Desmodue report from Snetterton 03/08/06

Zimbo · 04-09-2006, 10:00 PM

Last round but one. Wasn't looking forward to this one that much, Snetterton is reputed to be not 583cc monster friendly as it's got some long straights and it measn holding the poor thing flat out for ages. And it's a 4 hour drive each way for me. And I'm still sore from my off at Donington 3 weeks ago. And the weather looks not good.
Still, I get the van packed and head off late Sat evening. There's been a trackday on Friday and two non points scoring races on Saturday, so most will know the circuit fairly well, I've never been round it at all so it'll be a steep learning curve - just timed practice in the morning to learn the track and get quick on it, perhaps 10 laps at most, and then it's into the race!
Slob turns up Sat morning in good time as I get monica through scrutineering. We have a breakfast in the cafe and head back to the bike in good time to prepare for qualifying, check everything, fuel up, tyre pressures etc. It's rained early morning so the track is damp, we set the pressures at 31 front and back. Slob notices at this point that the rear brake is binding. Half an hour to qualifying, brake is binding badly so we get stuck in and strip, rebuild, bleed, sort the problem, qualifying is at 09.50 and we're ready at 09.52, I jump on and head to the collecting area and it's empty apart from a couple of karts just arriving. I find they're running early and the DD bikes are just coming off circuit. Great, I've missed qualifying. You're supposed to do 3 laps minimum practice before being allowed to race, so fearful I might have had a wasted journey I go to see the Clerk of the Course. He askes if I've been there before, I lie and say yes, and he allows me to join the back of the grid on condition I take it easy for the first 3 laps - if I fall off in that time I'll be in trouble! i promise I will (damn right I will, I don't even know which way the corners go!!!) and get back to give Slob the good news. On the plus side, the brake is now perfect.
Race 1 and I join the back of the grid, position 37. The lights are a long long way away! The come on, go out, I make a leisurely start and follow the pack into turn 1, not going to push it till I've had a chance to learn the track a bit. 3 laps in and I'm feeling a bit better about it, take the 3 riders in front of me, but it's a hundred yard gap to the next rider and I never close it down, just spend the next 7 laps learning how fast the corners can be taken without running out of track on the exit. Eventually the chequered flag is shown, I've been lapped by the front few 620 bikes but I'm back safe, finished 32nd (there were two fallers) best lap 1.33. Bike was fine, gearing OK, pulling 9000rpm most of the way down the back straight which is slightly higher than I'd like but there's a strong headwind going up the other way that the bike is struggling against so I don't want to gear it up any further.
Refuel, allow the tyres to cool, it's warmed up, dry, still windy, we drop the tyre pressures to 30 front and back and wait for race 2.

Zimbo · 04-09-2006, 10:01 PM

Back on circuit, proper race start this time and make up a couple of places. Getting faster through the fast corners, Bones almost T-bones Grib at Sears and goes off, tyres smoking, onto the grass and rejoins behind. He comes past me again, on a mission, takes Grib and Butch and disappears. I'm struggling to hold position, they draw away a little, I concentrate on building corner speed and it pays back, I take Lucie (Grib)on the brakes at the end of the back straight into the chicane, then Butch on the outside of Corums, I'm enjoying this now, Corums I'm taking flat out in top, throttle pinned to the stop and knee dragging on the tarmac, feels great. I come up on Bones into Sears,tuck in behind him down the back straight but can't quite get a slipstream, am on his back wheel into the bombhole and planning my pass when yellow flags are shown, hold off cos you can't pass under yellows, then the red flag comes out, there's a faller on the outside of Corums and he's laid out and not moving. Race is stopped, we've completed 8 laps so That'll be declared as a result then, shame as I'd have made up another place, but no big deal I suppose. Back to the paddock, we're all asked to leave our bikes, more concerned about the faller, Chris Woods is the rider, an Ausie on a 600SS, he came off in race 1 as well, turns out he was fighting for the 583cc lead and fell after contact with another bike in Corums, must be 90mph plus. The ambulance takes him to the med centre, he reappears later having been out cold for 10 minutes but is OK luckilly.
Back to the bikes, it seems there's been a protest against the 620 winner Domski's bike, suspected of being illegal spec, so the bike is stripped there and then by AK and is found to be completely legal. Slob gets monica back, race results aren't declared until the protest is sorted, at last they come in and I'm 30th, best lap 1.30.20. Happy enough with that, with that lap time I'd be on for a top ten finish in class with a decent qualifying position, not to be this time, but I'm looking forward to Cadwell on October 8th. Well done to Domski as he's secured the 620 class championship win here, and to Fil2 as he's secured the 583 class championship too.
Special thanks to Slob too for his help, it's appreciated and makes being there a whole lot easier!

04-09-2006, 10:13 PM

Nice write up Graeme, sorry I couldn't be there mate, doubt I'll be free for Cadders either as moving house soon and have to fit a holiday to Cyprus in as well.
You're making Monica look good too mate

Zimbo · 04-09-2006, 10:22 PM

Naah, Monica is making me look good

She carries absolutely awesome corner speed though!

04-09-2006, 10:37 PM

Another great write up - one day I'll be there to cheer you all on...

