[Zimbo]

Race one is just after midday, tyre pressures are checked again as the temperature builds, refuelled and checked over, Gilps’s bike is fixed just in time, and back to the holding area. We line up on the grid, I’m not used to empty track in front of me! Practice start on the sighting lap to see what speed I’m going to be up to where I need to turn for Paddock Hill and decide whether I need to brake or not before turning in (not!) and back to the grid, this time for real. Lights go on and out, we launch, Bones on my right gets a good start from 3rd, Griff on my left is away with me from 1st, I let him go into Paddock in front of me, Bones leads down the hill and I’m a very close 3rd. Decide on the wide, fast line into Druids, this proves to be a big mistake as bikes pile up my inside and block pass me in Druids, I’m forced wide and lose four places in a second. Unsettled, I make a similar error at the next corner and lose three more as I have to decide to let them through or get forced onto the grass. Great, half a lap and thirty seconds and I’m down in tenth, this is not going according to plan! I force myself to settle down and concentrate on smooth progress, in front is Senna3, I pull him in and pass him after a couple of laps, Tonio is ahead with a small gap, I close him down gradually but he’s fast this year and it isn’t easy. Lock up the front wheel on the brakes into Druids, tyre howls, ease off and get through safely, lost ten yards, close up again, I get alongside a couple of times but am forced wide and have to let him through, last lap flag is out, this time I need to make it stick! I pass him round the outside on the brakes into Druids and come out ahead, the rest of the field is closely bunched just ahead but no way I’ll catch up, cross the line in 8th. The timing sheets show my best lap to be 58.96, another personal best, Griff and Jon have both set a new 583 lap record at 58.76, just 0.2 seconds faster. Gilps has had to pull out mid race due to a sticking rear brake, Harrie has come through and maintained 24th place, mate Andy is last. Harrie’s grin when her helmet comes off says it all, she’s totally pumped up, nice to see.