Friday test day got underway with mixed weather conditions, tired of changing wheels from wet to dry tyres and back, by the end of the day I didn't feel I was totally prepared for the races.Unfortunately that is how things can feel from time to time and I just had to keep reminding myself that I was not the only one experiencing the changeable track conditions.
Unfortunately like the previous round I selected the wrong gearing which became a big hindrance during the qualifying sessions held on the Saturday morning. This determined seventh place on the grid in Doodson Supertwins and eighth in the Aprilia RRV450GP championship. I stayed calm as I reminded myself of what I had achieved at Oulton Park from a lowly grid position.
Doodson Supertwins Race one, I experienced a great start and I was able to capitalize and push myself into the lead by the midway point of the race until I made a mistake on the back section of the circuit, sending me off the track and forcing me to work my way back up the field taking home a sixth place finish. This was a good result as I was the fastest 450 rider on the grid, a good confidence booster for the first 450 race.
Unfortunately the Aprillia RRV450GP Race one didn't go to plan as I collided with Ross Twyman, due to a mistake firmly instigated by me, and me only. Our collision unfortunately snapped my clutch lever off forcing me to retire on the side of the barrier.
This mistake really upset me and left me feeling down because I cannot afford DNF’s in this series if I want to maintain my progress at the top end of the championship table. And crashing on the first turn could also lead to injury, and Ross was just the innocent party in all of this. After some scrappy races I then finished seventh in the Doodson Supertwins, second race and fifth in the Aprilia Challenge second outing. All in all this was not an easy day and we felt a little low that evening.
Although these were not the kind of results I had hoped, let’s be honest achieving podiums every race in this competition is stuff of dreams! If this is what I class as a bad day then it can't be all bad can it? Something still had to change the next day, an early night and a positive approach was required.
Sunday greeted us with heavy rain and sodden track, but I was up and ready for the challenge. With help of my team and friends we felt good for Doodson Supertwins race one on TV day. Off the start I was able to maintain my position which is where I sat until everyone had calmed down, I then went on and made my attack picking off one rider at a time until I had two in front on the last lap. I was able to sneak my way up the inside of second place around the newly reshaped Coram curve and that is how I crossed the finish line. A second place across the stripe and first place in my class 650 open. That's better!
Race one, Aprilia challenge, a quickly drying track whilst racing on wet tyres, lovely! I started the race off in exactly the same way as the previous Supertwins race biding my time. I started my attack on the second lap and worked my way into the lead. I started to put the hammer down and managed to break the field of riders behind, Brilliant! Another error on my part into the low speed hairpin saw me lose the front and I crashed out of the lead with only two laps to the finish line. Although I made this mistake I did not let it get to me, and I carried on as usual. I was really happy with how I rode in this race as I had a really good feeling for the bike and I felt extremely confident. The main thing I took out of the situation was that I knew why the mistake was made.
Race two in the Doodson Supertwins, saw me struggle due to the amount of back markers we approached and lapped throughout the race, and on a few occasions I lost my rhythm. I still bought it home in a respectable 5th place.
I was feeling good for the final Aprilia RRV450GP Race. Race two got under way. On the first lap I settled down and set my pace holding my position off the line. I then worked on making way through the field and set my sights on Callan Cooper who made a big attempt to break from the following pack. Tom Oliver joined me in our attempt to close down the gap Cooper had made. Once the gap had been closed it became a three way dice to the finish line, with lead changing many times. Eventually after a last gasp last corner move to dive up the inside of Tom Oliver I managed to cross the line in close second behind Callan Cooper. A brilliant result and a great race, one I was very proud of. Although I didn't win the race I was very pleased with my strategy and I felt I could hold my head up high, as I did my best and I gave my all to win the race.
Another massive learning curve experienced this weekend and I am enjoying the whole experience of the Aprilia Challenge. Over the course of the weekend Ian Newton (founder of the Aprilia Challenge) and I were having a laugh about how slow I was on the Aprilia 125 in the Superteen series back in 2008, and it makes me smile every time I remember that I was not able to keep up with the grid on the warm up lap. Great memories!
Another massive learning curve experienced this weekend and I am enjoying the whole experience of the Aprilia Challenge. Over the course of the weekend Ian Newton (founder of the Aprilia Challenge) and I were having a laugh about how slow I was on the Aprilia 125 in the Superteen series back in 2008, and it makes me smile every time I remember that I was not able to keep up with the grid on the warm up lap. Great memories!
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