CARNAGE AT EDWINA’S

No doubt about the headline this time. Five bikes in one incident — full gory details below, and in the novice group too. That’s unprecedented. No fatalities, one man in hospital.

All started well. Despite early economic gloom from Ian our appeal for numbers had produced a surge in late bookings and with the promise of good weather for the day we were hopeful of passing break even. Helped substantially I must say by the appearance of 14 riders from Visordown.com, the digital forum for fast bikers and trackday critique. Ladies and gentlemen, we liked you. Please come again and fire off nice things about us into the ether!

Seventeen for dinner at the Royal Arms, including a number who had been unable to book rooms there so were staying elsewhere and our youngest ever diner — 11 year old Scott King who was his Dad’s paddock jockey and who told me he had a terrible night. I think he overdosed on Pepsi and suffered from the caffeine. Slightly unusual dinner in that returning old-timer Chris “Flymo” Hendon had decided to call it his stag night — wedding on the following Saturday — and laid on Champagne for everyone, lots of it. Not of course, I hasten to add, that anyone riding next day would have overindulged.

It is worthy of note that amongst the diners were also Julian Moxon, Duncan “Muppet” Spencer and Richard “Hamster” Hamshire. The significance of this will become apparent in due course.

The sun set over Sutton Cheney in a glorious orange swathe against a purplish backdrop of clouds spitting out the last of the rain that had been lashing the area all day. As predicted (by me and various shepherds) the next day dawned clear, blue and gorgeous — as most Folly days do. I observed this when emerging from the four-poster Honeymoon Suite which by some fortuitous booking cock-up had been allotted to me.

Up at the circuit things were looking good. Good weather brings out the turn up and chance it brigade with their wallets and we were soon full to bursting in novice and intermediate with hopefuls queuing for a space. We have broken even. Hurrah!

I was slightly concerned to note at briefing that less than 25% of the riders had ridden with us before and even more concerned when two of the Visordown group were involved in an incident in the very first Advanced session of the day which involved one of them, Clive, coming off and the other very nearly doing so, but as the morning progressed it seemed that we had a sensible group of riders with us. By noon we’d only had two fallers……..

At about this point I went out with a couple of novice group riders who wanted to improve their entry speed into, and lines around, Gerrards. I did my bit “towing” and demonstrating for a few laps and then tootled off to play by myself. Finding a nice clear gap in the traffic I was able to pick up the pace and enjoy a bit of clear circuit.

I was obviously enjoying it rather too much as I was subsequently informed by Tom Coleman who was following me that I ignored two red flags and was travelling at some speed down towards Edwina’s when simultaneously I noticed a red flag on the entry to the corner and an incident vehicle just about to enter the track from opposite the marshal post. Fortunately the car driver noticed me too and stopped. T-bone avoided.

Entering Edwina’s with all due caution I was horrified to see bikes, bits of bikes and riders (fortunately no bits of riders) scattered all across the track and run-off and two ambulances in attendance. Gingerly picking my way through the fall-out I counted at least five bikes and recognised one rider, my old mate Moxon — upright and standing next to his less than upright Falco. I returned to the pits to report what I had seen and find a marshal with a radio to discover more.

Information began coming in — Moxon, Muppet Spencer, Flymo Hendon, Hamster and another — a dinner re-union! Any serious injuries? One rider was being taken straight to Leicester Royal Infirmary in one of the ambulances, another was returning, with passenger, to the medical centre. Dear God, let it not be Chris on his way to Leicester — I’m supposed to be at his wedding on Saturday. What will we say to the bride?

Slowly I am able to piece together the information. Chris H is in the medical centre, walking wounded (Thank you God), Duncan Spencer has gone to hospital (he’s done it before, last time it was by helicopter from Cadwell). His wife Janie videoed his rather spectacular involvement. Understandably distraught she has raced off after the ambulance in the BMW. Moxon and the other (it’s Bob Wheatley) have returned to the paddock under their own steam (thanks to mechanical attention to the Aprilia by one of the Folly’s friendly mechanics they are both riding again later) and the Hamster and his M900 Monster have been recovered in the van.

