Melville F600 Champioships at East Fortune 17/18 July 2004
What a rush to get everything together for the weekend.
The bike was picked up from the engine builders after a wee post TT tune, still hot from the Dyno run. Neil had to kit out the NEW van in the morning and drive through the Friday afternoon Manchester rush hour and the journey took over 5 hours!
When we both arrived and got set up at the circuit, there wasn’t much time to get everything changed over from the TT settings and gearing…….I made it out as the first practice on Saturday completed the first lap…..very close timing !
Saturday
The circuit has been resurfaced at Pates (fast right hander) and at Old Road (where the concrete was breaking up a little) and I was keen to see how it was.
Unfortunately it was wet and a bit slippy, but second practice was dryer and we could begin to go a little faster. I had some intermediate tyres from the TT which I got to try out for the first time, they were really good over some of the very damp patches.
Race 1
In the first race I got away quite well from my row two grid position. I was still in about 8th or 9th, but managed to make my way up through the pack a bit. On the second last lap I managed to get past one of my close competitors at Esses 1 (one of my favourite places to overtake) and I stayed in front to get a 6th place which I was very happy with, considering it was my first short circuit race after the TT.
Race 2
In the second race I had a huge wheelie off the start line and lost about two rows. I had to work hard to get back some places, but when I got up to guys who I was beating in April, I just didn’t seem to be able to draught them and overtake on the straights. Despite the tune job on the engine it seemed as if the bike was actually losing out to these guys compared to April. I also had a scary moment at Esses 2 when I actually lost the front end to both the right and to the left over the bumps. I managed to recover it and keep on without losing too much. Then the rain started…just a drizzle to start with, then it began to pelt down and as there had been an accident the race was stopped, leaving me no more time to pick up places. I got home in 10th. Not too bad, but I obviously had some work to do on the front suspension to cure the lack of grip at the bumpy sections.
Racing was cut short as it continued to pelt down with rain for about an hour and it would have been too risky to race with so much standing water on the circuit.
I got a trophy for my 6th position which was presented at the beer tent that evening and a whole load of people from the Saddletramps (bike club), Orla from SABD and Mette was there. Needless to say the party was good and some people didn’t get into their sleeping bags till 4am!
Sunday
A lie in, or so I thought. I couldn’t sleep past 7am…too excited !!
The weather was much better in fact it became a beautiful day with lots of sunshine.
The practice session proved that Stuart Sturrock’s advice was sound. The adjustments I made to the front end made it behave better and the handling had improved, so I went into race 1 with confidence. The new rear tyre helped too.
Race1
Another mediocre “Duncan” start saw me with some work to do and I discovered that although I was going faster, so were the guys around me. It was a good race though and I got some clear space to go round which got me an 8th place.
The exhaust was blowing a little, so we changed systems for the std Yamaha downpipes, Harris high level mid section and Graham’s 60mm bore end can from Mercury Race Exhausts. The bike looked like it meant business with this system on and it sounded like it too, what an exhaust note…it growled like a bear!
Race2
Another great race, with a couple of good dices. I got past Brian on the last lap, at Esses 1, but I had to slow a bit for a back marker and he passed me again going into the hairpin and I couldn’t get him back through the last corner. So I finished with another 8th.
Race 3
After a reasonable start, I got into a wee train with 3 other bikes and we stayed very close together. All 4 of us were trying ways to get past each other but the positions remained the same despite our efforts. As I would have to back off a little going into Esses, Goerge Spence would pull away enough from the hairpin to the complex enough to make me have to play catch up and I never got close enough to actually pass him.
It was however a great race and showed how close we all were to go virtually the whole race so close in the same positions.
This is not the sort of thing you get in the 400’s and I think this is because there are more experienced racers in the F600 class and therefore they are more consistent…..and fast! This is what I’m experiencing in the F600 class so far.
It was a great weekend racing and in total there were almost 40 people down to see the team over the weekend. Support like that is great and really gives the team a boost.
Once more I have to thank Mr Black without whose efforts, this would just not happen.
I won’t be racing at East Fortune o14th and 15th, as We’re off to the Ulster Gp to race, but I will be at East Fortune to Marshall.
But if anyone would like to help, the club needs some Marshalls for the August meeting. Let me know by the 30th of July if you can make it and I will put your name forward. There is no better place to watch racing from, than the track itself !