Ledenon

This weekends racing started on Friday - when we left the house. We arrived at Ledenon, which is almost my home circuit given that it is only 2.5 hours away, just before lunch. In fact we arrived just before a Proclassic training session, unfortunately it was not a "published" session, so I didn't manage to do it - because I didn't know about it!

The circuit is on a small hill in the middle of the Rhone valley, which if you remember my last rendition of Ledenon is subject to a bit of wind! Well the wind was forecasted for Friday and Saturday, and dying on Sunday. The forecast actually turned out right, on Friday and Saturday the wind was strong enough to blow you off line very easily, and in fact it may have been responsible for an accident on Thursday which ended up in the hospital with more than 7 ribs broken!

Anyway, Friday evening practise for me was reduced to one lap! I had fitted my expansion chambers, but I hadn't yet had the opportunity to check my carburation at maximum throttle opening (the most important setting!), so I completed a plug chop on the first lap, and took a look at the plugs, which although the insulation on the anode looked OK, the cathode (the bendy bit) was white, which led me to think that I was running too lean, so back to the pits, and off with the carbs and up to 250 main jets. Unfortunately the time to do this and you run out of the 20 minutes practise time!

Saturday morning timed qualification. Fortunately the bike was pulling well up to maximum throttle and revs, the pilot however was having trouble with the wind, the off camber bends and generally learning the circuit! I finished the session with a 2.01 minute best lap, which was pretty appauling, the fastest time in our series was 1.37 seconds ! This was set by a current European Champion (guest rider) on a prepared TZ350, but even still I was pretty crap! This put me on line 7 of the grid with surprisingly some bikes behind me!

Race 1
I got an excellent start, from line 7 I overtook a line at the start and another few guys in the first bend, I was in front of 44 and the 750 Honda of David Boisnard, and even dicing with the 1000 Kawa Martin of the Hugh Arnold, who despite getting past me on the straights was having difficulty on the twisty bits. Eventually he got clear of me, and I proceeded to have the same fight with David as his Honda was more powerful on the straights, but I was quicker around the bends. I was comfortably keeping both Claude and David behind me, when the BSA 750 came flying past, I kept my head down to follow, but he went straight on virtually at the next bend! I just managed to understand what he was doing, and managed to keep going although a little shaken by the experience.

On the second to last lap, I missed a gear going into the last bend, in fact I thought the engine had stopped, of course both David and Claude came flying through, and although I discovered my error quickly they were already long gone! The result was a 23 or 24th scratch, although I must be in the points in my category.

Race 2
The temperature had increased and the wind dropped completely for the second race. Thankfully the fan club was there to hold the umbrella (thanks Philippe) and Pascalle with the cold water to keep me alive on the pre-grid. My start was not good, I got boxed in in the first bend, and got stuck behind a 750 Honda it took me a couple of bends to get past him and by that time I was fighting to get back in the pack of 350's! By lap 4-5 I was catching Pierre Eline on his RD 350, but my bike started to cough and stutter - SHIT, I thought I was going to seize, one more lap, SHIT it's the petrol tap - I had forgotten to switch back to reserve after filling the tank! The bike only runs with about 5 litres of fuel for the race, and so this "went onto reserve" and I had lost at least half a lap on my group before realising my mistake.

Frustrated, I really tried to open her up on the last few laps to try and get back to them, but I couldn't get near them, and looking at my lap times I turned out being slower in the second race than the first! I must get some more practise on this circuit there are things I haven't yet understood.

Again, I got a few points, bringing the weekends tally up to 7 points due mainly to people breaking down. Anyway at least I improved my championship points, and I should have overtaken at least guy in the championship as he was not racing this weekend.
I had got my lap time down by 8 seconds in the first race to 1.53, but only managed a 1.54 in the second!

My thanks to all my team, officially now Da.R.T Daves race team. with the T shirts to match!! I am really looking forward to Croix-en-Ternois as I have already raced there, and I will have support from the English contingent!! Speak to you then.
Video to follow!

Video Clip from Le Vigeant

This is me in Race2 following Nr. 44 on a RD350, and Nr. 55 on a 750 Honda Martin. During the first part of the race I was happy following, but as the race came to a close I found I was close enough to get past both 55, & then 44. This clip is two seperate laps one with me following, and one with me having overtaken 55, and coming up to take 44 as he opens the door to let the race leaders through. I overtook him in a similar fashion in race 1!