Richard Hamshire started it apparently, by highsiding the Ducati exiting Edwina’s. He was uninjured, it, amazingly, only suffered a broken brake lever. Bob following closely behind on his VFR 800 braked hard and was hit by Chris who went down. Bob, to his surprise found himself sitting on his stationary bike, upright on the grass. Moxon was next, he braked and avoided the melee only to be mounted from behind by Duncan Spencer, who hit him at speed and went vertical, bike and rider leaping at least ten feet in the air before crashing onto the tarmac.

Injuries? Duncan is “battered and bruised” has several cracked ribs and one fractured vertebra. He was out of hospital next day and is expected to make a full recovery. (His ZX9 Ninja is mostly in lots of little pieces and the remaining big pieces are bent), Chris having almost totalled the SP1 he was hiring from those nice Rhencullen people (who were completely unfazed) was suffering from “groin strain” which is perhaps unfortunate having regard to his forthcoming nuptials, but survivable. There was a big dent in the petrol tank at about testicle height. Nasty. Moxon had a sore shoulder. Bob was completely untouched and his bike had a bent number plate.

And Moxon’s bike, the Aprilia Falco cum Ninja launch pad? A broken rear light cluster, snapped gear lever and a dent in one silencer.

Altogether (and perhaps excluding poor Duncan who was very battered and bruised) a remarkably light outcome to a potentially horrific incident. So much for my “novices don’t fall off and when they do it’s onto the grass in a straight line at 30 mph”.

We declared lunch at 12.15 until 13.15 so virtually no riding time was lost, and you must hand it to the guys. If four of you are going to fall off it’s really helpful to do it together because it does cut down the stoppage time.

Couple of other things worthy of mention:

• Another Guzzi turned up. Nicholas Rettie who brought his BMW last time because there were going to be Guzzis at Cadwell, plucked up courage and came on his real bike this time.
• Martin Gooda was there for the day he had purchased in the MCN charity auction — our day raised £80 for Riders For Health and Martin got a discounted day — everyone is happy.
• Luckiest man of the day (apart from Bob) was Richard Evans. He too highsided (probably in Edwina’s but I didn’t ask) and to his amazement stayed in the saddle. I suspect he felt it next day in his shoulders and arms — hanging on in those circumstances whilst wrestling a reluctant bike takes superhuman effort.

Finally, before the Parish notices, I must just mention that for the first time ever I was overtaken by my own bike. At sign on I had noticed an immaculate race-prepared Triumph Trident (70s vintage, Slippery Sam and all that). Some wag said that I’d be sure to blag a ride and this comment got back to owner Chris Chapman as “One of the officers has a Trident and would like to ride yours”. I don’t but at lunchtime he offered; I offered a swap and we went out together in Intermediate.

In the previous session we had had a little dice and were clearly riding at the same speeds. I eventually got in front but only after he had been distracted by our chief instructor giving him a mobile finger wagging for carving through back markers in a corner — looked ok to me but I was up there too!

There’s not much you can do to a Trident that Chris hasn’t done to his and it ran fast and sweet with that ball-tingling vibration that is so typical of old British machinery. It has very narrow tyres and a tendency to drift that takes a little getting used to. The noise is just magic.

Now I don’t know if it had anything to do with the fact that I’d told him that total loss of the black 1100 would put him back £3,000, and he’d told me that for the Trident it would be £13,000 but he rode mine faster than I rode his. I suspect in part that the Guzzi was easier than the Triumph so for once someone who borrowed it could come back and report that they had enjoyed the experience.

Donington on the 16th September, our last day of the season, is next. It’s one of their rare noisy days and we received 19 bookings on 23rd August alone. There is a genuine risk that we might sell out. Hotel details on the website. Duncan will be there signing autographs.

Photos of the Mallory day should be available for viewing and purchasing on www.reillystudios.co.uk/performanceart.php. Selected ones for viewing only are on the Folly website. We hope to include photographic, and possibly video evidence of the incident.

Lost Property: we have someone’s strap on water bottle and drinking tube (or at least that’s what I hope it is). Any claimant?

Geoff.

Any comments on the day or this newsletter (not bookings) to me at irideanything @ megalith.plus.com

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