We have been kindly provided some photographs by Iain Tomsett and Chris Stiven from Absolut Marketing. If you would like to read what they are about, then please feel free to follow the link below.
The weather wasn't too bad today, but it got darker and murkier as the day went on. Some wonderful photos from the day, and some scary ones of some of the team members also!
NO!! Don't corner Les!!! She can't handle it!!!
9th April 2006 Organised by Torque Motorsports Limited, contactable on 01255 508120
The team's first sprint this year. I like going to sprints for many reasons:
1. Seven runs in a day is not problem so you can try different things out, like trying to go straight, without lighting the tyre up. 2. It's a very laid-back affair. 3. There's such a wide variety of bikes, BSA Bantoms, scooters, grass track bikes, GSX1100 Rs on NOS, Busas, hand made sprinters with 500 Jawa/jap engines, side cars, outfits, etc.etc. 4. The racers themselves also make it for me, such nice people, it's lovely to chat with them, very interesting and clever people. 5. Another plus is it's cheaper £40 to race all day and only 50 miles from home.
Stalky did very well and it was good for him to put a load of runs together. His best time was a 10.8, good boy, on a grip less track that's pretty damn good.
The start line is always at the beginning of the runway, where it is a ribbed concrete base, it then goes into a very smooth tarmac, You can get a lot of grip on the concrete and the tarmac does not slow you down, but (well there's always a but) the whole concrete area was covered with moss, not good, so the start was half way up the runway. Tarmac start line!!! My first launch was entertaining, a wheel spin, ark type round the houses run, rubbish time but good fun.
The morning session we were blessed with blue sky and sunshine with the odd dark cloud, a lazy wind but a little on the chilly side.
Just before the lunch break Stalky and I did a side by side run, I know that a sprint is not a race, as in drag racing (it's only a race against the clock). OK OK so Stalky won hands down, with a much quicker ET and yes, all the jokes were really funny, and, I also know that a bad workman blames his tools. But I did have a bit and very concerning problem on that very slow run, in 2nd and 3rd gear it was like something was binding or seizing up, so I spent lunch time (getting ribbed by my crew) checking Tilly 3. Everything that I could check was fine.
Stalky and I were first out after lunch, on that run and the next two, no problems, or grip, still my last run the fastest of the day was 10.1 and third fastest time in class 6 (unlimited racing) so, all is well. So for Tilly III everything seems OK.
Also after lunch the light had gone, (the tec. term, from our stand in photographer Buell Iain who has in the past raced a TL 1000 with NAST in the street class).
I'm very pleased with the nice selection of photos, thanks Iain.
Bod helped Stalky on the line and Jo looked after me, Ian the roving lens man, would pop up all over the place, as Lyn found out when the excitement of the day took its tool and she had forty finks - for 2 hours.
By this time the grey clouds were overhead and the air was damp, time to load up, plus the clutch cover on Till II had started leaking again and I had cut my tyre - it was on its last legs anyway, so it was OK and I wasn't too upset. There was a new Micky T waiting for me at Drayton Tyres - Thanks Kev. It soon started to rain so we left, the rain got worse on the pleasant drive home, well, to the pub for a pint - which was nice.
What a great way to spend a Sunday. Anybody reading this that has a motorcycle/scooter and is bored with Car Boot sales, DFS sales and Garden Centres on a Sunday, why not give sprinting a look, and you'll know how fast your bike is, and there's no risk of a speeding ticket - just an ET and MPH ticket. But, BE WARNED, sprinting and drag racing are very addictive, and there is no known cure.
Les
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