91传媒

Test Day

鈥溾�楾errible鈥� is the best word to describe it. Some of it my fault, some out of my control. I managed very few laps due to oil leaks, a rear brake pad falling out, red flag stoppages and tyre grip issues.鈥�

Qualifying

鈥淰ery frustrating. We made gearing and setup changes, but something didn鈥檛 feel right. Despite trying my best, went even slower than test day with a 1:35.9, nearly two seconds off my PB. This put me P6 in Class and 15^th on the grid.鈥�

Race 1

鈥淚 thought 鈥榣eave the bike alone 鈥� it must be me鈥�. So, we tried again to no avail. With bikes around me, I could see the biggest issue 鈥� we had no rear grip. The bike wasn鈥檛 sliding; it was spinning so badly that after just eight laps the rear tyre was toast. Had a great start and was in 10^th by the end of Lap 1, but then other riders started picking me off from Lap 3. Finished P5 in Class and 13^th overall. Best lap of only 1:35.218.鈥�

Race 2

鈥淛R Performance stepped in and we put in a softer spring and made a few changes. They worked for the rear and brought the grip back, but now the bike was turning very slowly and gave me arm pump for the first time this year.

From 13^th on the grid, got into 10^th until Halliday passed me. Chased down Steven Duncan and got past him on Lap 10. By then, with two laps to go, I couldn鈥檛 feel my brake lever, but pushed as hard as I could. Held him off until the last lap but had to settle for P4 in class and 11^th overall. Best lap was 1:34.839.鈥�

Race 3

鈥淪at in my van, head in hands, thinking 鈥榳hat鈥檚 going on?鈥�, we decided to change the front settings and, thankfully, it was just about perfect! I had my bike back again. I knew on the warm-up lap I was in with a chance of running where I normally do.听

鈥淏oom! A good start from 11^th on the grid and then made the pass of my season into the Old Hairpin to get straight onto the back of Wilf Turner, who was running in 9^th. On Lap 2, did a new PB of 1:34.104 and felt so comfortable with the pace that a pass into Goddard鈥檚 looked possible, but decided not to have a go. Turner had been riding much better than me and, although comfortable, I could see a few things I wasn鈥檛 doing right. So, thought to stay with him and learn then go if I could. Put in a 1:34.238 on Lap 3. Perfect! It looked like we would get that last dance after all! Then an almighty BANG on the Start/Finish Straight – the exhaust had blown off its connector to the headers and I had to retire. Another DNF, but considering I had been off the pace all weekend, I enjoyed those three laps a lot!

鈥淚t just wasn鈥檛 our weekend. Some my fault, some just life, but again I learned so much. It鈥檚 the first time we didn鈥檛 get a tin pot, but we took P2 in the Premier 1000 Championship by a good margin.鈥�

鈥淐ongratulations to Wilfred Turner. You deserved to win the Championship and it鈥檚 been a pleasure racing so close with you. WELL DONE and I look forward to scrapping it out again next year.

鈥淚 am so grateful to my amazing sponsors, family and friends for their support throughout the season. Without you we don鈥檛 go racing. Simple! I have absolutely loved it and I hope you have too.鈥�

Photos by Camilla Davina Temple-Court