Next weekend (Fri 25-Sun 27 April) I’ve got my first race meeting with the CRMC (Classic Racing Motorcycle Club).
It’ll be the first all classics meeting I’ve done.
Because the CRMC haven’t been to the new Anglesey circuit before, they’re having practice all day on Friday (rather than the more usual 10-15 minute practice on race day morning).
Saturday and Sunday are race days. I’ve got 2 races on each day.
I’m in the 250cc Singles class. Races 2 and 11 on Saturday, races 2 and 14 on Sunday.
The 250 singles are in the same races as the 200’s and the 350 Goldstars.
I think that my number will be ‘10’ rather then my more usual ‘107’.
If you’re there and looking for me, my bike has ‘CLASSICDUCATI.COM’ on the fairing - have a look on the ‘Place a pic of your Duke here’ section of the forum.
I know that this meeting clashes with the bike show at Stafford, but if you can make it, all support is appreciated.
Should be a great meeting for classic and post-classic enthusiasts with practice all day on Friday, 20 races and 2 parades on Saturday and 22 races and 2 parades on Sunday. All days start at 10:00am.
A55 towards Hollyhead. About 12 miles after getting onto the island take the A4080 (signposted Rhosneigr). Follow the brown signs (Trac Mon). It’s on the right, a couple of miles after passing Rhosneigr, still on the A4080. http://www.angleseycircuit.com
I’m probably heading down for about lunch time tomorrow (Friday) - I’ll have a lie in and just do afternoon practice.
Racing on Saturday and Sunday starts at about 10am.
I’ve got 2 races on each day, the first one not long after the start and the second early afternoon I should think.
I didn’t get to the circuit early - decided to take it easy and not rush.
Had 2 practice sessions today.
First practice.
First one it was a bit damp. Had a bit of movement at the front at the top of the hill once, and a bit of a rear end slide a couple of times in the corkscrew.
Practice went OK.
I’ve got the advantage of having been to the new Anglesey circuit 3 times before (with the Wirral 100 Club) while most of the others were on their second practice.
The acid test will be tomorrow and Sunday, once everyone’s got the hang of the course.
Second practice.
Much wetter. Slippery surface flags out at the blind left-hander at the top of the hill, a few bikes off the track. It felt like an oil slick! I ended up taking that corner at walking pace - no point in crashing unnecessarily in practice and ruining the weekends racing.
Otherwise went well. Some of the other bikes are not getting quicker. Should be a challenge tomorrow.
In the 250 singles class there are 10 Ducati 250’s, plus a couple of Greeves and an Aermacchi. In the other classes there are 5 Ducati 350’s, a 450, and even a Pantah in the post-classics. Not a bad turn out for the marque.
The sounds in the paddock and on the track are awesome. As well as the Dukes there are rafts of Goldstars, Manx Nortons, Matchless’s, Triumphs, an MV, Bridgestones, etc, etc, as well as the big four Japanese brands. You can’t help but grin at the sights and sounds!
It’s great to be riding with similar machines. At my last outing at Oulton, almost all of the 250’s were 2-stroke twins - not a fair contest.
This should be fun!!!
I had 2 races on Saturday. The grids contained about 30 bikes.
13 250 singles (10 Ducatis including me, an Aermacchi and a couple of Greeves.
Also on the same grid were the 200’s (2 and 4 strokes) and the 350 Goldstars.
A good field of bikes to race against.
In the first race it was fairly dry. I spent most of it tussling with a 200 Bridgestone (2-stroke) rather than with anyone else in my class. Got away from him in the end and was chasing another of the Ducati 250’s – got in some fast laps knocking over 2 seconds off my previous fastest lap on the Anglesey ‘Coastal’ circuit.
Finished 10th out of 11 finishers in my class (plus 2 DNF’s).
In the second race it was a bit damper. I got well and truly duffed up off the start – pushed almost to the back of the pack within the first couple of corners. Spent the rest of the race playing catch-up but had some good tussles again.
Finished 9th out of 12 finishers in my class (plus 1 DNF).
Not too bad an introduction to racing with the CRMC where everyone’s on classics. Very different to racing in the local clubs where all the classics are in one race.
Sunday April 27
A really damp day, varying degrees of drizzle from almost none to getting wet!
Had a walk round the track first thing – not much standing water, some running across the track in a couple of places but not too bad.
In my first (and, as it turned out, only) race I got off to a good start. Much more aggressive from the off. Made up places all the while (and lost a few too). Getting much better at pushing my way through on the corners and not giving ground. By the end of lap 3 I was up to 4th place and pushing hard for 3rd. Half way through the lap, at the top of the hill (Rocket) there’s a 90 degree left-hander, following braking from flat in top down to a slow second gear. I tucked in underneath another bike to pass him ion the inside and defend against another bike pressing me from behind, but pushed it a bit too hard for the conditions and the bike washed away from me – went down with a bit of a thump. Managed to take out 2 other bikes and the race got red flagged.
I’m fine, just feeling a bit sore.
It took a few minutes for the marshals to extract the Aermacchi from my Ducati – the front wheel had got embedded between my front wheel and engine destroying the Aermacchi front brake plate and my exhaust downpipe.
Andrew’s currently welding me up a new section for the exhaust as well as one of the engine mounting lugs which snapped off the frame. That should be done in the next couple of days so, once I’ve bought a new helmet, I should be ready to race at Three Sisters on Monday in the opening round of the Preston and District series.
It was good to have a few visitors over the weekend – cheers. Always nice to know there are a few supporters giving a cheer (or a groan).
