2011 Mallory Race reports

Dereks race report inspired me to write my own, thought it would make sense to have them in one place so here is Derek's Race Report, mine follows
Anyone else want to add one ??




Now for my Mallory Report:- please feel free to comment "james light hearted PLEASE"

my first meeting in 2011 went ok - great even better when I found out I got some points too. thanks al /james / nick.!

we spent practice playing with the jetting I new at this point I was well over geared, (too tall to pull top gear) you could tell this off the line that it was sluggish. it was a little better in the second after we went down a tooth on the front, we should have gone down two.
practice race one - I was pulling too high a top-gear, would not pull top properly -max 9000 in top, even worse down the back straight but sorted this for the second race, just gearing -

sadly we wanted to look at the crown to plug/ head colour as we have swapped carbs and not really know where we are (excuses excuses) also running avgas, we are finding the plugs difficult to read, anyway - the colour looked dry very light purple/brown, but very clean patch wet round squish area and a small amount of Austrialia in the centrale shape, all looked good except I did miss a very important issue, while putting it back together and it nipped up during the second race as a result. tut tut.

" another excuse " I was disturbed while doing a number of jobs, so next time please if you see me working on the bike or putting it back together, please, please, please, dont come and talk to me" I will only forget something, it could cost me or anyone a lot more than a "nip up". or I may resort to teaching forren languages.

iron barrel - Dad feels we need to warm it up more and for longer before we go out, anyone got any thoughts on this, warm up time for longer we think, I was pushing it to the collecting area starting it when they opened the gate took it steady round siting lap then the usual R.I.F.N.

Fuel economy is unberleavable UNLESS WE HAVE THIS WRONG, we used a total of 1.8 ltrs while i did not go the full distance in the second race - we still did three practices / worked it out to be well over 100miles per gallon, ? and its still a little Rich.

please feel free to comment.

Great to see Tedd out and about, he's OK "he must be" ! "he's still full of it" - and mick - LOL

Having great fun:- kind regards Derek

My report


Mallory Park 2011

Friday evening 19:00 arrive in the giant van Mum and Nicky present hopeful of great things, I have a new mechanical maestro for this year in the shape of Alan Brown who unfortunatley wont be racing again himself, Als cloud is my silver lining in this case. Arrive at Scrutineering and the end of queue sticker has appeared. Have a chat with Miki who is - well Miki (lol) and no ill effects from his big off at Lydden last year, decide to head back to the race van and drink beer.

07:00 Hours 25th April 2011 - Alarm ringing, switch it off and listen, but no sound of rain on the roof of the van, no sign of frost on the windows that’s not right it can’t be Mallory easter Monday. Have to pinch self to check not still dreaming……..

Mallory Breakfast still the best, notice Pete Tibbetts and Al Brown tucking in, just as well Al’s not racing, I can hear his whalebone corset creaking under the strain from three tables away.

Riders Briefing, all change in the sidecar championship, guess someone has been up to no good, pulling off at the esses and usual pre grid, that’s about it.

Got signed on and checked the program, blimey have two front row starts grid positions 2 & 4 promising start to the proceedings. Grid for this year confirmed as 12 Bantams.

Practice:

Bike fired up no problems at all, handed my tag in at the gate and waved stright onto the track, engine already nice and warm so gunned her in first and off she went like a rat up a drainpipe…..oh yes….. Clutch in, tap down on the lever … nothing… try again nothing…..swear a bit (ok a lot) …. Tap down third gear, whats that doing there ???? Slip the cluth and head off around Gerrards.

New Tarmac feels pretty good, out of Gerrards engine pulling hard now in top as 9500 rpm comes up and she starts to run out of legs (note to self need a few more revs).

The approach to Edwinas is a bit weird without the Marshalls hut and really does look completly different, try for second, still no joy, so grab a fistful of brake to get the speed down select first and accelerate hard through the chicane.

Rest of the session is a case of get a feel for the bike and the new surface.

