Some old news from BSN

David Bell has a brace of green machines supplied by his regular sponsors, Kawasaki Newcastle. Another Scarborough regular, Peter Wakefield from Sandbach, Cheshire, again used to success, will have Ultra-Lightweight and Lightweight Hondas, ready to mix-it with the other two stroke specialists over the two-day meeting.

Read More via COCK O’ THE NORTH: WEEKEND PREVIEW | Bikesport News | News.

Ryan and David had a win and second place each in the two MiniTwin races.

The Dungannon flyer had a very enjoyable day on his ER6 Kawasaki and took first and second on his debut in the Mini Twins class, each time enjoying terrific tussles with fellow-Kawasaki rider David Bell, the duo separated by fractions at the chequered flag.

The only downside to an otherwise superb day came in the first Supersport 600cc race. Leading a four-rider dice for the lead, Ryan was looking strong at the head of the field but it all went wrong on the fourth lap when he was t-boned by Ian Lougher at Mountside Hairpin and the duo crashed out.

Read more via SPRING CUP SCARBORO’: FARQUHAR RETAINS TITLE | Bikesport News | News.

The long winter months were starting to really drag and I wasn’t sure if I would be riding at all this year but I eventually got something sorted with Roger Middleton (RMKD) to ride one of his Kawasaki ER6’s, Roger is a renowned tuner of Kawasaki ZXR400’s but broke into the Supertwin scene last year and boy can he make them go, so I was over the moon to be back on an ER6.

It’s slightly different to what I’d ridden before, another new sponsor for 2012 is Bell Helmets and I’d like to say thanks to Mark Taylor and Custom Lids in Newcastle for sorting me out with a Bell M5X, a top quality helmet plus a massive thank you to all my existing sponsors who have stayed with me for 2012.

Croft

The first race was at Croft but we did the test day on the Friday just to get a feel for thing’s and let me get back into the swing of it as it was the best part of nine months since I’d swung my leg over a bike, everything went well and we got to try both the RMKD ER6’s back to back although the other bike did have a bit of a misfire but my bike was absolutely flying and I was as happy as Larry and looking forward to race day.

Both bikes in the garage at Croft

The weather was a bit ‘iffy’ on the Saturday morning and the 15 minute qualifying session for the Supertwin Race was a bit damp but drying quickly, I managed to get a few good laps in and put it on pole to start the weekend off well. The weather had picked up by the time the first race came around and I took the holeshot, I got my head down and pulled out a good lead to eventually win by 12 seconds and the bike was spot on. Next up was the Thunderbikes and having Qualified 3^rd I was down on the 5^th row of the grid because we were racing in with the Open class, I made a decent start and made up a couple of places on the opening lap settling in to about 12^th or 13^th, on lap two I closed in on a couple of bikes in front but as I went over the start/finish the bike lost power so I just pulled over to the side of the track and switched it off. After the mammoth push through the paddock I was “sweating like a glass blowers a**e”, I got back to the garage and we decided that we would use the other bike for the rest of the weekend, although it still had a misfire the bike was one of the best handling bikes I’ve ever ridden, I made a good start and slotted in to 3^rd on lap one then moved through to second at the hairpin, I took the lead on the back straight and never looked back taking another win this time by 5 seconds.

Tucked in down the back straight

The second Thunderbike race was full of action and I made a decent start but got hung out to dry at the chicane on lap one and ended up going over the kerb which lost me a bit of time but I soon made it up, I was on the back of a group of five bikes and kept passing a couple of them at the hairpin only to be re-passed down the straight, this went on for a couple of laps then as we approached the chicane I lined myself up to get a good run through and started to ride round the outside of the bike in front only for him to sit up a little just as I was alongside which forced me onto the grass, I stood the bike up and kept going as best I could on the wet grass until I could get back onto the track only losing one position so I got my head down again and within one lap was back with them but it was soon a repeat of the ‘shenanigans’ that went on before, I was starting to get a bit frustrated and in my haste to get past I totally dropped a bollock and ended up on the grass again in exactly the same place only this time I lost a couple of places and by the time I’d caught back up the race was over but I managed to finish 2^nd in the Thunderbikes so I was happy enough.

The weather was better again on Sunday and after working late into the night to rectify the misfire Roger was hoping that he’d sussed it, I went out for the first Supertwin race and had another solid race this time winning by 8 seconds and only missing out on breaking the lap record by 0.01seconds, the bike ran great and the misfire was gone so I was really looking forward to the Thunderbike race, I made a cracking start and was up to 8^th through turn one then I saw Garry Hamilton ahead and cheekily nipped up the inside to take the lead in the Thunderbikes and 7^th in the Open race but all that came crashing down about 5 seconds later when Kirk Jamison ‘highsided’ right infront of me, I was left with nowhere to go and hit his bike knocking it over then riding over it, unfortunately Kirk was at the other side and I couldn’t avoid him and rode over him too crashing myself in the process.  I tumbled for what seemed like ages over and over again eventually coming to a stop and I just lay there for a few moments just to gather my thoughts and make sure everything was OK before trying to get up. I could hear Kirk so he was obviously in a lot of pain but by the time I got to my feet the doctors were already tending to him, I got a quick check over from the doc, had a look at the bike and quickly realised that my day was over then walked back to the garage. I was a bit battered and bruised but OK and got off quite lightly considering, but more importantly the new Bell helmet escaped without so much as a scratch, “Phew”.

That’s me nearest and Kirk in the background, “OUCH”

On closer inspection when we got the bike back it wasn’t as bad as I thought and Roger was spot on about it, we packed up and went home and I was starting to ache badly. On Monday my left thigh had swollen a lot and my shoulder was giving me jip but that was nothing compared to poor old Kirk, Susan and I went to visit him in hospital and he was in good spirits considering he had two broken vertebrae in his back and has to wear a body cast for 4 months plus other injuries too, so I count myself very lucky to have walked away, I would like to wish Kirk a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on track soon.

Olivers Mount, Scarborough

Two weeks later I was at Scarborough for the Ian Watson Spring Cup and it was like racing in Siberia, we definitely had four seasons in one day but what a pain in the backside the weather was one minute it was dry the next wet then hailstones then dry again, it made tyre choice a lottery and I think everybody got it wrong somewhere along the line.  Anyway the previous night we’d been out for an Italian in Scarborough with our friends Graemy, Nicola, Andy and Abbi plus the tribe of Spencer, Carter, Lewis and Lily then we went back to ‘Fawlty Towers’ where they were staying.  It was like walking into a time warp as you went through the door but after a drink or two we had a right laugh although someone who shall remain nameless was paying a heavy price on Sunday. Anyhow back to the racing and qualifying went well in tricky conditions and I ended up 5^th, my first race was the Spring Cup qualifying heat and after a heavy downpour 30 minutes before the race I opted for full wets but when I went on the warm up lap it was almost dry.  I also had a bad vibration from the front brakes so I started the race but wasn’t happy at all and pulled in after one lap as the vibration wasn’t getting any better, we checked the discs but couldn’t see anything then put the dry tyres back in ready for the first Supertwin race.

