Classic Racing

[Flip]

Well after a bit of indecision due to work whether to go racing this season the temptation was too great and I have entered races over the weekend of the 4th and 5th July at Brands hatch and also at the three day Classic Festival being held again at the fantastic Donington Park on the 7th, 8th and 9th August.

I know a few from here have been in the past so please feel free to pop along and say hello if you like. We'll be camped up among the tents at both circuits (look for the grassy parts of the paddocks) with a red van and a #76 250cc Ducati.



If past years are anything to go by, along with around forty races over each weekend there'll be plenty of other things to look at while you're there from the exotic:



To the ridiculous:



With just about every class of classic race bike there is in between:

[utopia]

The Donington event has been on my calendar for quite a while.
One of the best biking days out of the year, in my view.
Proper bikes, proper noise and proper smells, with something different to see around every corner.
And just about every single bike has a part on it somewhere which looks like it was made by a bloke with a hacksaw and a file.
Highly recommended.

[Kato]

Loving that forth picture with the N05 TZ of my all time racing hero Jarno Saarinen best racer ever IMO, Brands date in my calender thanks

[alan s4]

Tempted.......Glasgow to Donington is a 300 mile/4 hour jaunt.......there and back in the same day is doable

[utopia]

Hmmm, Saarinen eh ?
There's a name from back in the day.
And there's something about those early Yamahas.
Maybe its just nostalgia, but they just look how a racing bike should, to me.

[Albie]

Should be ok for the 5th but not the 4th.

Hi Phil, I'll be there on the 4th, really looking forward to it. It was a great meeting last year.

Hi mate. I'm planning to head to Brands on the 5th unless the weather is rubbo. Do you reckon you would have time to unleash your breaker bar on my calliper pinch bolts?

[Flip]

Originally Posted by Kato

Loving that forth picture with the N05 TZ of my all time racing hero Jarno Saarinen best racer ever IMO, Brands date in my calender thanks

Yep as Jeff says there is certainly something about that era of racing where technology and performance was just getting away from less talented riders meaning the stars really shone even if for some, it was not for as long as it should have been.

Originally Posted by utopia

The Donington event has been on my calendar for quite a while.
One of the best biking days out of the year, in my view.

And just about every single bike has a part on it somewhere which looks like it was made by a bloke with a hacksaw and a file.

Two out of the three years I've ridden at the Classic Festival have been brilliant. Last year it poured with rain almost constantly and my bike had electrical gremlins but with the help of a couple of other racers I got it sorted only for the meeting to be cut short.
The best thing with it is there are always a few surprises on the entry list such as a Mr J Whitham on a Honda 125 (his sidekick Foggy was there for support), along with CRMC regulars Mike 'Spike' Edwards, Sean Emmett (before his troubles) and the likes of Maria Costello and Oli Linsdell.

Originally Posted by alan s4

Tempted.......Glasgow to Donington is a 300 mile/4 hour jaunt.......there and back in the same day is doable

Do it!! It'll be a good run out for a great days racing- could always find a B&B or camp at the circuit.

Originally Posted by Shuffy

Hi Phil, I'll be there on the 4th, really looking forward to it. It was a great meeting last year.

Hi Chris, be good to catch up- are you going to parade the 2C at Brands?

Originally Posted by Spanner

Hi mate. I'm planning to head to Brands on the 5th unless the weather is rubbo. Do you reckon you would have time to unleash your breaker bar on my calliper pinch bolts?

Be good to see you there Doug, yes I'm sure we can scare the pinch bolts loose at some point- I'll make a note to pack the breaker bar!

Now I best go saw and file something to get ready for it- not long now, getting excited already!!

No, I'm still waiting for parts... It's is summer in Italy after all!

[slob]

... not 'til August it's not, it's only 32 degrees right now ;-)

[Flip]

Right-O Peeps it's looking like being a scorcher over the weekend which means I can use the excuse that old bikes run rubbish in hot weather and that's why I was so slow.

We're all loaded and itching to get going:



Anyway, those that are coming along it'll be great to meet some new faces and catch up with a few from the past too.

As usual it's an open paddock (including the pit garages) the so you can walk around and get up close to the bikes and have a chat but for those of us without motorhomes or caravans, thus spending the weekend under canvass the Flip family will be camped up in the grassy area opposite the main merchandise shops along the road from the main entrance towards the lower paddock so please do try and pop by if you feel like it.

[Flip]

Well folks I didn't need my book of excuses after all as Bella (my 1965 250 Mach1 for those reading this for the first time) had plans of her own to ruin my weekend!!

I'm not exactly sure when she is fifty this year but I guess I must have missed her Birthday as she threw a hissy fit just after leaving the holding area in Saturday morning practise and decided she didn't want to play and cut out on the main straight.

After recovery back to our paddock and a few checks followed by a push to start in the hope of it being something silly saw her fire up but immediately started making some horrible noises so it was hit the kill switch and no racing for us.

I could have started delving into the motor there and then but the given the noises I heard and the possibilities of why, the thought of bringing the bike home in more pieces than I took it there in didn't fill me with enthusiasm to do so, so for the moment she is sat in the naughty corner of my garage waiting to be looked at later this week.

I have drawn a little solace from it all though in as much as, I have had pretty much three seasons racing without any major problems, a faulty battery at Donington last year caused me to miss a race followed by torrential rain cancelling the remainder of the weekend being the other and here at least I wasn't at the end of the start/finish straight about to drop it into fourth and 'fall off the end of the world' into Paddock Hill bend or else I think I would be looking at a very broken bike and quite likely a broken me too let alone what kind of holes might have been punched through the crankcase if it is (as I am leaning towards it being) either a broken crank pin or a main bearing failure causing the noise but allowing it to still run (of sorts).

On the plus side it was good to catch up with my buddies from the CRMC and also with those of you from here that managed to find me- BIG apologies to those that looked and didn't but I do hope you had a great days entertainment watching some old bikes go round in circles.

With only five weeks to go until the Donington festival it is looking unlikely that I will be racing there now unless I can find something to ride in the meantime- my mate has a Greeves Silverstone he doesn't race at the moment as he's got himself a 'nice reliable Ducati' but we'll have to see as I think I may be looking at a fair few squiddlies to fix my motor and entry fees are getting on for the price of a new con rod.

All revved up and only Clearways to go......

Totally should have seen this post earlier! I was watching the classics this weekend at Brands! I was down with the MVOCUK in garage 12.

Flip,

Sorry to hear that the Mach 1 let you down, but man that is one beautiful machine