Race 6

Race 6 is called, seemed a long wait as its gone noon already, head off to the collection area, lined up in position 2 look down and notice a bit less fuel than I thought. Sneak out the side pop back to the van put the prepared fuel in the bike and head back. That’s one benefit of arriving at first call.

Gates open and we are off for the sighting lap, pretty uneventful but won by a scooter from near the back of the grid :-)

Ready for the start, grid is formed marshalls off the track heart pounding, slip the bike in gear, clutch in lights come on, blood pulsing in ears, revs building, lights out, clutch out, front wheel goes light skipping across the track - blistering start. Go for third via the missing second, nothing, try again and get the gear but revs have gone, Tom, Ian, Mike, Pete and Robbie sail past and we head into Gerrards.

A glance back and I can see Michael looming but he doesn’t seem to have the pace to pass me when I am on the power in top. Brake late for Edwinas then, on the exit, Michael slips past while I search for something resembling a gear, get third and a good run up the hill. Brake hard and right on Michaels tail through the hairpin allowing me to out accelerate him on the run to the bus stop, down the hill and the marshalls are red flagging the race so stop on the start finish line. Scooter has gone down and there is a delay. (Good news is Mr Bevin is well on the way to recovery)

Nick Bramleys motor has a problem so he pops off to see if he can sort it, unfortunatley he doesn’t make it back (Water leak)

Robbie also pops off but I think his water leak is of the more personal variety…. It’s his age you know.

The restart is pretty much a replay, slot in about half a second a lap off Michael, losing ground everytime I would use second. But finish 7th, a pleasing result all things considered and score 9 points – that’s 3 more than the whole of last year.

Tom Snow won (best ever 175 lap 1:08:57) followed by Mike Powell 0.22 off a second later , Ian Scutt, who set a new 125 Banatam record at 1:08:25 and then Peter Tibbitts by all accounts some hard racing up front.

Chris Bennion, Andy Checkley and Derek Betts all scored some useful championship points.

During the break we took a look at the engine but nothing to be done in the time available to address the gearbox issue. Tried altering the gearing to try and make the bike easier to ride with two speeds.

Steve Frayne arrives, not riding but spectating and hopefully out at the next meeting. Mark Taylor in attendance with his camera, have a chat about his progress and loan him a Mikuni TMX35mm carb, it may be a tad oversized but will get him satrted better than the 38mm he currently has. News is No Mike Redhead and he may only make one day at Pembrey shame especially as he was leading the championship after Mallory last year.

Nick Bramleys problem is confirmed as a leaking barrell and he spends the break trying to seal it.

Race 16

Again a flying start and no second Gear, Nick Bramley passed me round Gerrards but in third gear I had the power to pull past him and pass on the inside going into Edwinas. After that the gearbox detoriated and my lap times slipped by a couple of seconds a lap sending me down the order. A high attrition rate meant Ian Scutt, Andy Checkley and Derke Betts didn’t finish, a jump start saw Chris penalised behind me so an 8th place behind Phil Betty.

Powell, Snow, Tibbitts 1,2,3 should make for an interetsing chamiponship this year.

I chatted to Phil Betty whilst returning my transponder as to why he was out on Josie not the LC, I think the slightly vague response may have indicated it was a fuel issue, the lack of it in the tank, but unsure. Anyway Phil assures me the LC will be out and toasting me at Pembrey so we agreed a bet of a pint of beer on the condition I had three gears, Phil suggest I was cheating as I never seem to have three gears !!

All in all a good weekend 2 races 2 finishes and 17 points scored makes me 6th equal in the championship with Phil Betty, bike shows some promise and a working gearbox at Pembrey in May should give a chance of even better results….. but you never know, afterall, this is Bantam racing !!!!

Hi James/Derek,


Great posts to read from a learners point of view especially reading james' report of throughout prractice and experience. didnt know tom snow's bike was a 175. What were your gerabox problems in the end if you dont mind me asking james, doubt you remember helping me and dad buy a cr box at lydden at the bantam 50th.