04-09-2006, 10:00 PM	#1
Zimbo Too much time on my hands member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Stonehouse, Glos Bike: Multiple Monsters Posts: 2,085	Desmodue report from Snetterton 03/08/06 Last round but one. Wasn't looking forward to this one that much, Snetterton is reputed to be not 583cc monster friendly as it's got some long straights and it measn holding the poor thing flat out for ages. And it's a 4 hour drive each way for me. And I'm still sore from my off at Donington 3 weeks ago. And the weather looks not good. Still, I get the van packed and head off late Sat evening. There's been a trackday on Friday and two non points scoring races on Saturday, so most will know the circuit fairly well, I've never been round it at all so it'll be a steep learning curve - just timed practice in the morning to learn the track and get quick on it, perhaps 10 laps at most, and then it's into the race! Slob turns up Sat morning in good time as I get monica through scrutineering. We have a breakfast in the cafe and head back to the bike in good time to prepare for qualifying, check everything, fuel up, tyre pressures etc. It's rained early morning so the track is damp, we set the pressures at 31 front and back. Slob notices at this point that the rear brake is binding. Half an hour to qualifying, brake is binding badly so we get stuck in and strip, rebuild, bleed, sort the problem, qualifying is at 09.50 and we're ready at 09.52, I jump on and head to the collecting area and it's empty apart from a couple of karts just arriving. I find they're running early and the DD bikes are just coming off circuit. Great, I've missed qualifying. You're supposed to do 3 laps minimum practice before being allowed to race, so fearful I might have had a wasted journey I go to see the Clerk of the Course. He askes if I've been there before, I lie and say yes, and he allows me to join the back of the grid on condition I take it easy for the first 3 laps - if I fall off in that time I'll be in trouble! i promise I will (damn right I will, I don't even know which way the corners go!!!) and get back to give Slob the good news. On the plus side, the brake is now perfect. Race 1 and I join the back of the grid, position 37. The lights are a long long way away! The come on, go out, I make a leisurely start and follow the pack into turn 1, not going to push it till I've had a chance to learn the track a bit. 3 laps in and I'm feeling a bit better about it, take the 3 riders in front of me, but it's a hundred yard gap to the next rider and I never close it down, just spend the next 7 laps learning how fast the corners can be taken without running out of track on the exit. Eventually the chequered flag is shown, I've been lapped by the front few 620 bikes but I'm back safe, finished 32nd (there were two fallers) best lap 1.33. Bike was fine, gearing OK, pulling 9000rpm most of the way down the back straight which is slightly higher than I'd like but there's a strong headwind going up the other way that the bike is struggling against so I don't want to gear it up any further. Refuel, allow the tyres to cool, it's warmed up, dry, still windy, we drop the tyre pressures to 30 front and back and wait for race 2.

04-09-2006, 10:22 PM	#4
Zimbo Too much time on my hands member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Stonehouse, Glos Bike: Multiple Monsters Posts: 2,085	Naah, Monica is making me look good She carries absolutely awesome corner speed though! Last edited by Zimbo; 04-09-2006 at 10:27 PM..

04-09-2006, 10:01 PM	#2
Zimbo Too much time on my hands member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Stonehouse, Glos Bike: Multiple Monsters Posts: 2,085	Back on circuit, proper race start this time and make up a couple of places. Getting faster through the fast corners, Bones almost T-bones Grib at Sears and goes off, tyres smoking, onto the grass and rejoins behind. He comes past me again, on a mission, takes Grib and Butch and disappears. I'm struggling to hold position, they draw away a little, I concentrate on building corner speed and it pays back, I take Lucie (Grib)on the brakes at the end of the back straight into the chicane, then Butch on the outside of Corums, I'm enjoying this now, Corums I'm taking flat out in top, throttle pinned to the stop and knee dragging on the tarmac, feels great. I come up on Bones into Sears,tuck in behind him down the back straight but can't quite get a slipstream, am on his back wheel into the bombhole and planning my pass when yellow flags are shown, hold off cos you can't pass under yellows, then the red flag comes out, there's a faller on the outside of Corums and he's laid out and not moving. Race is stopped, we've completed 8 laps so That'll be declared as a result then, shame as I'd have made up another place, but no big deal I suppose. Back to the paddock, we're all asked to leave our bikes, more concerned about the faller, Chris Woods is the rider, an Ausie on a 600SS, he came off in race 1 as well, turns out he was fighting for the 583cc lead and fell after contact with another bike in Corums, must be 90mph plus. The ambulance takes him to the med centre, he reappears later having been out cold for 10 minutes but is OK luckilly. Back to the bikes, it seems there's been a protest against the 620 winner Domski's bike, suspected of being illegal spec, so the bike is stripped there and then by AK and is found to be completely legal. Slob gets monica back, race results aren't declared until the protest is sorted, at last they come in and I'm 30th, best lap 1.30.20. Happy enough with that, with that lap time I'd be on for a top ten finish in class with a decent qualifying position, not to be this time, but I'm looking forward to Cadwell on October 8th. Well done to Domski as he's secured the 620 class championship win here, and to Fil2 as he's secured the 583 class championship too. Special thanks to Slob too for his help, it's appreciated and makes being there a whole lot easier!

04-09-2006, 10:13 PM	#3
psychlist Guest Posts: n/a	Nice write up Graeme, sorry I couldn't be there mate, doubt I'll be free for Cadders either as moving house soon and have to fit a holiday to Cyprus in as well. You're making Monica look good too mate

04-09-2006, 10:37 PM	#5
benson Guest Posts: n/a	Another great write up - one day I'll be there to cheer you all on...