Sunday, refueled and tyre pressures done, out for qualifying and it's dry. I make a tactical decision to wait twenty seconds after everyone has left to give me a clear track to qualify, it doesn't pay off though, I obviously need to chase someone to put decent lap times in! Qualify 36th out of 41 with a 2.02, 18th 583. Ho hum, must try harder.
Race 1 is just carnage. I'm blocked at the start by Butch on his 620, then he accelerates away and I'm left struggling. First time round and Butch is taken out at the chicane by Phil H and goes down, we press on. Next lap there's two red bikes down in different places, lots of waved yellows, again we press on. Fallers don't even distract me anymore, when you think about it a mate falling off just in front of you at 60 or 80 mph should worry you but I don't even think about it, just register the event and chalk another position up in my head. Doug pulls in on lap 5 with handling problems, I don't see that as I've long since passed him, apparently he was getting serious rear tyre slides and came in as it was unsafe! On lap 7 Dave Ainscough piles off on the exit of Charlies 2 and disappears ina cloud of mud and grass, then on the last lap tonio goes down just in front of me in Chris Curve, that's fouth gear flat out through there so seriously quick and banked right over, lots of sparks and bits of fibreglass, another place up the points board for me though! In a repeat of Saturday I mug Phil H at the hairpin again on the last lap, this time i finish just 0.04 seconds ahead of him and his 620 powers past on the start finish straight just after the flag, my place though! Finish 26th, 11th 583, best lap 1.55.65, another personal best.
Race 2, again blocked by Butch off the start, manage to go round him this time but his extra power shows and he accelerates faster and gets into coppice ahead. I follow and mug him into the chicane, it's where he was taken out in race 1 and I decide he won't fight for the place just there, tactics eh?
it works and I get the position and settle in to try Michael Winter on his 620. I get him at the hairpin in my favourite block pass manouver but he powers past on the straight (pesky 620s!) and I can't quite reel him in for the rest of the race. He's trying hard though and makes up a few places and I follow close behind, get inside Doug down the Gooseneck but he's not giving up that easy and we go round Mansfield side by side, he gets the inside line to the chicane and I have to yield, quietly impressed at his bravery in holding me off. I get him back at the hairpin though, then do phil H again into Park on the last lap, and finally get inside Kev Mooney on the hairpin (again) to make up one last place before the flag. Finish 13th 583 and 26th overall. Bones has escaped this time, had a good race and finished 10th, five whole seconds ahead of me.
And that's that. Season over. Prize giving, pack up, say goodbyes to all fellow racers, I've got quite attached to a few of them and it's a sad goodbye, March seems a long way off. But I'll be back, and next year I'm gonna kick some arse! (hopefully!!!
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