Eddie

brilliant post james we need more of these ! one from each of you please ? and what about a Tom or Alan perepctive problems encountered/ overcome opinion of who should be doing what.

great James well done

best regards Derek

Ed,

Actually I do remember, we both bought a box from JohnSBantam, that was the year he put Al Browns bike in the kitty litter and Russ produced that photo in which Als face was hilarious, sort of somewhere between I am smiling honest and oh no my bike ... murder...death...mayhem lol

[url=http://www.sport-pics.co.uk/2005%20Season/vmcc/pastmasters/vl6a3606.htm ]http://www.sport-pics.co.uk/2005%20Season/vmcc/pastmasters/vl6a3606.htm [/url]

James

Hi James,

Thats correct, i do remember that as that was the parade. Your gearbox has had seen some action compared to ours but dad is hoping to be out for one race this year.


Eddie

James, I am pleased the gears have been put to good use.
When we get our 4 speed CR system working, I will sell off the rest of the New Old Stock 3 speed CR gears I have.

I still have the pictures of Lydden 2005, a great weekend. I met and chatted to many great people. Pity Aidens bike (ex MP 002) wouldn't start. Thanks to Alans generosity the parade was a great ride to the point of the 3rd flying lap when I went up the inside of Messers Scutt senior and Peter Styles going upto Paddock bend. Man, that bike had some torque.

It was bad enough being announced as a NZ Champion ( I only ever got a 2nd in Classic Club pre 63 250 class) but very embarrassing doing a ground loop !

Good Afternoon James,

Fantastic bit of writing on both yours and Dereks part,cheered me up no end, Please carry on writing them, and then at least if I am unable to get to the meetings I can at least gleen a flavour of the racing from the reports.Just to keep the record straight I was leading last years championship after three sisters, thats the race circuit and not the notorious trio of ladies with very loose morals that live near Wigan and frequent the night, well Maximes night club anyway!

Good luck to you all for the rest of the season and hopefully I will be out to play before too much longer

Mike.

James/Derek can one of you supply BHR with your Ev10 Race report? go to britishhistoricracing.co.uk

Where to start well we loaded the bikes into the van and set off I was so excited at the time a little while later we arrived at croft the first time I had even seen this circuit and the thought of racing there the next day put butterflies in my stomach.

We unloaded the bikes and decided to take a walk round the circuit to go through the lines and tbh most of it went over my head after the walk it was off to bed for a clean head for the next day 

I woke up at 4.30 could sleep my nervous were getting to me I opened the back doors and it was freezing and like a ghost town I decided to walk the track again to see if I could calm my nervous still didn't work so I resulted to cleaning my bike a while later my old man woke and found it funny I could sleep : ( 

Half 7 come and  scrutening open I was first there and I think I was first to fail as if I remember rightly a bold wasn't wired after wired bike went through fine then followed by my leathers fuelled the bike checked it over and by then it was riders briefing then I heard the words go start your engines and felt like I needed some new pants 

I tryed to start the bike but failed as I failed the plug after a new plug and a hand from my old man the engine was started and I felt like I had no legs I made my way to the collection area and wasn't long before we was out after we had nearly done a lap my nervous had calmed and the start finished come up so I opened it up got to top of 3rd and started to come up to the breaking area but as I shut the throttle the bike seized on me and my back wheel locked up through not having the natural instinks of pulling the clutch in what I done a few moments later and come to a stop and the end of the start finish 

