Wirral 100 Round 1 Anglesey
My 2012 season started with a trip to Anglesey, the first big track i had ever raced at. The weather was amazing all weekend and i got to grips with handling the fragile little gp125! In a class that was mostly 250gp, 400's and 650 minitwins i was mixing it with the big bikes, getting left for dead down the straight and then riding round the outside of them through the corners! I ended with 4th place in the 125cc the top three riders all of who ride in bsb 125, and a great big smile on my face, looking forward to the first round of the PMDCC.
PDMCC round 1
Or so we thought! After a sodden practice where i was going very well all conditions considered, the meeting was cancelled. Although this was 100% the right thing to do, we all just wanted to race! So meeting one went to the dogs, if anything this left me confident and raring to go for round 2!
HOTTRAX round 4
Entering the Hottrax Desmo Due Cup was a very last minute thing. A friend offered me the ride after my dad had raced the previous round at Anglesey and due to injury he did not want to ride it at Oulton. It was my first time racing at oulton, and what a circuit it is! I have never ridden a track so fast with such dramatic elevation changes! The bike had quite a modest 51hp so it was no animal however the weight of it and the fact it pulled right from the bottom made it a completely different bike to ride than the 125! i thoroughly enjoyed it and went from the back of the grid in 24th up to 17th place in difficult conditions (torrential rain) on the road tyre that is the control tyre for that class. Unfortunately on the last lap i pushed the front quite hard into the chicane after the banked corner (no idea about corner names, Hislops maybe?) and the front folded on me. With little damage but a snapped lever and a few scuffs we got it fixed in the lunch hour and got out for the second race. With bent bars and a bruised ego i managed to battle through the treacherous conditions and made it from 24th up to 14th. It was definitely a learning experience!
PDMCC round 2
Round 2 was finally here, a chance to show what i can do on the gp125 around a track i know. it was clear from the outset that it was between me and Alex Baker, last years 125cc victor and a very talented rider.
Race 1-single cylinder trophy race
I got away well in the first race however it was Alex Baker and Bradley Perie that took the first and second place leaving me walking away with a 3rd place trophy.
Race 2-125cc trophy race
I got another good start and managed to overtake Bradley Perie to take second place, Alex baker again winning the race.
Race 3-single cylinder points race
I was doing well with getting the little Honda off the line well, and managed to lead the race for a lap, improving my lap time to a 1.01.004 however the ever experienced Alex managed to muscle his way through and stayed there untill the end of the race gaining maximum points and leaving me to start my second year of racing with a second place in the championship.
Race 4-125 points race
Again I stormed to the front from the first row and with Alex behind 250cc rider Darren Higgson I made a break for it, getting my lap time down to 1.00.964, and clearing off for the lap, this was my first experience of leading a race and it wasn't long before Alex was on my tail again. For the second time that day Alex squeezed his way through and took the win, but by a smaller margin and not without a fight! I again took second place and was delighted to leave my first PDMCC race meeting of 2012 sitting in 2nd place in 2 championships
Race 1-single cylinder trophy race
I got away well in the first race however it was Alex Baker and Bradley Perie that took the first and second place leaving me walking away with a 3rd place trophy.
Race 2-125cc trophy race
I got another good start and managed to overtake Bradley Perie to take second place, Alex baker again winning the race.
Race 3-single cylinder points race
I was doing well with getting the little Honda off the line well, and managed to lead the race for a lap, improving my lap time to a 1.01.004 however the ever experienced Alex managed to muscle his way through and stayed there untill the end of the race gaining maximum points and leaving me to start my second year of racing with a second place in the championship.
Race 4-125 points race
Again I stormed to the front from the first row and with Alex behind 250cc rider Darren Higgson I made a break for it, getting my lap time down to 1.00.964, and clearing off for the lap, this was my first experience of leading a race and it wasn't long before Alex was on my tail again. For the second time that day Alex squeezed his way through and took the win, but by a smaller margin and not without a fight! I again took second place and was delighted to leave my first PDMCC race meeting of 2012 sitting in 2nd place in 2 championships
PDMCC round 3
Saturdays round 3 started very promising with good weather forecast for the whole weekend and a strong run in practice setting times under the minute, i was looking forward to the day of racing. And then out of the blue it starts raining as we line up on the grid!