Leading Davy Morgan through the esses | Photo: fastrackimages.com

I made a decent start but was probably a bit cautious in the first corner as it was still a bit damp but I managed to hold my position and was 5th going up the hill then as I tipped into the right hander of the esses the front end let go, the bars turned and the front started to push and I thought I was off then it just gripped again and I got round the corner,  I’d like to say it was talent and I held it on my knee and all that ‘bollocks’ but it wasn’t it was pure luck and I don’t mind admitting it, after that my confidence was ruined for the rest of the lap and I lost three places, I got going again on lap two

when I was happy that my tyres were warmed up and started to pick my way back through, I moved up to 7^th a lap later then chased down Davy Morgan and got good drive coming out of farm bends and managed to out drag him down to Mere hairpin, Lee Vernon was next but he was a couple of seconds ahead so I pushed on and caught him within a couple of laps and managed to get by on the run between Memorial and Drury’s, by now my shoulder was giving me serious pain and I was struggling to move around the bike but I gritted my teeth and pushed as hard as I could and held Lee off for the remaining laps to finish 4^th.

En route to another 4th | Photo: fastrackimages.com

The weather stayed dry for the rest of the day and I made another good start into 4^th, luckily there were no scares this time and I managed to hang on to the front runners for a few laps, after four laps my shoulder started to give me jip so I had no choice but to slow down a bit but I had a big lead over 5^th place so I could afford to do so and bring it home in 4^th.

The bike has gone back to Roger’s workshop for a few alterations but I’ll be going to pick it up in a couple of weeks to get it ready for East Fortune at the end of May, I just hope my shoulder is OK by then, we’ve had a lot going on recently, Carter started Nursery a couple of weeks ago and just this week we took his stabilizers off his bike and he loved it, he’s a natural although he has had a good teacher in his brother Spencer. Well that’s it for now.

Cheers

David

I eventually got the bike finished and took it down to Paul at Dynobike in Malton for him to work his magic on it, I left it there for a day or so then went to pick it up with the news that we had 116bhp which I was happy enough with he’d also fitted the quickshifter which makes things a little easier on my hand so we were ready to rock.

Cadwell Park

A few days later I was off to Cadwell Park for a trackday with my mate Derek Heron who was making his return to the track after a lengthy lay off, the weather was good and things started off pretty slowly as I was just getting used to riding in that position again. It was open pit lane so we could go on and off the track as we pleased, the first few sessions went by pretty fast and I was starting to get the hang of it although everything felt alien to me after riding the ER6 for 4 years. After lunch the track was a lot quieter and I tried to pick the pace up a little although I was still just taking my time and still getting used to the Honda but things were going good and the bike felt spot on, by the end of the day we were both knackered but had a good day and I’d done what I needed so was happy.

Scarborough, Barry Sheene Classic meeting

Just over a week later I was at Scarborough for the Barry Sheene Classic meeting, the weather was good and I was riding at No 7 which was ironic given it was the Barry Sheene race, I went out in first practice and everything felt awful I couldn’t get comfortable I was struggling to find braking points nothing wrong with the bike it was just me, timed practice didn’t go much better again I struggled with braking I could catch people up then just had no confidence to go past, I got stuck behind MCN’s Chad and just couldn’t get past eventually I got by then coming down the hill I braked a little too late, lifted the back wheel and had to let the brakes off in the end I ran wide allowing him back through and that was my session over. Feeling  really down I returned to the paddock and felt like putting the bike in the van and going home as I couldn’t see how I was going to turn my day around, to add insult to injury Michael Minns came along with the times and I’d qualified on the back row in 16^th place, I decided that I would just use it as more practice to get a better feeling for the bike and see where we ended up.

Leading my mate Mike Minns in practice. | Photo: Chris Machin www.oliversmount.com

As we lined up on the grid for race one it was like friends re-united on the back row, there was me, Michael Minns, Derek Heron and another mate Rab Davie who was making his début.

The lights went out and I made a decent start picking up a couple of places, the first two laps went pretty much the same as practice and I struggled to make up places then I got carved up coming down into farm bends and lost a place, this must have triggered something in my brain and I thought bollocks to this because straight away I started to pass people easily and moved my way through to the front of the group, I could see another couple of bikes in the distance although they must have had 3 or 4 seconds on me but with my new found confidence I pushed on and caught them within 4 laps, as I got on the back of them my arm was starting to pump up but I kept going and got  past Deggsy after a slight collision coming out of Mere hairpin, I was now right behind Mark Goodings and made a move on the exit of Drury’s I thought I’d made it stick but he came back underneath at Mountside, I made the same move again a lap later but this time held onto it and made it to the flag to finish 6^th which I was over the moon with.

David Bell gaining confidence over the jumps | Photo: CDH photography

Unfortunately I had to start race 2 from the same grid position so I made another decent start but this time started moving through straight away, by half race distance I was up to 6^th and chasing down Deggsy in 5^th, once behind I followed him for a couple of laps then made a move up the inside into Drury’s and then pulled away slightly to finish  5^th . I was as happy as larry with my race results especially after the way things had gone in practice so things were looking up and I felt much better on the bike.

Southern 100

A week later and I was off to the Isle of Man for the Southern 100 now usually Susan and the kids go everywhere with me but this time they were staying at home as Spencer is at school now so I had the help of my mate Steve Abbott  aka “the Bitch” for the week, I met him at  Heysham and we got on the boat only to have a run in with this tosspot Kiwi who didn’t want to move his helmet so we could sit down, after we sorted that the journey was spot on and the Irish sea was like a mill pond. We got down to the paddock and got set up then headed up to signing on and just made it in time for the final briefing before going for a well earned pint or two.

The weather on Monday was tremendous and after going for a famous Southern 100 full English  we went back and sorted out the rest of the stuff and made sure that the bike was ready for practice later that evening, I took Steve down to the Calf of Mann as he’d never been before and had a coffee before heading back to chill. 5pm quickly came around and we took the bike for scrutineering then put it in the holding bay with the tyre warmers on ready to go at 6:30, they put our board up and the first couple of laps I was just getting a feel for the place again then  I got stuck behind a couple of slower riders on fast bikes and it was back to Scarborough where I was just lacking a bit of confidence to go past, anyway the session ended and I was happy enough. For the 2^nd session I got out near the front and it was much better I managed to get some good laps in and felt good although there was still room for improvement but I was happy.

