SHAKY START - FANTASTIC FINISH

Things were looking bad. One week before Mallory, we were thirty riders short of break even. It got better – phone calls, e-mails, and heroic endeavours by the Mesdames Fox, (that’s Ann and Justine) in the last few days got us up to only eleven short of a full house and a cash surplus to keep us going.

We were also very grateful to Rhencullen Race Products who promoted the day at their recent open weekend to launch their bike-clothing department at their workshops and store in Hinckley. We think that produced nine extra riders.

This is all very odd. Mallory is always oversubscribed and there was no obvious reason for the slow bookings. The market is changing though. There are now so many track days out there that riders can afford to wait until the last moment before booking. This gives us, and particularly Ian (Finance) Fox, severe attacks of anxiety.

Reduce our stress levels – book early. You know it makes sense and keeps the Folly going. Business people expect stress; unpaid volunteers don’t deserve it! Furthermore, book six or more places with one cheque more than two weeks before the day and you get a 10% discount.

The weather was perfect – dry as a bone and overcast. I’m getting too old for eight hours in black leather in the blazing sun. Saves tyre rubber too.

Those slightly challenged after a good night at the Royal Arms in Sutton Cheney had their intellect tested for a second year by intermittent diversion signs between the hotel and circuit. How long can those road works take or do they just do it to confuse us?

My confusion was compounded on arrival at the circuit by a new paddock layout around the flash new control tower complex. It does have one advantage though – no longer do you look up when leaving the Devil’s Elbow to find yourself heading directly into Race Control. According to Chief Marshal Wayne, the removal of this psychological barrier tempts riders further out to the right and occasionally right off the circuit into the gravel. This was graphically demonstrated by one of our riders in the afternoon.

The other new thing at Mallory is their resident digital photographer John Reilly. Photos of each session are displayed on screen shortly after the session’s end. Glory moments can be printed or purchased there and then or later as the entire collection is published two days later for two weeks on www.reillystudios.co.uk/mallory.

We declined the use of the new briefing room and used the canteen as before. Life was made slightly difficult by the absence of a circuit map – stolen some weeks previously. For what? Not much use anywhere else is it?

Really good to see the return of some of our classic bike riders. A brace of Nortons, a Matchless and my favourite – Tim Reilly’s BSA Rocket 3 – quite the noisiest bike I’ve heard for years; unbelievably difficult to bump start, but it went extremely well in Advanced, showing some modern machines what’s what.

Two other notable riders in Advanced – Tim Poole – very fast, perhaps a little aggressive to start with but he picked up the Folly vibes as the day progressed and was only receiving compliments by the afternoon. He gets through knee sliders so fast that he makes his own durable versions out of mahogany.

The other was Peter Hellings. Peter rode a Manic Racing hire bike having won the first prize (track day plus hire bike) in their raffle for Imperial Cancer Research last year. They raised over £500. Amazingly this was Peter’s first ever track day. He had one session in novice, and then moved straight to Advanced – no problem.

Manic had a real hire customer too, Spencer Skinner. We noticed he was intending to ride in desert boots. Sorry mate – can’t do that. Go and talk to Manic – perhaps they have a spare set of size 10½s. In fact, they ended up lending him Darren (stripey trousers) Potter’s boots when he wasn’t wearing them. Spencer was a track day virgin too. Enjoyed himself so much that he will now invest in some boots.

Ruth and David Sexton shared Ruth’s CBR 400 “Baby Blade” in Novice and Advanced respectively. Ruth had had an off at her last track day (not with us) and said she needed to rebuild her confidence. With tutelage from instructor Darren Moggridge, she obviously did so. David has a bike himself, a Suzuki SV650, but he says he prefers Ruth’s – it’s better to ride on track – a likely tale, bet he just doesn’t want to drop his. We know that SV650s are great on track and we even have friends who organise the race series.

Had a nasty moment myself – just approaching the right-hander in the Esses (where earlier I had dragged my knee on the rumble strip) and suddenly became aware of Ian Pratt’s fluorescent Honda 250 on my inside trying to share the same bit of tarmac. Ignoring “the man behind is responsible” bit (a tad late for that) I pulled left, he rolled off the throttle and we probably avoided touching by about six inches. Took me at least a lap to regain my composure. Still, I’ve ridden those things and I understand that they can only overtake the big boys in the corners.

Not a brilliant day for fallers – seven (so about 10% which is regarded as the industry norm and which we try to better). Only one hospital case – John – towards the end of the day. He knocked himself out and was a bit groggy, so went in for routine observation. Fortunately, he had come in a van so we were able to load his bike up and lock it in for collection.

Hope this didn’t put off Tony Lockheart, a Motorcycling Road Safety Officer from Northamptonshire County Council, who came along to chat with riders as part of his investigation into whether track days are good or bad for road safety. His provisional conclusion is that they are probably good as riders learn useful skills rather than training for road lunacy.

He had a spin himself on his yellow 916 at the end of the day.

Next up is Cadwell on 7th June, at which we hope to see lots of you, both there and at the Admiral Rodney the night before. It’s a Monday so you’ve got all Sunday for that trek up to Lincolnshire. Most importantly though, as far as we are concerned, is Brands Hatch on the 17th June.

Everyone says they want us to go to Brands, but it is so expensive, and thus risky for us, that we haven’t done so for some years. Well now we have and we really need your support. Go forth and convince at least one mate to come with you and get those bookings in. I can promise hot sun, no fallers and brolly girls of course!

Geoff.

Any comments on the day or this newsletter (not bookings) noisygeoff @ megalith.plus.com.

Views or suggestions on our instructors/instructing to mike.edwards @ biketrackdays.co.uk.