BMCRC Nationwide at Cadwell Park (Club Circuit) 14th June 2003

After all the fun at the start of the season I missed a lot of May due to organising Quick Quacks meeting in Wales and then family holiday in France where I duly gained 3-4kg overindulging in the vino and fromage.
I decided I needed to do a proper circuit as Daz put it, so in a fit of madness entered myself into Bemsee Nationwide round at Cadwell Park (and thus ensuring I had raced at 3 different circuits to help towards losing the orange bib).

Alas, by the time I returned from France, I was only able to enter the Supersports 400 race as all the places on the Rookie 400 had been taken (being as they share a grid with Minitwins series). To say I was nervous about racing against a field mainly consisting of national licence holders was an understatement. Still always up for a challenge.. bring it on!!

Luckily, Andy Mathieson and his wife Yvonne had answered my call for assistance as local Quacks to the area. They both gave vital paddock support (refuelling, tyre warmers, taking pics, supplying fluids and counselling!) and I will forever be in their debt for stepping in at the last minute to help me out.

Practise was fast paced as expected and unkike my previous trip out at Cadwell at a trackday in Sept 02, I was digging the knee in deeply everywhere.

First race was a hoot. I spent most of the race stuffing up the back 2 at the ridiculous club circuit hairpin or Charlies 2, only to be overtaken up to Coppice or Park straight respectively. I was disappointed at my lack of drive out of bends and considered that the weight gain in France had taken its tol on my acceleration. (It turned out that after doing a test day at Aintree in May I had left a 14 tooth front sprocket on instead of a 13!!)
Anyway, finished last BUT within half a second of back pack (consisting of 4 of us) and never got lapped. Had I done same time in Rookie race I would have finished in first half.

Second race I was more determined. I braked like a demon into club hairpin on first lap (undertaking 2 others) only to be overtaken by one as I went into coppice (as ususal). I noticed that following hard braking the brake lever was right out, further than ususal (despite being set on minimum span). I rounded Chralies 1, not braking (using hill to slow me) but as I feathered brake for Charlies 2, I could barely reach lever. I dug the knee right in but suddenly slowed as the bike sat up. ARRGHH!! the front brake had locked!!! All I could do was steer very ungracefully into the grass on Park Straight. I'm sure most of the Marshals though I had bottled it on the bend but were surprised when they couldn't push the bike due to locked wheel.
Crash was minor but with broken nearside footpeg assembly and gearchange, and with brakes seizing my day was over. Pah!

Seizure later turned out to be a poorly fashioned pattern lever push on master cylinder very slightly throughout (no free play in lever) causing brakes to overheat.

Overall, disappointing that I had only managed to do 1 full race but I learnt a lot from the experience overall.





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