91传媒

Test day

鈥淪tarted off very steady as I didn鈥檛 feel great on or off the bike. Had a nap on the lunch break then Dr. Walton was sent into the caravan! After a few stern, well-needed words, the leathers were back on and I was out lapping in the low 1:34s on old tyres. Gary said the bike looked too soft so we popped in a setting, grabbed some chicken and a drink and never saw him again. He obviously thought we could do the business.鈥�

Qualifying

鈥淕ot some clear track and went ok with a 1.34.0, putting me 7^th on the grid and P1 in class.鈥�

Race 1 (11 laps)

鈥淭he plan was to get a good start, run in the low 1:33s and get the class win.

“Got a great start and was running 5^th just behind Brendan Mallinder when he had a massive off at Charlie鈥檚. I was expecting a red flag which normally happens when I get a good start, but thankfully Mally is a tough lad and he was up and safe so the race went on. Dropped back to 5^th overall when Steven Butterworth caught me, but kept the lap times consistent and brought it home in an overdue P1 with a new PB of 1:33.1.鈥�

Race 2 (14 laps)

鈥淪tarting 8^th on the grid, one behind Wilf Turner 鈥� I needed a good start. I did get one, but Ryan Dixon ahead of me didn鈥檛. I had nowhere to go and Turner got away first into Coppice. I kept out of trouble and hooked on to the back of him and settled. I wasn鈥檛 in a rush to try a pass and learnt a few things following him up until Lap 6 when someone behind showed me a wheel, so I had to go!

鈥淚 had a few looks on Lap 7, passed Wilf at Mansfield and did a 1:32.4 (new PB). I tried to pull away with a 1:32.7, but couldn鈥檛 shake him off. With two laps to go, I had a poor drive out of Charlie鈥檚 2 and he passed me at Park Corner. I was carrying too much speed to make a cut-back work, so I was back to square one.

鈥淭hen we had a red flag. Normally, the result goes back a lap, but most of the riders had passed the line so it was declared a result.

鈥淚 was sure I could pass again and had a few ideas, but no such luck. A few things haven鈥檛 gone our way this year, but that鈥檚 racing and I鈥檓 sure that will change.

鈥�7^th overall, P2 in class and PB 1:32.417.鈥�

Race 3 (13 laps)

鈥淔rom 6^th on grid, same plan to 鈥榞et a good start and go鈥� was my best chance. 聽Well, that would be too easy. Didn鈥檛 get a good start and Turner was off. By Park Straight, there were 3 bikes between us and he was pulling away. So, my turn to do the catching up. I knew I had to make the passes to get to him. Put in two mega sectors, used bits of the track I鈥檓 scared of and found myself on his tail at The Chicane in just one lap. It was the longer, 13-lap race, so thought my best plan was to keep him honest and have a go later in the race.

鈥淚 was playing with my riding, learning where he was strong and where I was stronger, so that when I made the pass I could go and not let him pass me back.

“He wasn鈥檛 messing about, dropping in 1:32s for most of the race. Whenever he pulled away, I could get straight back on to his wheel, matching his pace, so I was still sure we would be ok. With four laps left, I gave the nod to the pit board lads, letting them know it was GO time and set about getting in front. I could see he was pushing the limit.听 He ran slightly wide at Barn, lost the front, but turned into Marc Marques and saved it. 聽

鈥淲ith two laps to go, I made a pass at Mansfield but couldn鈥檛 stop and turn fast enough, so he cut straight back. Tried again at The Chicane and he closed the door on that one too. Going onto the last lap, I had good drive down Park Straight, got on the brakes late, but so did he. Both bikes making big shapes, we both ran deep so that was one chance gone. So, it had to be Mansfield. At Chris Curve, he clipped the banding and had a big rear slide mid-corner, so I got real close going into the Gooseneck.

鈥淗e didn鈥檛 go too defensive out of the Gooseneck, to my surprise, and as I was strong all weekend at Mansfield, thought 鈥榩erfect鈥�. But Tom Norton must have had an issue of some sort as we caught him from nowhere. I had a split-second decision to make. If I sent it in and he was in my way, there would have been no way to stop, so decided not to take the risk. Looking back, I think I would have missed him, but it鈥檚 easy to say that now.

鈥淚 kept Wilf honest to the end, but with nothing between us all weekend it would have had to be a lunge and I chose to keep a shiny bike instead.听

“Congratulations to Wilf. He kept his cool and rode mega. We had some great, clean racing and both gave it all we had. Not ideal for my championship but we fight on to the end.听聽聽聽聽

鈥淲e both ended up in the 1.32 club for the first time, not just once, but lap after lap. I don鈥檛 know why, but a 1.32 at my home track was always a dream target for me. I guess I鈥檓 living the dream. With what I learnt this weekend, there is more time to be made up, so the target moves on to the 31s. See you next year, Cadwell.

鈥�7^th overall, P2 in class.鈥�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court