Le Vigeant - Val de Vienne

Well, Monday 13th August, we arrived back from Le Vigeant yesterday, after a Saturday packed full of action!
We left for the circuit on Friday morning despite having drilled through the lighting cables on the trailer Thursday evening after Libby had bought me a new ramp. I had to drill holes for the ramp to fit through and in the process I drilled lightly into the cable. So Friday morning we left late after a hasty repair job on the the cable.

We arrived after 6.5 hours of driving, through the rain. The circuit itself is near Poitier and my parents were meeting us at the circuit on the start of their summer break in France. It is 3.7kms long, and very difficult to learn. We had a "proclassic" training time at 18:00 on Friday evening, and the bike ran perfectly. The driver however was having extreme difficulty finding his way around the circuit. I could only really remember about the first half of the circuit after the Friday practise. Much more difficult than Le Mans to learn, for example.

The Saturday started early with timed practise at 9:20 am, which went a little better but still only allowing me to access the last line of the grid - 2 mins 20 seconds - not good.

The first race, for a change, I got a great start, I overtook the line in front of me, and despite losing a few places down the straight I was feeling pretty confident. After the initial settling down - I am getting better at this - instead of following people around (easy to do) you really have to think, I am faster than this, and get to overtaking people!! My objective I had set myself for the weekend was to catch an RD350 typically in front of me in previous races, and I found myself following him round, and even being quicker than him at certain parts, there is a difficult bend after the back straight chicane which you enter really heavy on the front brakes and then it tightens up and you have to drop the brakes and heft it over to get round the bend. I was catching on this bend and also quicker on the bend after the start/finish straight. A plan was hatching!!

In fact I overtook on the slowest bend of the circuit after we were lapped. My rival slowed, whilst the front guys went through and I made the most of an open door, that he left. I went through and then opened up a comfortable lead on him to finish the first race in 26th position (stratch), with 9 people behind me - not bad, but still not exactly great.

Race 2
Started one line up after my Race 1 result, and again a reasonable start. I found myself once again behind the green RD350 and no. 55 on a 750 Honda. I was behind both of them for the most part of the race, although I really started to discover the circuit and where I could start going a lot quicker, I even experienced a couple of rear wheel slides which I think is an indication of my limits being reached. Anyway, I got past No. 55, and then I flew past the RD again, not leaving them any time to catch up again. I finished a couple of seconds away from the guy in front and was catching fast. I was really pleased that I had managed to get past these guys as these are two bikes that are "normally" in front of me.
I finished in 20th position and had bettered my lap time by 3 seconds again (!).

From the qualifying time of 2:20, I had got it down to 2:14, although I am still 4 seconds off the quickest LC, but I am getting closer!

The Saturday evening was spent celebrating results, birthdays etc.. and we packed up Sunday morning for what turned out to be a 7 hour drive home. But it was worth it!

Next race is Ledenon (nearly my home circuit!) on the 1st and 2nd September. I am hoping to be able to fit my expansion chambers and newly tuned barrels and head for the next race - we will see if I can run it in or not.

Despite being happy with my result I only finished 14th in my category which is worse than Le Mans, but still, I scored some points which is good.

Photos and video soon!

Nice photo from Le Mans

Video from Le Mans

Le Mans

Sorry it's been a long time since an update - I know how you miss my tales from the track!

Well this weekend we "did" Le Mans - FANTASTIC! We were four to travel up to Le Mans on Friday morning as both the kids decided to come aswell as Libby. The trip was OK, although long we only arrived at the track 40 minutes before practise, so as normal it was panic stations to get the bike out, leather up and get it started!! The bike is becoming a notorious traveller - it never wants to start after a trip in the trailer! This time it was missing some 12 volts. Don't ask me why but the battery seemed dead. The only reason I can think of is that someone must have left the ignition on and drained the battery during the trip....Anyway a quick bump start and out to discover the historical Le Mans Bugatti circuit. For some of you, who watch too much telly, this is not the 24 hour circuit that the cars take, this is the short track area which does make up part of the 24 hour circuit, but does not take any of the public roads, as does the official 24 hour track. All the same the start finish straight is a top speed (10k rpm in 6th - for me) straight with a nasty right hand curve in it, which lightened up the steering considerably and made for some "white knuckle" moments as you hang on round the curve. This is followed by a left right chicane, with the initial left hander being a common place for a straight-on, as you try to outbrake your mates! After the chicane it hard acceleration downhill towards "La Chapelle: a sweeping off camber right hander which really was a case of "go as fast as your courage will let you...", down a small straight and a left hander (La Musee), follwed by a nice double right hander and then along the back straight towards another chicane (left , right again), along to a nice right hander followed by another left, then down to the final double right to rejoin the start finish straight.