Wheelieing past Joey’s Gate. | Photo: Ken Barnett

Tuesday morning was again tremendous weather and after giving the bike an oil change and a good check over and clean we went for a ride around the Island as we had a few hours to spare, after chilling out a little we got the bike scrutineered again and ready to go out. We were out first as there was only one session tonight as our first race was later, I got out early again and got in some real good laps and was eager to see the time sheets, I was over the moon to see I’d knocked off 7 seconds from the previous night and averaged 100mph lap which put me on row 7 for the 1000/600cc race. My dad, brother, Trevor and Mick Anderson came today just in time for the race and they couldn’t have picked a better week, I made a good start but then a bike moved over on me and I had to shut off which let two or three past, on the run into the first corner I was probably a bit tentative and I can honestly say it’s the most insane start to a race I’ve ever been involved in, I made it through then got stuck behind a guy on a Kawasaki who just wanted to put himself into every hedge/wall possible so I quickly got past him and got my head down to catch the group infront, when I got on the back of them I was behind Alan Jackson  on his very trick Moriwaki Moto 2 bike, I was faster through the bumpy back section and he and the others had quicker bikes so pulled a gap down the straights, we yo yo’d like this for a few laps until he got past the Aprilia in front  then it was my turn, I got right behind him coming out of Church bends and stayed in his slipstream for as long as I could and got a good run on him through Stadium corner slipping up the inside into the last corner, I got on the gas quick and thought I’d made it stick as we went onto the last lap but he zapped me right at the end of the straight I braked later and nipped back up the inside but I was a gear too high on the exit and he got past again, I never really got close enough again and finished 19^th but was 5^th 600 so I was happy with that, we later went for a pint or two after watching Ian & Carl Bell finish 3^rd in the Sidecar race. Wednesday was yet again a scorcher and after sorting the bike we just chilled out in Castletown with my dad and the boys, they were drinking but I had to stay sober as I was racing again tonight, I was on row 5 for the 600cc race and on the inside of the track which is the best side to be on, I made a good start and tucked in behind Conor Cummins and Davy Morgan, they were pulling away slowly  but I was hanging on as best I could then I went into the last corner a little hot and ran wide messing up my drive onto the start/finish straight, I lost one place but was right behind him when the red flags came out after a big accident involving Dan Sayle through the Black Hole, I was a bit disappointed after making such a good start but was pleased to hear that nobody was seriously hurt, the race was abandoned and wouldn’t be re-run.

David Bell Accelerating out of  Castletown Corner alongside Paul Smyth. | Photo: Mick Anderson

Wednesday night was spent prepping the bike ready for Thursday morning’s race and an early night was had. Thursday was the hottest day of all and I was looking forward to the race, I was of from row 5 again and made another good start tucking in behind Conor and Davy again, I hung on for as long as I could but they eventually disappeared and I lost one place to Lee Vernon on the next lap then Mark Parrot and local Andy Fenton came by a lap later, I hung onto them and again could pull them back in through the back section but their bikes were faster than mine and eased out a gap on the straights, eventually they gapped me enough so I couldn’t make a move and I settled down to finish 13^th which I was over the moon with I also knocked a further 1.5 seconds off my best lap time so happy days. I had to see if I’d made it into the Solo Championship race as it’s by invitation only so I was glad to see I had back on the 7^th row.

Rounding Castletown Corner en route to 13^th in the 600 race. | Photo: Dave Silvester.

I made a good start but again was a little tentative going into the first corner and got eaten up by some 1000’s down the next long straight, I spent a couple of laps sorting myself out then got my arse into gear and started to push on I outbraked Paul Smyth at Cross Four Ways then got on with the job of passing the two 1000’s in front, I got a good run on Dennis Booth through the bomb hole and made the same move again into Cross Four Ways he came past again on he run down to Stadium but I slipped up the inside into Castletown corner only to be blown away down the start finish straight, I then built up again and repeated the move into Cross Four ways and it was like déjà vu for the rest of the lap, Booth passed Paul Duckett and I knew I had to follow if I had any chance of moving up so I got as close as possible through Joey’s Gate and made a move up the inside into Ballabeg Hairpin I then had a real good run through the back and outbraked him into Cross Four Ways, this time I managed to stay ahead and after a couple of clear laps had broken clear, I’d also closed in on the 15^th place Aprilia of Dave Smith. Within half a lap I was on his back wheel and feeling really confident, I tucked in behind him and as we approached the bomb hole he slowed a little, I was on a slightly different line to him which allowed me to go straight through  and pull a little gap then disaster struck not half a lap later, as I braked for the last turn just as I was going to tip it in the chain snapped and that was my race over with only one lap to go, I was gutted as I’d rode my arse off but that’s the way it goes sometimes and on the whole it had been a cracking week so I was happy. After the long push back to the paddock we got packed away and went down to the square for the presentation night and a well deserved drink. The ferry home the next morning seemed to take ages but we got home and I was over the moon to see Susan and the boys and tell them all about it.

The exact moment my chain snapped caught on camera. | Photo: Dave Silvester.

 Scarborough for the Cock o the North

The following weekend we were at Scarborough for the Cock o the North and I was looking forward to it after such a good week at the Southern, I was now feeling comfortable on the bike so things were looking good, first practice went well although the times weren’t great but I had a good run in timed practice to qualify 11^th but there were about six of us within half a second of each other so it was looking good for the race. I made a good start and got through an extremely busy first corner to be inside the top ten but as we came onto the start/finish Ben Wylie had crashed and half a lap later the red flags came out, we weren’t sure what they were going to do but they eventually postponed the race and put the sidecars out first so I returned to the paddock and put the warmers back on. We had only been in 10-15 minutes or so when they called us up for the Open 1000cc race so I headed back up to the grid, after sitting a little bit they set us off on the warm up lap I came out of Mere hairpin and the front wheel came up so I just kept the power on and it dropped just before the bridge as I peeled right and went under the bridge the front tyre just let go and before I knew it I was off and sliding up the road, the bike hit the fence spun round then bounced back off and hit me, when I’d stopped sliding I jumped up and got off the track my leg was hurting a little but the bike looked pretty second hand and I knew that was it for the weekend there was going to be no easy fix to get out in the next race. They took me to the medical centre for a check but I was ok so we packed up and came home very disappointed as I’m sure I could have had a good weekend but it wasn’t meant to be.

My next race is back down at Scarborough for the Gold Cup in September so at least we’ve got a few weeks to get the bike sorted and it’s not as bad as I first thought so that’s a good start.

I’d just like to say a big thank you to Steve Abbott for all his help at the Southern 100 top boy and he’d make somebody a good wife also thanks again to Newcastle Motorcycles for all their help and all my other sponsors I couldn’t do it without you.

 Cheers David.

Accelerating hard out of the hairpin.

 Race two was the race of the weekend I made a good start but didn’t get the holeshot that went to Tom Carne on another 125 but I managed to get past on lap two, I led for a couple of laps then was passed by another young 125 pilot called Harry Hartley I managed to re-pass him straight away as I had to try and hold them up in the corners and couldn’t afford to stay behind and follow, another lap went by and he came up the inside into the complex but I managed to outdrag him down the start/finish straight but again he tried into the complex and this time he made it stick only for me to pass him down the back straight this time, I didn’t dare look over my shoulder and thought there were only a couple of them as I could here them buzzing away behind, the last lap flag came out and I rode a good but defensive lap almost coming to a dead stop at the hairpin to stop them from getting a run to the line and I managed to hold on to take the win, as I crossed the line I looked over my shoulder to get the shock of my life and see four 125’s right behind with the top five covered by less than 1 second. Loads of people came to say what a great race it had been and to watch me leading those four little 125’s around was fantastic which was nice but it was even better to be involved in. I got a call on the Saturday night telling me that my bike was now sold as someone had put a deposit on it so I would have to be careful from now on, Ha Ha.

