 12^th

I knew I was going home after this race, so although enjoying the ride and riding hard wasn't pushing the boundaries particularly, the rear tyre was past its best now and I the 'going home' mentality was there. Evidently held my own, remember getting horsepowerd on the line. But hey.

A good race weekend, packed up and didn't think any more of it. Then got home and looked at the results a couple of day later ... my fastest lap of this race was a 50.83, er how did that happen? ... I had broken into the 50s ... whoooooooooo!!!! :o)

Summery

A long hard weekend, made even harder by the constant fettling Andrews Ducati required!! ;o)

Admittedly I was shattered after 3 hard days, and probably wouldn't have wanted another, but I had evidently just come on form and was disappointed that I now had to go home and begin to forget how to ride again!!! Still Silverstone was only 2 weeks away ... I don't like Silverstone, especially with the new chicane, which is really poorly thought out and built, that said ... Bring it on!! :o)

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