Once the practice had stopped I pushed the bike back to the garage and we performed a quick engine change from the seized 125 to a 175 I was then told I had not done enough laps practice to go out in the race so they arranged for me to go on the back of the first race do 3 laps and come in every thing went smoothly and my 3 laps practice was finished I found the 175 alot easier to ride so probably a better engine to start on first bantam race out and I had pole position but bottled it and retreated to the back of the grid      
The flag droped and we was away well everyone else was I followed about a hour later when I manage to get it going was still on a learning curve of how to slip the clutch done 2 laps only to get black flag and the fairing was hanging off another raced unfinished and not long after our first race the heavens open and racing was stopped due to the amount of water cumin down everyone wad hiding in the garages and a few people may remember sighting a twister in the distance what every new comer needs to help there confidence lol racing was put of for the rest of the day

Day 2 

Racing was resumed again and practice went oki was still edging for that first checkered flag race 1 went out and yet again a mechanical failure can remember what it was tho after being brought back in the van fixing the problem we was back out and I had a good feeling about the race the union jack flag was waved and we was off after a few laps I was getting more confident and started to get quicker had a few misshaps little going wide on some corners and went off roading but stayed on I come round the hair pin to see a checkered flag being waved infront off me I was so happy I had finished my first race even tho I was probally lapped twice but I never cared I had done it and it felt so good we packed the van and set off on the way home I didn't shut up talking for ages but after a while crashed out in the back of the van untill we got home all in all a good weekends racing  

MICHAEL this must have been 2007 twister at croft, this was the very same meeting I had decided to attend while in the area on business, i stopped to get some R&R, was so good on saturday decided to stay sunday too, anyway. twisters was there three, anyway a great report, hope this inspires some of the new guys looking in - better start soon "its never too late" and you only come this way once.

regds Derek

Another Mallory Race report.

The somewhat interesting dyno test had highlighted all sorts of problems with both bikes. Very heavy duty clutch springs were fitted, together with the Mikuni TMX in lieu of the Lectron on 002. As time was rapidly running out before Mallory an opportunity presented for a quick blat up some tarmac. Result - no clutch slip and no fuel starvation. Plug chop from flat in top revealed a nice light brown colour. Off to Mallory with some confidence we are not heading for a complete disaster...
Practice and the motor wants to bog on low throttle. On main jet it goes very well and another plug chop reveals all OK in this area.
Race 1 and it’s a hell of a job to get off the line. Tailing everyone until the red flag comes out on the 1ST lap. Restart and this time on advice from Pete I am more brutal with the right hand and clutch. Still last off the line, but not quite so bad. Came past Derek and Andy - took mental note this was the first time I'd outgunned a bantam on a straight in a race since 1980! More mental note that my braking is crap - must improve. Tacho showed 11000+ in top on 14x56 approaching Gerrards. Resisted the natural urge to shut off on the Gerrards approach - quite pleased - and nailed it all the way round. Engine bogging out of Edwinas and the Hairpin. Jumping out of 1st every time leaving Edwina's but not at the Bus Stop - weird! Engine bogged and cut completely en route to the paddock.
Stole James’ mechanic Alan to sort the carburation out. We got it to pull like stink in the paddock with the new needle and bespoke?! air screw. In hindsight this was on a relatively cool engine, as I discovered later...
Race 2 and next to James on the grid. It’s another lousy start, but this time I don't think I'm last. Come up behind James who is obviously struggling and try to sidle past. No chance - he has lots more low down stomp. Manage to squirm my way past on the next to last lap. Mike and Tom come steaming by, but they don't lose me much on Gerards. Happy to finish in the points. Go for the results and wots this - I've been docked 10 seconds for a jump start! Outrageous! News to me - but there you go. Next time I'll try to keep the adrenaline bottled somewhat.
Overall a good day -with 2 of the 3 major issues from last season apparently sorted. Only the low down pull needs addressing and I think we are nearly there...
The 175 sat idle all day and as if in protest decided to dribble oil from a fork seal.
For Pembrey it'll be more tweaking of the carb needle and a modicum of ignition advance... The 175 has now been rewarded for its patience with a pair of new fork seals. You just gotta keep these girls happy....
Chris

Hi All,

Great reports guys and very interesting reading, certainly taking the edge of the conference im sat in!



Eddie