Leading Luke Hedger in race one, it was this close for most of the weekend.

 Sunday was a bit cooler and race 3 was another good one, I made a great start and led for most of it but then Hedger came past and a lap later so did Hartley, this time I didn’t retaliate straight away but was right on their heels as we went onto the last lap, as we went round the long right hander at Hawthorn we came across two backmarkers and they squeezed through before the chicane and I lost out and had to back off which gave them a couple of seconds lead so I settled for third but I managed to set a new class lap record of 1min 30.8 seconds so I was happy. Race 4 was pretty much the same I made the early running but both Hartley and Hedger came past I then made a mistake going into Tower bend and ran wide at Sunny which allowed them to get away, I managed to keep the gap pretty much the same but couldn’t reel them in so I finished 3^rd again but in all it was an excellent start to the season and I was looking forward to Scarborough.

We turned up at Scarborough for the Ian Watson Spring Cup and after Croft was feeling really confident of getting some good results but for some reason I was really struggling in practice and I got held up on every lap in qualifying, I just felt out of sorts I don’t know why, the bike was spot on but I just couldn’t figure it out and that left me on the third row. My first race was the Superbike Qualifier and I made a good start and rode a good race to finish 11^th and grab the last spot on the grid for the Spring Cup. Next was the Supertwin 1^st leg and I made a good start slotting into 6^th then after a couple of laps I moved past Dan Frear to take 5^th, I missed a gear going up the hill which allowed Ian Lougher past so I hung onto him as best I could and that dragged me up onto the rear wheel of Adrian Archibald, he was riding very defensive and I was struggling to see a way past but I got a good run out of Farm bends and outbraked him round the outside into Mere Hairpin “a cool move if I don’t say so myself”, I managed to hold onto 4^th to the flag and I was happy with that after the way things had gone in the morning.

Leading Dan Frear out of Memorial.

 I was straight back out for the Spring Cup 1^st leg but after nearly running into the back of somebody at the start and then almost being punted off the track twice on the first lap I decided enough was enough and pulled in to concentrate on the second Supertwin race. For this one the grid positions went on the 1^st race result so I moved up to the front row, I made a good start into 3^rd and held onto it for a couple of laps although the front two were pulling away, Lougher came past up the back straight on lap three and I hung onto him for as long as possible but he slowly edged away. I could here a bike behind and knew he was close as I couldn’t see him at the hairpins but I just kept my head down and didn’t make any mistakes to hang on to take another 4^th place, considering what a crap start to the day I had it all finished up really good and a fitting end to my time riding the ER6.   I was a bit sad but all good things come to an end and it was time to move on to the next chapter with Newcastle Motorcycles ( the same people just a different name & manufacturer).

Rounding Mere Hairpin for the last time on the ER6.

As your reading this I’m currently building my new Honda CBR 600 RR I was hoping to race at East Fortune but too many parts just didn’t turn up in time so I had to knock it on the head, but it’s nearly ready and all I’m waiting for is the back shocker, it’s booked on the dyno then I’m off to Cadwell Park for a trackday to blow the cobwebs off before the Barry Sheene Classic at Scarborough although that’s still a  week away. Things didn’t get off to the best of starts when I managed to crash it on some gravel when I was out running it in, I felt like a right donkey and couldn’t believe it had happened but shit happens and hopefully that will be the one and only. I’d like to say a big thankyou to all my sponsors for staying with me for 2011 especially Dave Winfield at Newcastle Motorcycles for providing me with another brand new bike and I like to welcome a new sponsor Steve & Jackie Abbott, Steve has helped out at various meetings over the last couple of seasons and just loves being involved so big thanks to them.

Well that’s it for now hopefully things will go good at Cadwell and I’ll be in good shape for Scarborough then we’re off to the Isle of Man for the Southern 100 the week after so fingers crossed. Cheers David.

We’re still not sure what I will be riding, but it looks like either a CBR600 or an R6, but with time getting on and only a week till the first race at Croft, Dave Winfield has allowed me to reprieve the old girl from the retirement home and give her one last hurrah!. Well two hurrah’s actually as I’ll be riding last years ER at Croft and also the week after, at the Scarborough Spring National, we’ve then got a few weeks to sort out the new bike when it arrives.

This season is going to be difficult however, as my main sponsor other than Newcastle Motorcycles has been forced to cut back due to the economic climate, although he has pledged to assist whenever possible, I won’t be getting anywhere the support I’ve had over the past few years, for which I’m very grateful.

This means that money is going to be very tight and we’ll have to see how things go and hopefully secure some extra support to help out through the season.

All my other sponsors have stayed with me for 2011 and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them again for their continued support, couldn’t do it without you !.

For this year my plans are pretty much a mirror image of 2010 with one exception, I will not be doing the Manx GP, but I’ll be at all Scarborough meetings along with the NEMCRC rounds except Knockhill which clashes with the Cock ‘o’ the North and the Southern 100.

There are a couple of other meetings I have in mind should finances allow but those descisions will be made on availability of funds only.

That’s pretty much it for now and I’ll let you know how we get on at Croft next weekend (9th/10th) then Scarborough the following weekend (17th) so wish me luck.

If anyone is interested in helping out with Sponsorship, no matter how large or small and becoming part of the team, you can get in touch by e-mail at :-

davidbellracing@fsmail.net

or ring

07944613302

and I will be happy to speak with you.

Hello again, we’ve been back from the Manx GP a while now and what a fortnight it was the weather was fantastic and we all had a really good time. We got to the Isle of Man on the Saturday morning and got set up in a really good spot, I then had to go through the usual signing on, rider briefing and technical briefing before preparing for 1^st practice. I had the bike sorted and ready to go so there was nothing to do but wait, the weather was decent apart from fog on the mountain and I was a little apprehensive as we went up to the holding area as it was four years since I’d ridden here and I ended up in Nobles hospital with a broken wrist. The butterflies quickly disappeared as I set off down Glencrutchery road for the first time and I’d sort of forgotten what a great feeling it is to go flat out down Bray Hill, you just can’t get that anywhere else in the world.

Setting off from the line for practice ( Tony Goldsmith)