Race 1-125cc trophy race
On full slicks against the aprilias on treaded road tyres with much wider contact patches the odds where against me but i battled through the field, catching up with Alex who made a break and got a clean run at the start, as alex turned around to check his gap on the last lap i came up beside him, he shut the door on me and we both really upped the pace with only 0.511 separating us at the line. That gave me another second place trophy and a great confidence boost that i had caught Alex up.
Race 2-single cylinder trophy race
Shortly after the 125cc race it dried out and the track temperature was brought up to a reasonable level. From the outset i dropped the hammer, leading the race start to finish and achieving a 59.796 lap. I came in with an uncontrollable smile on my face, delighted by my first ever race win.
Race 3-125cc points race
On the high of my first race win i went out in the points race with one intention, to win. me and Alex battled throughout the race, trading fastest laps and really pushing each other, on the last lap Alex ran wide on the entrance to lunar so that upon changing direction he was on my inside, we accelerated hard but it was Alex that got the drive and beat me to the line by 0.493.
Race 4-single cylinder points race
After the close battle in the 125cc points race I knew Alex wouldn't let the fight be easy. However, after getting a clean start from the front of the grid I got my head down and didn't look back, achieving a 58.971 lap, taking the lap record from my dad on the same bike (sorry dad) and winning the race by 2.966 seconds. My second win of the weekend and of my life was no less a brilliant feeling than the first.
Race 1-125cc trophy race
On full slicks against the aprilias on treaded road tyres with much wider contact patches the odds where against me but i battled through the field, catching up with Alex who made a break and got a clean run at the start, as alex turned around to check his gap on the last lap i came up beside him, he shut the door on me and we both really upped the pace with only 0.511 separating us at the line. That gave me another second place trophy and a great confidence boost that i had caught Alex up.
Race 2-single cylinder trophy race
Shortly after the 125cc race it dried out and the track temperature was brought up to a reasonable level. From the outset i dropped the hammer, leading the race start to finish and achieving a 59.796 lap. I came in with an uncontrollable smile on my face, delighted by my first ever race win.
Race 3-125cc points race
On the high of my first race win i went out in the points race with one intention, to win. me and Alex battled throughout the race, trading fastest laps and really pushing each other, on the last lap Alex ran wide on the entrance to lunar so that upon changing direction he was on my inside, we accelerated hard but it was Alex that got the drive and beat me to the line by 0.493.
Race 4-single cylinder points race
After the close battle in the 125cc points race I knew Alex wouldn't let the fight be easy. However, after getting a clean start from the front of the grid I got my head down and didn't look back, achieving a 58.971 lap, taking the lap record from my dad on the same bike (sorry dad) and winning the race by 2.966 seconds. My second win of the weekend and of my life was no less a brilliant feeling than the first.
PDMCC round 4
Round 4 was the second day of the 2 day meeting, and it started off very well. As it was a 2 day meeting there was no practice so we where straight into racing, This meant that races where upped from 8 to 10 laps. It was a much hotter day than the Saturday so the track temperature was very high.
Race 1- single cylinder trophy race
On the start line i was raring to go, propelled by my great results the day before. Once the flag dropped i made my way from a medium grid position to the front within the first corner. From there i continued to make my charge, whilst Alex was caught in traffic. Once i had made my break Alex had too much time to make up and i was able to control the gap right until the end. The 3rd place rider was Scott Dootson who had been gaining pace all weekend, after me and Alex crossed the line there was a 14 second gap to third.
Race 2- 125cc trophy race
The race started well going from 11th place on the grid to 1st within the first lap. Whilst pushing hard to clear a gap i had a few big slides, i thought not much of it and backed off the pace as i was running consistent 59 second lap times. On lap 6 i could not hold a fast enough pace to stop Alex from reeling me in and he managed to pass me and stay ahead until the end of the race.
