This is great news, all the approvals are now in place for me to race at my first TT. The Worlds premier road race.

Thanks to my new sponsors "Duck Tape" (only joking), the bike was repaired and ready for another battle. Neil had spent alot of time straightening things out and repairing the scratches.

Croft (for those that don't know it) is situated just to the east of Scotch Corner. Its a purpose built track like Knockhill, only Croft has some excellent viewing areas which have been built up specially, nicer facilities, nicer toilets etc. The track is 2.1 miles long (the longest short circuit track I will have raced at) and it only really has a couple of short straights. The rest of the circuit consists of long flowing corners leading into each other and they are fast ! Some of the corners are taken flat out in 6th gear, knee down at 120mph !

This is the only race meeting which is held on a Saturday, due to the religious locals, so it was a hectic 3 hour evening drive, in Gordons van down the A68. When we got there it was just getting dark and beginning to cool down quite a bit. By the time we got the mobile garage up, the bikes out and set up, it was COLD. Everyone was knackered, so an early night was on the cards.

Next morning, I woke at 7am to find not only ice on the outside of the van window, but on the inside as well. It was a bitterly cold night and it the sun had not had a chance to heat the air yet. So the only thing to do was to get ready and try and get heated up.

By first practice, it had warmed up a little and everything had gone OK at scrutineering and sign on. There were only two races for me and Graeme as the open class was oversubscribed, so we were entered in the 10 lap formula 400 races and ours were No. 1 and No. 6.

Practice went OK, considering I had a set of new (flatslide) carbs on the bike which should give it better response and top end power. They didn't rev very well above 12,000 revs and I need to be able to use them up to 14,500 (so I was losing a lot of power)

On second practice, disaster struck, when my rear wheel bearing collapsed. Yup, same as last meeting, only a different side. This meant that while we tried to punch out the old one and find a replacement, I missed the second practice. In fact we could not get the old broken bearing out, despite help from nearly everyone of the large Scottish contingent of racers that were there, Finally after a call out on the tannoy had no success, one of the officials got me in touch with another racer who had a spare rear wheel. This was great, all I had to do was change his wet tyre for mine, and change it back again after the race. Great!!!

So I got out, with only having one practice, no race experience of the track, a bike that wouldn't rev out on a track, I had never raced on before. Despite a very average start, I managed to hold my grid position of row 3 (or 15th out of 25) into the first corner, but the more I got round the track the more people I reeled in and passed. I just love these fast corners (and my kneesliders will soon need replaced). I had a bit of a tussle with another Scots guy, but he hesitated when passing a backmarker and I passed on breaking. I thought at any moment guys would be passing me on the straights because of my lack of top end, but I was actually closing in on the leading pack. Towards the end of a 21mile race, condition starts to play a part. OK I was beginning to feel knackered, but I was glad that I had been persistant in my running training, because it didn't feel too bad (poetic license...I was knackered). 5th place was my result at the end of this race. My best result on a track south of the border, and my best ever result for a new track.

Croft is definitely a place I want to race at again. I feel that I can do much better and I'm only one position away from a trophy at the moment.

Next race is "at home" East Fortune on the 27th and 28th of April. I want to do really well here, as it is a championship I think I can get a podium finish at the end of the year. So hopefully we can get the carbs set up (with Doctor Herbies help) and I am with a chance of doing well.

Once again I apologise for the lack of pictures, hopefully, with a little help from rock band www.readitandweep.net Mega Drummer Dave I will soon have my own wee website where it will be easy to see pictures without you having to download them.

There are pictures and a write up by the editor Ian, at www.twattit.co.uk This is a pretty cool "Online Bikerzine" where the exploits of the Barking Spider team will be featured. We are even on the front page from last month. The www.twattit.co.uk site has been changing, but is now fully operational and you should have look. Its very entertaining. If you look closely at the sponsor stickers on the bike you will see the Twattit sticker together with Roughlander, who are sponsoring the team this season.

This weekend I'm not racing so Mette and I have been out on the road bikes up to Glencoe.

Tomorrow and next week I will be working on the bike I have been given a loan of as a spare for the TT, by Nick (a racer) who works with my brother in Dublin. Nick and I have agreed what needs to be done for the bike to become ready and I will be focussing on replacing the fork sliders, replacing seals, commissioning the starter motor, changing the engine oil, cleaning and bleeding the brakes etc this next week. Its a bit tight, but I hope to have the spare bike running to take it to East Fortune, run the engine in and get a feel for it.

So theres lots to do, even before we consider the preparations for the TT.

All the best