I had a couple of good steady laps to feel my way back into it, the fog was terrible from the Black Hut to Kates Cottage and it reminded me of my first lap as a newcomer when the conditions were very similar with visibility down to just a few yards at times but I made it round unscathed to finish off what had been a hectic day. Sunday was spent at Mooragh Park Ramsey after we went to watch my mate Dibble’s kids race there bmx’s then Spencer had a go once the racing had finished and did about eight laps off the belt I don’t know where he gets the energy from but he loved it then we went to the water park to let Spencer & Carter play and get soaked but it was a nice day so they dried off pretty quick. We were greeted with rain on Monday morning but it was forecast to clear later so we got the bike ready to go and went through scrutineering, our friends Martin & Michelle arrived with the kids today just in time for practice so Martin came up to help out with Dibble, the rain had stopped but the roads were still wet when the first session went out and as I was going up to the holding area my mate Mike Minns was coming down  and said it was really wet in places and he was calling it a night but I decided to go out and if it was bad I would only do one lap. I set off  with my mate Tom Llewellyn to show him round and help out if I could as he was a newcomer to the circuit, the conditions weren’t too bad although there were some damp patches and the section through Glen Helen was wet but the rest was ok so I went straight through for another lap, things were going well until coming out of Ballaugh I was catching a couple of bikes and was right on them on the run to Quarry Bends, I passed the first one then set myself up to follow the second a newcomer through Quarry bends then all of a sudden he braked heavily, I was left with nowhere to go and crashed into the back of him, I thought I was off but I somehow managed to save it and stay on but had a severe case of brown undercrackers. I carried on and went for the brakes into Sulby bridge only for the lever to come right back to the bars, I got it slowed down and had a quick look and noticed the brake lever adjuster had been knocked onto number 5 in the collision so I nursed it through to Ramsey and pulled over in Parliament Square to move it back onto number1. I set off again and had a steady ride back to the paddock to tell everyone about my ordeal. I saw the lad who I hit when I got back and went to apologise as it was my fault and I probably gave him a heart attack but I was just pleased we both stayed on and there was no real damage done, on closer inspection the following morning we found the right hand disc damaged so we changed the pair and apart from that we got off pretty lightly. Tuesday was a lovely day and conditions were perfect apart from low sun on the run out to Ballacraine, another helper arrived today, ex speedway rider Robin Archer came with his son for the first time and what a week they picked, everything went really well and this was the first proper session for me to have a good crack at it and see where we were, both laps felt pretty good and I got a bit of a surprise when we went for the times to see I was 3^rd fastest with a best of 107.4mph average speed which I was more than happy with,  I’d also been up to my old tricks over Ballaugh Bridge and luckily someone got it on camera, it never feels as high as it looks but I love doing it.

I always like to keep my hand in at the MotoX stuff and there’s no better place than Ballaugh Bridge.

 The weather was good again on Wednesday  and this time I got out fairly early to try and avoid some of the traffic I’d encountered the previous nights, I had a trouble free run and managed to get three good laps in quite comfortably and also try out the pit lane speed limit for the first time which was a bit strange, anyway the bike was spot on again and I ended up 2^nd on the timesheets with a best of 108.8mph which was 15 seconds faster than the previous night so I was over the moon. Thursday was another perfect night and again I got three laps in to end up 4^th  knocking a further 3 seconds off  with a best of 109.0mph although a couple of the others had made a big jump to 112mph but they were running tuned motors and I was happy with how the little bike was going considering that it’s only putting out 78bhp, I also had a near miss with some local wild life, as I was coming down to Hillberry I had to take avoiding action as there were four ducks waddling down the road and I only just missed them. Friday was a bit of a funny night, I got out and things were going good until I came up behind a classic MV Agusta at Ramsey, I followed him up onto the Mountain and couldn’t do anything with him as it was fast in a straight line but I was catching him in the corners and getting very frustrated in the process especially as he looked like he was ready to hit the eject button at any moment, it came to a head as I went up the inside approaching the Bungalow and showed my front wheel but he wasn’t going to back off and I thought “if you want to ride like that get on with it but I’m not joining you” so I backed off and had a steady ride back to the pits, I pulled in and a had a breather to compose myself as I was a bit annoyed at what had gone on, I had a drink then went up to go back out for another lap only for them to hold me too long and the bike boiled over so we took it back down to let it cool down. We still had plenty of time so we left it till a couple of minutes to go then went up again and this time got out, I used this just to make sure the overheating hadn’t caused any problems and the bike was fine so that was practice  week over for us as the weather was bad on Saturday and I decided not to go out as there was no point.

A perfect picture rounding The Creg, just look at that sky. It doesn’t get any better. (Tony Goldsmith)

 We all went to Ramsey on Sunday to let the kids play on the BMX track then went on to Ginger Hall to grab a bite to eat and we bumped into Jamma with his mate on their head turning 1920’s BSA V Twins, It was a good laugh we even got some photo’s of me on the bike but it was just nice to get away and relax a bit.

It was race time on Monday and although I wasn’t out till Friday I had a practice session after the racing so we got through scrutineering then headed up to Creg Ny Baa to watch the Newcomers race, I was looking out for young Scott Campbell in the Newcomers B race and he was holding onto a safe 3^rd and looking pretty good until he got a bit excited and hit a slower bike crashing at Sarah’s cottage on the last lap and unfortunately for him ruling himself out for the rest of the week but that let in my other mate Welsh Tom to get a well deserved podium which he was over the moon with. After the race we headed back down to the paddock and watched a couple of laps of the Senior classic from the grandstand before getting ready to go out for a couple of practice laps which went pretty well and I was now ready to race. Unfortunately Wednesday’s Junior race was a tragic affair as two racers lost their lives in the same crash and when this happens it always make you think whether it’s worth it but you have to put these thoughts to the back of your mind and carry on. My one lap practice was put back to Thursday after the rescheduled Junior Classic so I went out just to scrub some new rubber in for the race, Kyle, Grahamy and the kids arrived while I was out on my lap and I came in to lots of abuse about why I hadn’t picked them up from the ferry as they’d had to walk up a mountain blah blah blah. Eventually I got a phone call to tell me I’d been moved up from No 94 to 34 so I was pleased about that as I’d been on to them all week and I could now relax and focus on the race. Thursday night was spent cleaning and checking the bike so it was ready for the race and an earlyish night was had.

  We woke on Friday morning to a bit mist and after putting the bike into the holding bay an hour delay was announced due to fog on the mountain but this was due to clear, Conditions were good as we lined up on Glencrutchery road and the tension was building, I was a little bit nervous but looking forward to getting started.

Dibble warming the bike up prior to the start with Susan trying not to show how worried she is.

 The 250’s went first and then it was our turn, I made a good start and headed for Bray hill flat out, by the time I’d reached Braddan Bridge I was settled in and already closing on the two bikes that started 10 seconds ahead of me, I caught and passed them on the run to Ballagarey so things were looking good. I just tried to keep it smooth and flowing and the bike felt really good, as I was coming out of Bishopscourt a bike passed me, it was Phil Mcgurk and he was obviously leading, I kept him in sight until we got on the mountain then he just disappeared as his bike was much faster than mine, I came across a couple of 250’s but managed to get past without any hold ups and at the end of lap one I was lying 3^rd with an opening lap of 109.611mph. As I came out of Quarter Bridge on lap two I could see a bunch of riders in the distance so I got my head down and chased them, catching up little by little until I finally got onto the back of them over Ballacrye jump, I could see it was my mate Mike Minns, Ivan Lintin and Wayne Kirwan so I followed them through Quarry bends and got a good run out, as we got onto Sulby straight I pulled out of the slipstream of Mike but couldn’t get past so I pulled back in as he dropped in behind the others this gave me a massive treble draft and I managed to pass all three in one go, as I hit the brakes for Sulby Bridge I was giggling to myself as I thought I was going to have a nightmare getting past the trio, I carried on the rest of the lap and came in for my pit stop still in 3^rd but only 1 second down on another mate Rab Davie due to a lap of 110.8mph which was 14 seconds better than my first lap and a massive 20 seconds better than anything I’d done in practice and I still don’t know where I made the time up.