Race 3- single cylinder points race
Starting from pole i made a good break but the problems that started to affect me in the previous race really made it difficult, I could run my normal 59 second times for 3 or 4 laps before i started having big slides and after a few moments that warranted an underpants pit stop i backed off the pace and finished 3rd.
Race 4- 125cc points race
I had concluded that my problems where because the track temperature was so high and due to a lack of funds i was running on second hand tyres from the bsb 125 that where very soft, so after a few laps of hard pace the tyre overheated. I started from second place and got a good start but this time i could only manage to hold third place, then with 2 laps to go Sam Edwards passed me, and with very little rear tyre grip there was nothing i could come back with, having to settle for 4th place.
Race 1- single cylinder trophy race
On the start line i was raring to go, propelled by my great results the day before. Once the flag dropped i made my way from a medium grid position to the front within the first corner. From there i continued to make my charge, whilst Alex was caught in traffic. Once i had made my break Alex had too much time to make up and i was able to control the gap right until the end. The 3rd place rider was Scott Dootson who had been gaining pace all weekend, after me and Alex crossed the line there was a 14 second gap to third.
Race 2- 125cc trophy race
The race started well going from 11th place on the grid to 1st within the first lap. Whilst pushing hard to clear a gap i had a few big slides, i thought not much of it and backed off the pace as i was running consistent 59 second lap times. On lap 6 i could not hold a fast enough pace to stop Alex from reeling me in and he managed to pass me and stay ahead until the end of the race.
Race 3- single cylinder points race
Starting from pole i made a good break but the problems that started to affect me in the previous race really made it difficult, I could run my normal 59 second times for 3 or 4 laps before i started having big slides and after a few moments that warranted an underpants pit stop i backed off the pace and finished 3rd.
Race 4- 125cc points race
I had concluded that my problems where because the track temperature was so high and due to a lack of funds i was running on second hand tyres from the bsb 125 that where very soft, so after a few laps of hard pace the tyre overheated. I started from second place and got a good start but this time i could only manage to hold third place, then with 2 laps to go Sam Edwards passed me, and with very little rear tyre grip there was nothing i could come back with, having to settle for 4th place.
PDMCC Round 5
Round 5 started well, i managed to scrape together enough money to buy a brand new rear tyre after the issues i had in round 4. The weather was set to be fantastic and after over a month off the bike i was raring to go! After practice the bike felt good and i was quickly re-gaining my pace. Upon hearing the news that Scott Dootson was running in a new crank all day i knew from the start this would be another day of me and Alex Baker battling for the lead.
Race 1- single cylinder trophy race
And right i was, through the first 2 laps we exchanged the lead, over taking the 400's that where in the forgotten era around the outside or any way we could until Alex got a clean bit of track, and disappeared to victory. I was still a bit rusty on the bike and could only manage a 59.6 laptime as my best lap.
Race 2- 125cc trophy race
This ended up being one of the most exciting races yet, with Darren Higson on the 250 Honda providing stiff competition and hard racing it was a 3 way battle for the overall lead (even though Darren is in the 250cc class they are run together) Darren got the great start then i followed him through traffic and Alex was bringing up the rear, we pushed every lap until i ran a wide entry into the hairpin after the pit straight and pulled it in tight on the exit, gaining the drive to slip past into the infield left hand hairpin, however as i did i opened up the door for Alex to slip through on Darren. we started to pull a gap and it was after some great over takes and some close racing Alex managed to get through a particularly tight gap on the penultimate lap to gain victory.
Race 3- single cylinder points race
After his earlier victories Alex started on pole position and i knew his plan was to get the whole shot and disappear, i made a very good start and got into the first corner first and got my head down. I passed the line in first place, by the next lap it was Alex in first, by the next lap i had retaken the lead, and the next 2 laps where lead by me, blocking and getting back at Alex upon every move he made, on the 6th lap Alex made a fantastic move to which i could not come back at, and from there he led the race until the end.
