Motorcycle Drag Racing Team
When Dad and I arrived at the track, most of the setting up work was already done thanks to Lizz, Gipp and Nige. Thanks also to Don Kennedy, Bois Reed and Ray Debben for helping to find some spark plugs at short notice.
First run out in the morning we started out with a 9.89 dial but it soon became clear that the bike was having real trouble leaving the line without bogging. I ran a 10.34 @ 65 mph. I came back to the pits feeling sure I had let go of the clutch too slowly and it spun the clutch instead of the tyre.
Saturday morning , and another attempt at leaving the line. This time I made a point of reminding myself to ping the clutch and there was still a bog. Back to the pits and we put even higher pressure into the tyre and lowered the front in order to get the wieght away from the back wheel. Also, we decided to lean out the fuel mix. but still had the same problems as before.
It was the last run before eliminations and lean didn’t work so we decided to try rich. Thanks to Binz for finding us some jet drills to use as we proceeded to make a richer jet. Even now, we still had the same problem.
We went into eliminations thoroughly baffled. We could only hope for scott to break out. He ran a 7.97 on his 7.90 dial to my 11 on a 10.91 dial. Oh well.
As always thanks to my sponsors, Doug at Ensys (www.ensys.co.uk) and “Uncle” Steve Wood. Also thanks to Dad, Lizz, Gipp and Nige for helping me throughout the weekend.
You can visit youtube.com/nitrousjunkieracing for videos of this weekend.
It’s taken a week and one lost race report to get this sent out, as thinking about the weekend, and the catalogue of events, the realisation has finally sunk in how incredibly lucky I was, and how blessed I am by the most amazing crew and friends.
Set up as usual on the Friday – Kev went to fetch Jake, and I got the bikes organised and scruinteered. By the time they were back, the whole ensemble had arrived and we were ready to race!
Woke to the sound of rain, and thought “here we go again !” The wind was quite blustery, and soon dried up, called down, and rained again, and back to the pits we went. A few hours later we were back in the fire up road. I paired up with Allan Davies, I was in the left hand lane - and was advised to do a bigger burnout than normal, as I had had a new tyre fitted for this meeting. Big burnout I did!! Up to pre stage, launched, and immediately turned left, and although I tried to keep it away, I hit the armco, like a bouncing bomb. I can’t tell you why I kept it pinned, but the paramedics and fire crew were chasing me down the track, when eventually I came to a stop not long after the first return road, as unable to stop due to only having one brake lever. This has been snapped off on the armo with a foot peg, and scraped my leathers. Thankfully I sacrificed my leg and elbow to save the bike from worse damage!
Photo kind permission Callum Pudge Adrenaline is an amazing thing, once stopped I was very shaken, and in quite a bit of pain, so was taken to the med centre in the ambulance. I am so sorry for holding up everyone elses racing.
Eventually I was allowed to go back to the pits, to find that the bike had been pretty much turned round, a new lever found, thanks so much to Nigel Barker, and the foot peg was about to be re welded back on by Rick Cooke. Thanks so much to him, and the secondary offers from Jim Usher, and Richard Walters. All I had to do now was convince Ian Connop (big cheese medical type chap) that I was ok to race, and get bike and leathers re scrutineered, and I would be ready for the last qualifier of the day.
Happily they all gave me the go ahead, just in time to hear a couple of Comp bikes burn out.
I was given permission to do a re familiarisation pass after the last session, but nerves got the better of me, and I burnt the clutch out in the burnout, so would have to get my head sorted, and race the following day. I must thank 2 JDB buddies Jake Charman and Louis Davies for being total superstars and cleaning my clutch, and all the plates and steels, and putting it all back together again – it’a a rotten job – thank you so much.
Got out about 2.30, very sore and quite stiff – I was so nervous, I really thought I wasn’t going to be able to do this. Kev had taken a load of timing out, so it was going to be gentle and I was allowed to go solo. It was a normally aspirated run just to get me back in the saddle. I ran a 8.71 – the fastest the bike has gone with no nitrous, so was pretty pleased with that – and the team were just thankful I made it up there with no dramas!
The second run was awesome. I found my mojo! Still solo – but ran a 7.71 @ 173mph my quickest mph to date. It
got me up the ladder to Number 1 qualifier, sorry guys, seems a bit rude really !
What a day ! All sorted, and was up against Harold Woldenden in the first round of Elims. I love racing him, we always have a giggle, and is a good mate. Poor bloke red lit, whist I ran a 7.89 @ 162 mph and took the win. Tony Clark came up next, and we were all so chuffed for him to find that he had run his first 7 on the Outlaw, brilliant ! Phil Crossley had run another 7.8, another PB, and very pleased for him too !
I had a bye into the Final, so just staged, and waited to race Tony I was very much looking forward to this too. Ken Cooper looks after both out engines, it’s been a while since a Cooperized final !!
Needless to say, he put me in the left hand land, which completely messed with my head. So with a reaction of about 2 weeks, and “after you Tone” I chased him up the track, but he had me. He beat me on the tree, with another 7 – 7.9 to my 7.8. I am going to have to watch him !
Photo kind permission of Julie Steele Big huge thanks as always to my fantastic crew. Kevin, thanks for being so patient with me. Jake, Minx, Julie, Nigel, and Chris who has heard about my accident, and texted even though he was on the other side of the world, to see if I was ok. Richard Gipp, Allan and Clair Davies and Kerryanne Frazier.
Paramedics, Race control, Track Crew and Pit runners, Mark Cousell and Linda Williams, you rock !
Lastly to Eurodragster, and some incredible sponsors – Doug at Ensys, Tony Gillam at Abbey Motorsports, thank you so much for coming to see us at the weekend. “Uncle” Steve Wood, Vizman Kustom Art, Jeni at Yawning Cat Photography, Simon at Claron Graphics – Thank you all so much for all your support!