Accelerating hard out of Braddan Bridge. (Tony Goldsmith)

Susan, Dibble and Martin did me proud with a faultless pit stop and I was soon on my way onto lap three, I had another good lap but as I was coming down the Mountain I could feel my fingers starting to tingle in my right hand, as I started lap four I’d dropped to 4^th  but was still pushing on. As a result of the numbness in my hand I was having to let go and just hold on with my thumb on all of the long fast stretches to try and get a bit of feeling back in my fingers but it didn’t last long so I was having to do it more often, I had a right ding dong with Ivan Lintin on the last lap, I passed him as he came out of the pits and he passed me back going into Kirk Michael, I got by on the run through to Ballaugh then he came past going into Ramsey, I followed him up onto the Mountain and got him just before Guthrie’s and it stayed that way until he came up the inside into Governors Bridge and I crossed the line just behind him but ahead on time. I was pleased it was over as I don’t think my hand would have lasted much longer and as I came up the return road they pulled me over to one side as they were unsure of who was 3^rd  but Joe Philips got it and I ended up 4^th but I was happy enough with that, as I pulled back into the parc ferme Susan was there to greet me along with Dibbs and Martin and I just said I couldn’t have ridden any harder and everybody was happy, I think Susan was just relieved I was back safe and in one piece.

Heading for the Mountain Mile. (Tony Goldsmith)

We walked back down to the caravan and I gave Spencer & Carter a big cuddle and kiss then I told everybody that this would be my last race on the TT course, my hand was aching and that 4^th lap was just a bridge too far so it was time to call it a day, I’d done what I set out to do which was better Keith Taylors lap record and all my race laps apart from my pit lap were faster than I’d gone in practice and I was over the moon with a race average speed of 108.6mph considering the fastest lap last year was that. So that was it Manx GP 2010 was over and all we were left to do was pack up and go home.

I have to say a massive thank you to Kawasaki Newcastle and Jamma for giving me a fantastic bike that never missed a beat during the whole fortnight, Dibble, Martin and Robin for all their help, Susan for putting up with me and for all her support, Alex & Reece the best fly cleaners in the business Kenny,Mike and Peter for the Fibreglassing and last but not least all my sponsors for making this possible I could not do it without your support and I very much appreciate it, Thanks.

The only down side to the whole thing was we broke down on the way home at Tebay and had to be recovered by the AA but thanks to the Merlin boys they stopped and took my caravan home for me which saved a massive headache, well it wouldn’t have been right if nothing had gone wrong ha ha.

Cheers David.

The Saturday after Knockhill,  my brother in law Kyle Deswert and I, did the Coast to Coast cycle ride, the plan was to do it in a day and we set off from a very dark Whitehaven at 1:20 am and finished at Sunderland at 5:20 pm absolutely knackered, but over the moon to do it in 16 hours.

We thought it would take longer, but we completed the course, assisted by Stephen Graham driving the back-up van, and raised a decent amount of money for the Great North Air Ambulance along the way.

When NEMCRC vice-chairman Mick Anderson heard about the ride he decided a contribution was necessary and went round Croft on club race weekend collecting with a bucket.

Mick collected over £200 toward the fund and I presented a cheque for £ 2050.00 to the Air Ambulance in August (see photo)

it all started back in early July when we went down to Scarborough for the Barry Sheene Classic, we set off early as we were only going down for the day and I treated my Dad, Trevor & Jeff to a high speed roller-coaster ride over the North Yorkshire moors, at one point Trev asked if I was using this as practice for the racing and all the time Spencer sat beside me cool as a cucumber like a proper co driver. We arrived at the circuit in plenty of time, got scrutineered then went for breakfast, it was soon time for practice and things went well as this was the first time I’d ridden the bike with the fairing on, it took a bit of getting used to as the bars were a bit lower than normal but I soon adapted.

The ER6 complete with ZX10 fairing.

Barry Sheene Classic

I qualified on the front row and made a good start in the first 400cc/Minitwin race only to be beaten to mere hairpin by Ryan Farquhar on his ER6 missile, I held onto second for a couple of laps then eventually gave way to Lee Vernon on his 250 but I couldn’t relax as there was a pack behind just dying to mug me, I rode a good strong race and just managed to hold onto 3^rd with a bike that felt dog slow on the last couple of laps. When I came in we had a look at the bike and thought that the head gasket had gone as it was blowing air bubbles into the overflow bottle so I decided not to go out in the 600 & over races as I didn’t want to cause any serious damage. We let the bike cool down then checked the water level and everything seemed ok so I decided to try it again in the second race, I made another good start into third and rode well holding onto the position for nearly the whole race but lost out to Ivan Lintin on the last lap to finish fourth, the bike didn’t seem to slow as much this time but there was definitely something up and I’d have to get it sorted quick as we were back at Scarborough the following weekend.

At the Esses during the Barry Sheene Meeting ( Lee Davies Photography)

I took the bike to sponsors Kawasaki Newcastle on the Monday and Jamma stripped the head off and sure enough the head gasket had gone, a couple of days later thanks to Jamma the bike was back together and ready to go again so off we went to the Cock ‘o’ the North, The Saturday was really warm and when you came off the track into the paddock it was like opening an oven door which made it very uncomfortable in leathers but it wasn’t too bad when riding. I qualified on row two but first up was the Superbike Heat race, I didn’t get a very good start but eventually got into a good rhythm and caught Dutchman Michael Hoffman who was visiting Olivers Mount for the first time, we had a real ding dong battle for a few laps, he would get away on the straights as he was on a CBR1000 and I would reel him in on the brakes and through the corners, we passed each other several times and I was having a hoot but eventually his horsepower advantage paid off and I finished 12^th missing out on the main race by one place.

After a lengthy wait it was time for the Minitwin race, I made a decent start slotting into 5^th at Mere then I made a move round the outside of Ivan Lintin at the top of the hill which put me on the inside for the esses to move into 4^th, I stayed there for a couple of laps and couldn’t make a move on Pixie for 3^rd then I ‘ballsed’ it right up going into farm bends and had to go straight on losing a place putting me back to 5^th again, the following lap I made a couple more mistakes and was starting to get frustrated so I just calmed myself down, got my head down and within two laps I was right behind them again.  Dean Harrison was at the front of the group and he was making a few mistakes, I couldn’t get close enough to make a move but two laps from home Dean’s bike packed up coming out of Mountside hairpin and got right in the way of Pixie allowing me to slip through and finish 3^rd. My last race of the day was the Superbike B Final, I started from Pole position and slotted into 3^rd briefly moving into 2^nd only to lose out up the back straight. I was having a right battle with a guy on an Aprilia and he was starting to get on my nerves a bit, he was really fast down the straights but slow in the corners and at one point I rode round the outside of him through the esses, I eventually got by going into Farm bends and made it stick which allowed me to push on and chase  down Darryl Campling who by now with all the shenannigans that were going on earlier had a four second lead. I was trying really hard and could see I was catching and with three laps left I was right on his tail and lining him up for a pass but as we came down the hill the red flags came out as a bike had blown up on the back straight and dropped oil so I had to settle for 2^nd, I was happy enough with that although I think I could’ve won it had it not been stopped.

