Desmodue Report from Outlon Park Sat 8th July

[Zimbo]

Oulton Park is reputed to be a real Bike circuit, fast, grippy, bumpy in places, lots of fast left and right handers, and one steeply banked right hander (shell corner). It’s long, at 2.7 miles, has a few changes in elevation and some blind entries, people say it’s like Cadwell Park on Steroids.

Before we start we must go back a couple of weeks to the end of June, when I did a trackday with No Limits on my 900 monster to learn the circuit. I’d got on reasonably well, going round in about 2.18, and decided to have a play in the last session. I’ve never had my knee down, and thought it was time I tried it properly, so I did, and found I could do it if I get right off the side of the bike with all my weight on the inside peg. I scraped my way round for the rest of the session, and found I was often drifting towards the inside of corners as a result of hanging off more. This, I felt, meant I was going too slowly, and felt I can corner faster as a result. No time to try it out, of course, as the day was over, so it would have to wait till race day.

Friday night, pack my kit in the van and drive up to Winsford, Cheshire to the circuit. I arrive just before 11 and meet up with the team, Slob and Phoenix. The large paddock is absolutely packed but I eventually find them, park up, and have a beer as I said hello to my fellow racers (one great thing about this DD series is how friendly the paddock is, some really great people!). Finally into the back of the van and bed.
Woke at 7, get into leathers and gear, take paperwork and bike to Scrutineering, passed with no problems, got my ticket signed, signed on at race control and picked up my transponder, then breakfast in the café.
Quarter past ten is time for qualifying. We’ve a 15 minute slot, might get about six laps in, so no time to muck about! Lap one to warm the tyres, lap 2 to get comfortable on the bike, tried getting my knee down as the racebike has rearsets and my 900 doesn’t, and found I could – excellent. Better get my head down and put some faster laps in then, to get a decent grip place.
Lap 3 – first flying lap, all goes well until Skidlids goes down ahead of me into Brittens chicane (not his fault, he had to brake hard to avoid running into the back of someone, and as he was banked over at the time he overdid it and the front let go) so yellow flags and having to avoid him sat in the middle of the track slows me a bit. Never mind, press on, a couple of corners later a 620 barrel rolls into the gravel on a right hander, more yellow flags, that’s that lap screwed up then. Start the next lap fast, all goes well until the red flags come out half way round, we make our way back to the startline and stop whilst they sort it out, then the flag marshal indicated our session is being cut and we’re sent back to the paddock. So, no flying lap posted, and as a result I’m right down in 35th place (out of 40 starters) with a time of 2.28 – not too happy!