Race 4- 125cc points race
Mine and Alex's hard battle in the single cylinder race had left me with a very second hand front tyre, this tyre had been a second hand tyre from the bsb, then done the second day of the double meeting last round already before pushing it hard all day. I pushed as hard as i could, managing to get across the line in 1st on the 1st lap, but Alex quickly took advantage of my lack of front grip and retook the lead. After a few scary slides and having the front tuck going up cowards summit i backed off the pace, and with little to prove i was quickly down to 3rd and then with 2 laps to go Scott Dootson managed to squeeze through into 3rd leaving me in 4th. Deja vu any one?
So after 2 rounds of not having the tyres to push in the last race, i am trying to get a set of tyres (yes 2 whole new tyres) so that i only have myself to blame if i don't perform well! With the last meeting being a 2 day event due to the cancellation of round 1 i am looking forward to a full weekend of racing with some good battles to come between me and Alex and probably Scott and Darren too!
Race 1- single cylinder trophy race
And right i was, through the first 2 laps we exchanged the lead, over taking the 400's that where in the forgotten era around the outside or any way we could until Alex got a clean bit of track, and disappeared to victory. I was still a bit rusty on the bike and could only manage a 59.6 laptime as my best lap.
Race 2- 125cc trophy race
This ended up being one of the most exciting races yet, with Darren Higson on the 250 Honda providing stiff competition and hard racing it was a 3 way battle for the overall lead (even though Darren is in the 250cc class they are run together) Darren got the great start then i followed him through traffic and Alex was bringing up the rear, we pushed every lap until i ran a wide entry into the hairpin after the pit straight and pulled it in tight on the exit, gaining the drive to slip past into the infield left hand hairpin, however as i did i opened up the door for Alex to slip through on Darren. we started to pull a gap and it was after some great over takes and some close racing Alex managed to get through a particularly tight gap on the penultimate lap to gain victory.
Race 3- single cylinder points race
After his earlier victories Alex started on pole position and i knew his plan was to get the whole shot and disappear, i made a very good start and got into the first corner first and got my head down. I passed the line in first place, by the next lap it was Alex in first, by the next lap i had retaken the lead, and the next 2 laps where lead by me, blocking and getting back at Alex upon every move he made, on the 6th lap Alex made a fantastic move to which i could not come back at, and from there he led the race until the end.
Race 4- 125cc points race
Mine and Alex's hard battle in the single cylinder race had left me with a very second hand front tyre, this tyre had been a second hand tyre from the bsb, then done the second day of the double meeting last round already before pushing it hard all day. I pushed as hard as i could, managing to get across the line in 1st on the 1st lap, but Alex quickly took advantage of my lack of front grip and retook the lead. After a few scary slides and having the front tuck going up cowards summit i backed off the pace, and with little to prove i was quickly down to 3rd and then with 2 laps to go Scott Dootson managed to squeeze through into 3rd leaving me in 4th. Deja vu any one?
So after 2 rounds of not having the tyres to push in the last race, i am trying to get a set of tyres (yes 2 whole new tyres) so that i only have myself to blame if i don't perform well! With the last meeting being a 2 day event due to the cancellation of round 1 i am looking forward to a full weekend of racing with some good battles to come between me and Alex and probably Scott and Darren too!
PDMCC rounds 6&7
Fresh rubber! Thanks to Racing Lines Derby www.racinglines.co.uk for sorting me a great price on a set of tyres for the weekend!
round 6.
results from single cylinder trophy race
results from 125cc trophy race
results from single cylinder points race
results from 125cc points race
round 7
results from single cylinder trophy race
results from 125cc trophy race
results from single cylinder points race
resutls from 125cc points race
All in all it was a good fun weekend. I secured 2nd place in the championships and learned alot in a short space of races and even made it into the bike sport news and onto the acu website.
I now look forward to the 2013 season and the changes it brings!
round 6.
results from single cylinder trophy race
results from 125cc trophy race
results from single cylinder points race
results from 125cc points race
round 7
results from single cylinder trophy race
results from 125cc trophy race
results from single cylinder points race
resutls from 125cc points race
All in all it was a good fun weekend. I secured 2nd place in the championships and learned alot in a short space of races and even made it into the bike sport news and onto the acu website.
I now look forward to the 2013 season and the changes it brings!