Cranked right over through the Esses, Cock o the North. ( Chris Machin www.oliversmount.com)

Sunday was quite a relaxed affair, I went out for practice then had a three & a half hour wait for my race so we had a walk up onto the top field for a change. It’s years since I’ve been up there probably not since I used to go with my dad to watch, we saw the first couple of laps of the Superbike race then had to go down to get sorted. The second leg of the Minitwins was my only race of the day and I made a good start into 3^rd, Ryan cleared off at the front but I was right behind Dean Harrison and pushing hard, his bike was quick so I was having to brake really late to make any ground up, on lap three I got a really good run through the esses and managed to stay with him up the straight and made a move up the inside on the exit of memorial. I didn’t quite make it and Dean turned in, it was a case of either hit him or put my head into the hedge so I decided on the latter except it went in a bit further than I was expecting along with my shoulder, luckily there wasn’t anything hard in there. One of the photographers has a cracking sequence of shots of the incident and when I get hold of them I’ll put them on here for everybody to see, you’ll giggle when you see them.

Anyway I made a mistake at the next corner and went down one too many gears locking the back wheel up which made me run wide allowing Pixie and Ivan through, I was getting annoyed with myself and started making more mistakes as I was trying too hard to catch up so I just backed off and settled for 5^th only to be promoted to 4^th when Ivan slipped off at the esses with two laps to go. I wasn’t happy at all with how I’d ridden but we finished and I was already thinking about the Southern 100 so we packed up and headed home to drop Susan and the kids off.

The Southern 100

My mate Steve was coming up from Leicester to help out in the Isle of Man as Susan and Spencer weren’t coming over till Wednesday, we got packed up and headed for the ferry meeting the Minns boys on the way down so we could travel over together as Michael was racing too. After sailing over on the red eye we docked at Douglas then headed down to Castletown to get set up before going to the café for a spot on full English and boy did I need it. We had a few hours to kill before signing on so I went out on Steve’s bike to have a look at the track as I’d never seen it before and did a couple of laps to familiarise myself then had a couple of hours sleep, at 2pm we went to sign on then had a rider briefing and it was soon time for scrutineering. The bike went through no problem and we left it in the parc ferme. We were out first for our Newcomers laps behind the travelling marshal, the first one was steady away then we came over the start/ finish and he just did one and left us, so our second lap was a little quicker but I loved it, it’s been three and a half years since I rode on a proper road circuit and immediately I felt at home, there’s just something about riding on a closed roads course that you can’t get anywhere else and I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

Me and Mike waiting to go out for practice complete with Chod bibs. ( photo Peter Minns)

Luckily the weather was decent and we had a good run in the first session although I did have one moment when I braked too late and took to the escape road at Ballabeg Hairpin, We both came in with beaming smiles and couldn’t wait to get back out. The second session was much better and without any more slip ups I knocked four seconds off my previous lap time to Qualify 5^th and fastest newcomer so I was over the moon with that especially as the forecast was poor for Tuesday. We retired to the pub after practice and had a few well earned pints to top off a cracking day. The weather on Tuesday was OK but rain was expected later, we spent the day cleaning and checking the bikes over and soon enough it was time for scrutineering again, no sooner had we got the bikes through and on the stands when it started to rain and never stopped so I decided not to go out as it wasn’t really worth it, I wasn’t going to learn anything in the wet and the times from the previous night would stand so we went over and watched the first race later on.

Wednesday was Race day and I was really looking forward to it, Susan and Spencer arrived and I was pleased to see them although they hadn’t brought any good weather with them, it was a bit iffy and it kept raining but it was windy and warm so the track was drying really quickly, We got scrutineered then it was just the agonising wait as we were out first, we got ready and about 45 minutes before we were due to go it started to rain so the track was now wet, it didn’t rain for long and it was drying quick. We now had the headache of which tyres to put on but I went with full wets just to be on the safe side, after a short delay and a quick interview on Manx radio from Chris Kinley we went on the sighting lap, there were large parts of the track drying very quickly but all of the tricky bits and under the trees were still wet so I’d made the right decision. The race had been reduced to 6 laps and I made a good start slotting into 5^th just taking my time and not wanting to make any mistakes, I grew in confidence as the laps went by as those conditions aren’t my favourite and without any scares went on to finish 5^th and best circuit newcomer, when I came in I was quite pleased it was over as it’s mentally draining in those conditions, you can’t afford to make any mistakes but I was pleased with the result and the tyres held up pretty well too.

Braking into Cross Four Ways during Thursday afternoons race.

Thursday however started off pretty crap but got better and by the time racing was due to start the roads were totally dry, I made another good start and slotted into 5^th again only this time I hung onto the two bikes in front for a couple of laps, they eventually pulled away and I had quite a lonely race but thoroughly enjoyed it and learned more about the circuit trying different lines and trying to perfect a couple of corners I’d struggled on in practice, I must have been doing something right as I knocked a further 4 seconds off my previous best lap time in the race en route to another 5^th place finish and best circuit newcomer with Michael finishing 6th . Well it was all over and I’d had a tremendous time, it’s by far the best organized race meeting I’ve been to and you couldn’t ask for a friendlier more helpful bunch of people.

All that was left to do was pack up and go to the presentation night in the town centre, it was a good night and it was nice to catch up with a few people I haven’t seen for a while, later it started to rain really heavy and we decided to head back to the paddock as Spencer was really tired, luckily we bumped into our old friend Jacquie Dawson and she kindly offered to take us back so it saved us getting a soaking, thanks Jacquie.

Post race smiles after Thursdays race.

We got up on Friday and headed for the boat home after what had been a cracking week and everybody had enjoyed it, especially Steve who I’d like to thank for his help throughout the week.

Croft 2010

One week later and we were down at Croft for the third round of the NEMCRC Championship, qualifying went well with a front row start so things were looking good, I made a perfect start to the first race and got my head down opening up a 5 second lead then on lap 5 I had a slide coming out of the hairpin then another going onto the back straight and suddenly the bike felt like it was all over the place like riding on marbles, I took a glance at the rear wheel and the tyre looked flat so I made it back round to the pitlane and pulled in to check it out but on inspection it looked fine, I checked the pressure and it was fine so I went back out to try it again but only got one lap before the chequered flag came out. I returned to the garage and had a better look but couldn’t see anything wrong which I was a bit concerned about but tried to put it to the back of my mind and concentrate on race 2.  I made another perfect start and led into turn one then Pixie came past into the Esses but I got a better run through and re-passed him on the exit using my favourite line on the concrete which is actually off the track, I led for another lap then he got by into the complex, I followed him for a bit then outbraked him into Tower only for him to pass me back into the esses again, a lap later I pulled the same move round the outside again on the concrete but he got me back into the complex and this time made it stick, the bike didn’t feel as bad as race 1 but was vibrating like mad going up the back straight and I wasn’t completely happy with it, I hung on to 2^nd and kept Pixie on his toe’s only to be passed by a flying 125 on the last lap but I’d enjoyed the race, the close dicing with Pixie was real good and I bet it was good to watch from a spectating point of view.

