MAGsport
For the fast ones
Alex runs into protocol problems with the race rules and then has fun changing tyres in fickle weather.
Pictures courtesy of Kenslens Photography.
If you read the last issue of the Road and the last report from Alex you'll know he had won the Competition run in Superbike Magazine for a ride in the European Suzuki GSXR CUP. This was until the Auto Cycle Union (the Sports Governing Body in England) would not grant Alex a licence to race in it, as by their rules he was 8 months too young. The Entry age for the competition anywhere else in Europe is 15 years. You had to be born after the 1st January 1984 but before the 24th March 1992 . If Alex had been any other nationality he would have been well within the age limit, having being born on the 14/12/1990. In fact we were granted a licence from the MUCI, the Northern Ireland governing body to race but Suzuki GB Plc could not be seen to be in conflict with the Sports governing body in England. This was a devastating blow but all things are considered I can see all points of view and understand the decision. That does not make it any easier for Alex this year though.
We had already started preparing for the European Championship and had missed out on the direction we were going to take, so now we have at the moment an uncompetitive bike for the class we have to race in. Things are looking up however, there is a chance Alex will be in Europe this year, a paid ride with the Mist Suzuki team when date clashes rule out their rider taking part in the Misano (San Marino), Brands Hatch (England) & Vallelunga (Italy) rounds of the European STK600 Championship. As we had no direction to take this year, we have changed our plans and are going to use the time to prepare as best we can for those three rounds, as I would think his performance there will have a big effect on what he does next year.
So it is back to our roots (Perhaps you can hum the Rocky theme tune here). We are not rich and it is going to be a struggle and unlike Rocky, when all things are considered, Alex has not got a hope in hell of winning, I'd say a finish in the top 15 would be an excellent result. Still singing the rocky tune?
We started off our year in the Scottish Super Sport 600 Championships at knockhill with a very encouraging result from it. Although Alex never actually finished a race he had a stunning ride for his first time aboard the Suzuki, sitting in 3rd, then at the last corner he spun out as he made a bid for second place.
Again in the second race another good ride came to nothing as while three riders were locked in a battle for 2nd place, the rider in front off Alex fell and Alex had to take to the grass. He thought he could make it back onto the track but as the tyre wall was quickly approaching he decided to lay the bike down. The Red Flags came out to stop the race as the crashed bike was still on the track in a dangerous position. Alex was awarded 3rd place as he was not the cause of the stoppage and the result was declared on the last lap before the flag!
We had a disappointing second round to the championship when it visited the East Fortune circuit just outside Edinburgh. In first practice Alex looked well off the pace. At the de-brief he said he was feeling dizzy under high 'G' so he took no further part. This again was a blow as we didn't know about the possibility of the European rides at the time but it I considered it too dangerous for Alex to race feeling like that. To explain, he has had a chest infection since before Christmas and was now on a course of penicillin to get rid of it once and for all. Whether that was the cause or not we were taking no chances.
That was when we learned of the possible ride with 'MIST' in the European Stock 600 championship. At this stage we still don't know if it will happen but as there is no championship we can seriously contest this year, we have decided to use the time we have preparing for it. So it was back to revise our race calendar. Coming up before the first round we had another Scottish at Knockhill and chose to make use of the date at Three Sisters near Wigan, a date at Aintree and a trip over the water to Mondello in Ireland. As I write we have just returned for Knockhill and Three Sisters.
Knockhill - I have got to say, was not very enjoyable. High winds over night meant a severely damaged awning and no sleep for me, and saw us work out of our trailer on race day as the weather was a mixture of sunshine, showers and blustery winds gusting to 50mph.
We were using this meeting to test some tyres. If you think I can moan you want to hear Alex when he's on one! "The Bike was Sh#te!, everything about it was wrong, It's slipping about all over the place." Whinge!.......Whinge!............ Whinge!
He was a mile off the pace in the warm up then after a few suspension tweaks for qualifying he got an 8th. Race 1 was dry then wet, we didn't know which way to go with the tyres.
We decided on a wet set up and he was back onto the tyres he knew - wrong decision! It dried through the 12 lap race and by lap 4 it was completely dry, the front 3 had gone with a dry set up and stretched their lead. Alex held on to finish 4th on a knackered set of tyres.
Race 2 and all the bikes had a dry set up, then in the assembly paddock just minutes before going onto the track we had a downpour and the race was declared wet! This gives every one the chance to change to wet tyres. So back to the trailer and a frantic change to a wet set-up. Emerging from the trailer I couldn't believe my eyes. In maybe 8 or 9 minutes (the time it had taken us to change to a full wet set-up) it had completely dried...but was another rain cloud coming?
Every one hates this kind of day. If it's raining It's raining. If it's dry, it's dry. This type of weather turns racing into a lottery. I quickly hedged my bets and replaced the rear with a dry pattern, so front wet, rear dry.
Again in the race, it dried. That rain shower never came. Out front Bob Grant had gone with a similar set-up to us and Phil Stuart had gone out on a dry set-up. On lap 6 Bob lost the front and crashed out at Scotsman's corner, promoting Alex to 2nd place, and that's how it finished. This was a good run for Alex. The front wet tyre was completely Cooked and Alex did very well to finish the race; never mind in 2nd!
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