2005 Season Review:
After a year off doing none of the things I was meant to do (like decorating), I decided that I’d be better off racing again. Having sold my old Roadstocks Kawasaki ZX6R, I decided to race my road bike; a bog stock 2001 Aprilia Mille-R in the New Era Sound of Thunder Clubmans Championship. Apart from an Arrow can and chip and some race bodywork, bars and rearsets, it was standard. Putting out just 121 BHP at the back wheel it was never going to be easy!
It was without doubt the most difficult season ever. This was a whole new level. I was just about the only guy in the paddock that traiIored the bike to races, and a lot of the meetings were two day affairs which were hard work for us given we had no caravan or motorhome! The season started badly when I crashed at Brands Hatch whilst testing on the Friday before the race weekend! I went down at Surtees and trashed the bike whilst pushing too hard on a wet track whilst running with dry tyres and duff brakes! Fool!! It took a whole afternoon and a lot of swearing to get the bike back together. Once the bike was repaired, I actually had an OK weekend, but next time out at Cadwell Park I crashed again whilst leading the class on lap one in damp conditions. I highsided spectacularly at the bottom of The Mountain and this time I spanked my ankle as well as the bike and ended up in plaster for a couple of weeks! Any hope of a decent championship position were lost. By the time my feet and the bike were mended, I’d missed four rounds and it was game over.
Thankfully, my comeback round was Mallory Park so at least I knew the circuit. A track day there the week before the race told me the bike felt great as the forks had been rebuilt after the Cadwell crash. Come race day I got a couple of decent laps in during qualifying and grabbed second on the grid - my best ever qualifying position! Two solid thirds in both races meant that I got third overall for the day and I picked up a trophy - the one and only time I would do so with New Era. It was just the lift I needed, and I went back to Cadwell with renewed confidence and enthusiasm. At what turned out to be my last race meeting, I bagged a best placed 6th finish against some tough opposition as the Super Club boys were out too. An up and down year........retirement beckoned!
After a year off doing none of the things I was meant to do (like decorating), I decided that I’d be better off racing again. Having sold my old Roadstocks Kawasaki ZX6R, I decided to race my road bike; a bog stock 2001 Aprilia Mille-
It was without doubt the most difficult season ever. This was a whole new level. I was just about the only guy in the paddock that traiIored the bike to races, and a lot of the meetings were two day affairs which were hard work for us given we had no caravan or motorhome! The season started badly when I crashed at Brands Hatch whilst testing on the Friday before the race weekend! I went down at Surtees and trashed the bike whilst pushing too hard on a wet track whilst running with dry tyres and duff brakes! Fool!! It took a whole afternoon and a lot of swearing to get the bike back together. Once the bike was repaired, I actually had an OK weekend, but next time out at Cadwell Park I crashed again whilst leading the class on lap one in damp conditions. I highsided spectacularly at the bottom of The Mountain and this time I spanked my ankle as well as the bike and ended up in plaster for a couple of weeks! Any hope of a decent championship position were lost. By the time my feet and the bike were mended, I’d missed four rounds and it was game over.
Thankfully, my comeback round was Mallory Park so at least I knew the circuit. A track day there the week before the race told me the bike felt great as the forks had been rebuilt after the Cadwell crash. Come race day I got a couple of decent laps in during qualifying and grabbed second on the grid -
Date
Practice
Race 1
Race 2
9 Apr (BH)
9th
7th
7th
10 Apr(BH)
9th
5th
7th
30 Apr (CP)
4th
DNF 1
DNS 2
1 May (CP)
DNS 2
DNS 2
DNS 2
14 May (SN)
DNS 2
DNS 2
DNS 2
15 May (SN)
DNS 2
DNS 2
DNS 2
4 Jun (CC)
DNS 2
DNS 2
DNS 2
21 Aug (MP)
2nd
3rd
3rd
8 Oct (CP)
7th
6th
13th
9 Oct (CP)
15th
7th
7th
30 Oct (MP)
DNS 3
DNS 3
DNS 3
Final Championship Position
6th
6th
NOTES 1:
BH - Brands Hatch
CP - Cadwell Park
SN - Snetterton
CC - Castle Combe
MP - Mallory Park
BH -
NOTES 2:
DNF 1 - Crashed whilst leading SoT!
DNS 2 - Injured / damaged bike
DNS 3 - Working!
DNF 1 -