Using all the track & more exiting the Esses.   ( Photo Geof Symons)

We had another look at the rear wheel and checked the balance of it only to find it was way out so we spun the tyre and re-balanced it ready for Sunday hoping it would be ok.

Sunday was another good day and Susan came down after her ‘Ladies day’ at the races and brought me some good luck. I made another good start in race 1 and led for the first four laps only for it to be red flagged, the restart was pretty much the same and as we came onto the start/ finish straight on lap four I looked over my shoulder and saw Mike right behind so I flashed him the V’s then as I turned back round I missed a gear and he got past ( DONKEY) then luckily for me half a lap later it was red flagged again so the result went back one lap and made me the winner, like I said Susan must have brought me some luck.

The usual suspects! L to R- Pixie, Me, Mike and Peter in his last race with a Novice Jacket.

Mike, Peter and  I  went out in the Ken Redfern trophy race just for a laugh but I used it to try and get a bit confidence back and it did work although it took over half the race before I started feeling comfortable again. It put me in a good frame of mind for the last race and it was a cracker, I made it four holeshots from four races and led for lap one then Mike passed me down the start/finish straight on lap two but I managed to get him back on the concrete again, this time I held onto the lead until three laps from the end when two 125’s got past then another tried but I managed to pass him back immediately, he tried again at Hawthorn and made it but I out dragged him to Tower then he tried again going into sunny and ran wide allowing me to nip back underneath and that was how it stayed to the flag, another exciting race and a good finish to the weekend.

Leading on lap one from Mike & Pixie with Peter lurking in the background.

Only two weeks to go now until the Manx GP kicks off and I’m really looking forward to it, I can’t wait to get back on the TT course and hopefully I’ll have a good fortnight, fingers crossed.

Just a little thank you before I go to Bill and Jackie Peacock for the money to use at the Manx, I very much appreciate it and it will be a great help.

Wish me luck.

Cheers David.

East Fortune

Way back in May we went to East Fortune for the NEMCRC championship Round One and unlike previous years I’ve decided to concentrate solely on the MiniTwins/ Ultra Lightweight championship this year purely to save money as I’m going to need it when we go to the Southern 100 and Manx GP later in the year.

The weather was good and we got off to a flying start qualifying on pole position, Race one started well and I slotted into 3^rd on lap one behind my fast starting mate Peter Minns and Pixie, I moved into 2^nd at Railway corner on lap one then got a better run onto the back straight passing Peter for the lead only to be demoted to 2^nd again when Pixie picked up a double draft and passed us both, I made a move for the lead again at Railway and never looked back pulling away to win by 3.5 seconds.

Pushing hard exiting the snake, I could read the tyre sizes I was that close. (CDH Photography)

Race 2 was a much easier affair with a start to finish win so day one had gone well. I got up on Sunday morning to the sound of rain and it was an early start as we had three races, I put the wets in with the help of little Carter and quickly got ready, I made a good start and slotted into fifth taking my time to get used to the conditions, I grew in confidence as the race went on and slowly picked my way through to finish 3^rd overall but 2^nd in class and I was happy with that.

My new mechanic Carter learning to change wheels at an early age.

By race 2 it was dry again and I made another good start moving into the lead on lap two and holding on to take the win by a mere 1.6 seconds. The final race of the weekend was a good one as I made an average start and had to fight my way through, by lap two I was up to 3^rd and chasing down Pixie, I slipped up the inside of him at Railway then got on with catching Rab Davie who had a lead of about 1.5 seconds. I slowly chipped away and was right behind by lap six, I followed him for a lap then made my move into the hairpin and got my head down opening up a gap of two seconds at the flag. I enjoyed the race and another good weekend was had by all especially Spencer who rode around all weekend on his bike with his new friend Joseph, I think he did more miles than me on that bike.

Spencer & Joseph on Kenny Minns Sidecar.

Knockhill

Three weeks later I was up at Knockhill for round 2 and after a late arrival the weekend got off to a bad start when the generator wouldn’t work, after frantically  trying to sort it on Saturday morning Toot kindly loaned me his for the weekend which pulled me right out of the clag.

Practice went ok but I cocked up big style in  qualifying, I thought I had enough fuel in but quickly found out I hadn’t and just as I got some clear track the bike started to cough and splutter so I had to pull in, yes you heard it here first, contrary to popular belief I do make mistakes, not many, but every now & then I drop a ‘bollock’ big style. Anyway this cost me big time as I had to start from the 6^th row all weekend, Race 1 was a bit hectic as I made a decent start but the first couple of corners at Knockhill are a bit dodgy in a pack but I made it through safely, I slowly picked my way through to eventually take the win in the Minitwins which was a bit of a surprise considering where I started. Race 2 was every bit as hard if not harder as it took me longer to break through and get into a rhythm but I got there and just missed out, finishing 2^nd by 0.3 seconds.

Going into Scotsman (Dan Jess)

Sunday was a different day all together, the weather was a lot cooler and rain was forecast but it was dry for Race 1.  I made a good start and was inside the top ten on lap one making my way through a lot better, I caught young Ross from Kawasaki Newcastle on the penultimate lap and was lining him up for a pass at the bottom of Duffus dip but the yellow flags were out so I sat behind and made my move a lap later holding on to take the Minitwin win. Race 2  was a harder race as it seemed to take ages to get going, I made a move down the inside of a group of three riders into the hairpin but backed out as I didn’t think I would make it but not quite enough as I clipped the back wheel of  Max Knights but saved it and carried on eventually finishing 2^nd again by a mere 0.3 seconds.

Recovering from clipping Max Knights ( Dan Jess)

The rain came around lunchtime and made the track pretty slippy, my last race was the Michael Moore trophy and after making a good start in 3^rd and quickly moved into 2^nd, I was pushing as hard as I felt comfortable, but was making no inroads into Toot’s lead, after 6 laps I settled for a safe second and that was it, another weekend over and I left with a healthy lead in the championship.

The Saturday after myself and my brother in law Kyle did the Coast to Coast cycle ride, the plan was to do it in a day and we set off from Whitehaven at 1:20 am and finished at Sunderland at 5:20 pm absolutely knackered but we were over the moon to do it in 16 hours, I thought it was going to take longer but we did it and we’ve raised a decent amount of money for the Great North Air Ambulance along the way.

What’s Next

Next month is mega busy for me starting on the 4^th of July for the Barry Sheene Classic at Scarborough then I’m back at Oliver’s Mount the following weekend for the Cock o the North, I then go overnight to the Isle of Man for the Southern 100 from Monday- Friday then a week later I’m at Croft for the NEMCRC Round 3 so it’s going to be hectic but I’m really looking forward to it. We’ve also been fitting a fairing in readiness for the Southern 100 and Manx GP so hopefully we’ll have it ready to try next weekend at Scarborough, It looks pretty cool and I have to say a massive thank you to my mate Steven Graham of SG Fabrication for making all the mounting brackets he did a cracking job.

The ER6 with a ZX10 fairing fitted

I’ll try to keep you updated as much as possible with what happens.

Cheers Dave.