EMRA Mallory Park 21st September 2003

2 weeks later I returned for The Race Of The Year meet at Mallory with the full team and my daughter, Harriet. I had little knowledge as to what this was about but knew some of the BSB boys were going to be there and I was only eligible for one event, the Open 1300.
Although there were 2 rounds in each event, we only got to compete in one of the heats. This meant I was in the very last race of the day, albeit a 15 lap race. Interestingly enough I had been given the number "1" for the meet (!)

Practice was interesting. In my session I was lapped by some geezer on a Green Kawasaki 750. He overtook me on Gerards which was very unusal as I usualy hold my own there easily against bigger bikes... I managed to keep him in sight until Edwinas when I realised it was none other than one of the Hawk Kawasaki boys, Glen Richards. I was slightly perturbed when he lapped me 4 times although I latet realised that Lee Jackson was also out and they had both lapped me only twice. It was truly a revelation to watch the lines they took and how smooth and professional they were. I like to think I managed to stay with them on a few of the turns enough to learn something.

I then had to sit around for the entire day waiting to go out, although, to be honest, the atmosphere was electric with all the pro racers walking around the paddock and signing autographs for punters who were also allowed in. At one point I was asked for my autograph, and a photoshoot! I DID tell him I was only a novice but he didn't care :-)

So to the race itself. Interestingly, I was the slowest bike on the grid, being the only production F400 bike, and a 250 at that. I was in amongst a sea of GSXR1000s and CBR600s with the odd 250 GP bike. So it was with even more trepidation that I rolled up to draw lots for grid position. Ahah!! I drew pole!!
So there I was on the front of the grid, with bike numbered as "1" with a mass of growling GSXRs behind me ! Of the 15 other bike son the grid, 14 had gotten past me by the turn in for the first bend!
The race had been shortened to 10 laps due to the main event running late. Although a lot of people had left by my race, I had never had so many people watch me race. I started slowly amd did a 1' 06" lap initially. I quickened and managed to overtake my first CBR600. I quickened even more until I had managed 1' 03" and on the last lap had closed the gap on the next CBR6 in fron of me, the only other girl in the race, Angela Harris. I was pretty detemined to get past, and luckily for me, as we both entered Edwinas we were lapped by the 2 front runners. I managed to hang onto there coat tails and just slip past her as she slowed for them, YES :-) I managed to hold her off to the finish line. Result.

So I had finished 13th out of 16, with 3 bikes which should have outclasssed me behind me (3 CBR6s). Apparantly it was the most exiting race that Gary, Alun and June had seen me compete in. Even Harriet enjoyed herself.

A brilliant unique day that.




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