My favourite parts of the circuit, and where I felt the best, were basically in all the right hand bends... Strange really I have nothing against left handers in general, but all the left handers were not my fatest areas! The Friday practise went well, no problems.

Official timed practise wasn't until Saturday afternoon, so we had lots of time to take in the other races and practise sessions from the promosport series. The quickest guys were lapping in 1 minute 45 seconds (Yamaha R1, GSXR 1000 etc..).

My best lap in timed practise was ..... 2 minutes 20 seconds! This put me on line 6 of the grid - 24th position out of the total grid of 40 bikes - not bad. I was in front of some much bigger bikes, so fairly happy. Saturday night was party night with the "Arnold" families - 3 brothers and friends, wives etc.. made a great group, and we finally went to bed around midnight, whilst another group were going for a walk around the circuit (which didn't happen as it was closed).

Race 1
I got a bad start, and a couple of people went past, as we raced up to the first corner, everyone was through, and after a lap or two I found myself in a group of 5 bikes :- another RD 350, a Kawa 250, a Z650, and a Honda 750. Surprisingly the 250 had great top end, and managed to take us all on the straights but took a long time to wind up, which gave us the opportunity to get some space. He overcooked it up the start finish straight and lost the front end trying to turn in on the dirty part of the track - a nasty fall, which finished at the hospital (broken collar bone), meanwhile in a faster group Patrice Guilhemjouan had gone down in "La Chapelle", which looked nasty judging by the scrape marks. Our group of 4 continued to battle it out, swapping places regularly until Philippe Desmarais on the Z650 got a good lead and dropped us, leaving me, the other 350 and the Honda 750, who could easily out gun us on the straights but we were certainly quicker in the bends. The race finished with me behind the 750, and the other 350 behind me...Phew... I finished 23rd (scratch) in the first final. This was really my first taste of hard racing, with bikes everywhere, a fantastic if somewhat chaotic experience!!

Race 2
Some technical problems, and drop outs left me starting further up the grid, next to the same trouble makers as the last time - should be a close race!! My start was better, and I managed to slipstream up the start finish straight, behind a quicker bike, and after the initial first bend tustles, I found myself with the other RD 350 pilot, we proceeded to do 10 laps with him in front for one lap, then I overtook, then he came back, for 4 laps, in the end I managed to keep him back for the last 3 laps, and finished a decent 19th position (scratch). I was pretty happy as we had managed to pull ourselves in front of some quicker guys, because we were really pulling all the stops out!! The other 2 guys we had battled with in the first race both had some technical issues which prevented them from getting to us.

Results
I managed to get some great points during the weekend and finished up 8th in my category with 13 points! I was really chuffed with the result, because not only can I see progress in my technique(!) but also I am gradually moving up the places, I only hope I can keep going at the next venue in 3 weeks time!

In the photos you can see the five way battle in the first race, and me taking the chequered flag!

Bike Status

Just a quick update before everyone leaves for summer holidays.
I stripped the barrels and head off last weekend, because my homemade base gaskets had changed significantly in colour, and I was worried that they maybe leaking either water or gas. Good news the pistons are in perfect condition, and the barrels are showing signs of use, but nothing else - I think it is getting reliable!!
I noticed when reconnecting the power valves that they don't move at the same time due to some slack in the connector - I will take a look at shimming this up at the weekend.

I replace the gaskets and refitted everything, all OK.

I had also received a new rev. counter cable I ordered (12 cms longer) in order to reach the instrument panel I have been making, this has now been fitted, although I may have broken my temperature gauge, as I miss connected it.... We will have to see when I start it up.

I now drain the tank and carbs. after each time I use the bike, because the mixed fuel is not stable, and everyone advises only using it for a couple of weeks in the tank - I now have a large jerry can full of premix for the lawn mower - it smells like a fish & chip shop when I mow the lawn (it is a four stroke).

I have sent some second hand barrels and head to Stan (the man) Stephens in the UK for tuning, and I have ordered some expansion chambers from Gibsons in the UK, I hope they will be ready for the end of the season - I can't wait!!

The next race is at "Le Mans" - should be excellent if the weather gets a bit better.

Speak to you all soon, and have great summer holidays!