EMRA Mallory Park 29th June 2003
Photos by Flash Harry and Dez Chand.

Phew ! What a Scorcher!

After the front brake seizing debacle at Cadwell two weeks previously, I was keen to get out again at one of my favorite circuits.

Team Purple were out in force this day, being as Yoav was also racing in the 80cc championship and having his first race too on his RS250.

The day started badly as my bike failed scrutineering as the steering lock was not effective, the bars coming back to touch the tank (as it had been since Croft). We got through this by pushing the clip-ons a bit further back and going to a different scrutineer...

Out on first practise.. seemed to be going well... slid knee gently round on second lap out (it being a very hot day track and tyres warming nicely). However, on my 3rd entry into Gerards the front end seized up again; this time I was half expecting it and came to gentle halt in the grass.

After much gnashing of teeth and scratching of heads I tried loosening the brake lever by taking out the shim in the pattern lever which secured it in place. the lever wobbled all over the place but brakes never seized again. Result!!

Was very disapointed with short Novice race which was cut to 4 laps due to red flags.. I had done my usual of having a bad start and picking them off one by one from the back. Would have done a lot better with full 8 laps!
Racing itself went OK. I actuallty managed to finish all 5 races (a first at Mallory this year!) but never came away with any bits of plastic. Had great battle with a GSXR600 in Open 1300 (see pictures below) where he would overtake me on straights and I would overtake him at Gerrards... brilliant!

Yoav too managed to finish all his races, so 100% record for Team Purple on this meet! We drank gallons of water and ice cream in a bid to keep cool and hydrated.

Was very disappointed with lack of drive again. It was after stripping the bike when I got home that I realised that I had run the Bemsee meet and this meet on the wrong gearing (14/43 instead of 13/43!!) Still, asI was scraping the footrests around Gerards and it seemed I could go no faster, I decided to get the bike a bit tuned up.. engine, suspension amd frame.. thus I ended up taking 2 months out of the season whilst all this was sorted... Oh, and I went on a diet!!



Photos by Flash Harry and Dez Chand.


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