If anyone is waiting with baited breath, I've had it 90% completed since Wednesday and keep saying "tomorrow I'll finish it". However, with two World Superbike races and MotoGP to watch it looks live it will have to wait until tomorrow again.
Have spent the day in the workshop spraying the fairing having had a roasting from Eddy for being the most official bloke on the grid with the sh**tiest bike!! This coming from a man who clearly has some sort of visual impairment!!
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After what must have been the shortest six month off season on record, the CRMC sidecar grid reformed en masse at Pembrey to launch the 2010 championship into action. Several crews, us included, could have done with another weekend or two for preparation. We had tested our Windle Imp at Mallory but had not had time to spray the new fairing. Eddy and Vicky had lovely new paint work but hadn’t had time to test. Reg and Kerry Charlesworth had just managed to bolt everything together and were to test on Friday but owing to oil pump gremlins spent all day Friday on the spanners. Dave and Keith Latheron had tested their new Wessie motor only to seize a big end in one and a half laps. Fortunately there were SOME organised crews there – Mike Bellaby’s outfit looked immaculate but suffered gremlins. Simon Smith’s outfit looked great and ran at an impressive pace. Matt Kingsmill’s BMW looked good and ran like clockwork – with a ferocious pace he definitely left Pembrey as the P3 man to beat in 2010. It was really great to have Jon Perkins back, this time with an immaculate BMW – it may have lacked top end speed but it looked beautiful and was awarded Bike of the Meeting. In P1 Dave Crawford and Dave Baxter presented an immaculate BMW.
Race 1 – For race one the track conditions were mixed – mainly damp, the rivers crossing the track on the Speedway Straight were a pain to put it mildly. As the flag fell the grid surged down to Hatchetts Hairpin – Damien and Nancy shot down the outside, out braking most, into a spin in front of the whole field. Matt and Alan were through along with Simon and Dave, whilst everybody else made their way past the broadside Belgian outfit. Whilst Matt was disappearing into the distance we were losing places at an alarming rate. Others were faring worse though – Mike Bellaby was forced to retire along with Ray Reeves and Ian Tapsell, both with gear linkage grief. As the race progressed Eddy and Vicky’s misfire returned which allowed us to take their fourth place. Two laps later and Keith was struggling for gears at Hatchetts and third was ours. In front of us now were Simon and Dave running at a pace very improved on last season and even a flailing sidecar wheel arch didn’t appear to slow them. Last lap I was convinced we could take the Gristwood 1 outfit until the Windle launched its drive chain into the undergrowth, narrowly missing Eddy as we entered Dibeni Bend. So the result for race 1 2010 an emphatic win for Matt and Alan, a fantastic second place for Simon and Dave, with Dave and Keith’s Wessie in third, and a first first for Dave and Dave (Crawford and Baxter) in P1.
Race 2 – Weather much nicer now with a fairly dry track although we still had the Speedway Straight rivers to contend with. The reliability was also generally improved with all starters finishing. Due to our DNF in the first race we had to start at the back but at the end of lap one we were into ninth place. Sadly we would only pass one more outfit – the Gristwood 2 of Phil Luhr and Dave Currell. Damien and Nancy were in front with Jon Perkins in front of them – we could see them but couldn’t catch them. At the sharp end Matt had taken the lead again. However, Eddy’s misfire was now sorted and by lap three Eddy and Vicky were in front. The Latherons held third for the entire race distance. Simon and Dave lost their fourth spot to Mike and Carl with two laps to go. Ray Reeves’ gear linkage was now fixed, as was Ian and Grant Tapsell’s – the Tapsells having a good mid-field battle with Clive Faulkner with new passenger Oliver Yardley on the Honda 830. So a first win to Eddy and Vicky with Matt and Alan in second and the Latherons third. The two Daves took the P1 win and Reg and Kerry that for P2.
So ended day one of the 2010 Season and after some cleaning and tweaking what better way to finish the evening than with a night in the clubhouse.
Sunday Race 1 – Blue skies and sunshine- that’s better – the weather men seemed to have got it right. Andy Rayner and Lorraine had changed ignition systems and removed the fuel regulator so were hopeful of getting the Triumph to the finish. Once more at the sharp end Matt and Alan led from start to finish, with Eddy and Vicky in hot pursuit – at the line just 0.3 seconds separated the two outfits. Simon and Dave were once again running a very strong third position until, on lap four they appeared to slow which allowed Keith and Dave, and us, to pass them. Unknown to us a grassy exit to Dibeni and a degree of mud on their tyres was the cause. When I saw the No.23 Wessie smoking I thought third was ours – but sadly we didn’t quite have the pace and had to settle for fourth. Simon also lost out to Jon Perkins on the last lap. The two Hondas of Reeves and Faulkner were having a good battle until the Reeves outfit had carburetion gremlins and slowed. On lap four the Perilleux/Detournay outfit (now known as the Torvill and Dean machine) spun at Hatchetts again. I couldn’t smell the fear but I definitely saw the fear in Nancy’s eyes as she pushed the outfit to safety. They did restart, finishing in seventh place, salvaging some points. Kerry and Reg were struggling with what was thought to be a duff fuel pump which turned out to be a rubbish lanyard cut-off switch, playing silly billies. So first place once again to Matt with Eddy in second place and the Latherons third. P2 went to Andy and Loraine and P1 to the two Daves.
Sunday Race 2 - Last race of the weekend – on the front row we had Matt and Eddy. Eddy was keen to get a good start and left the grid as though the rest of us were stood still. However, it was Matt that once again led every lap with Eddy chasing hard. For the first few laps we were in third hanging on to Eddy’s coat tails. Sadly a brush with back markers Andy and Loraine dropped us back behind Damien and Nancy and left Andy with nothing to kneel on with his right knee. Gristwood 1, Simon and Dave, were running strongly in fifth place, whilst the Gristwood 2 outfit of Phil and Buddha pulled off the track with a sick sounding engine. With No.3 plug cap off it would sound a bit sick – still at least it was cheap to fix! Ray Reeves’ Honda also failed to finish but I have no idea why – more teething problems I assume. The Tapsell brothers, Ian and Grant had a great battle with Clint Faulkner, alias Boon, and Ben Gray, whilst Faulkner senior finished one in front, 7th with his novice passenger Oliver. Sadly the brothers Latheron failed to start due to the fact that the bit that dropped off in Race 1 Sunday which had caused all the smoke, hadn’t been spotted missing until it was too late to find a replacement (all technical stuff this). Matt won P3 with Eddy in second place and Damien and Nancy third on their new outfit which had proved to be a bit of a handful all weekend. The two Daves, Crawford and Baxter won P1 whilst Reg and Kerry coaxed the BSA to stay in one piece and behave for eight laps to take P2 honours.
So, that was Pembrey, a fantastic start to the season. Matt Kingsmill is clearly the man to beat at the moment, Eddy and Vicky also have great pace with the torquey 1200 Imp. Gristwood 1, Simon and Dave, have made a fantastic leap forward at the start of the season – their second place trophy in Race 1 was well deserved. It was good to see Jon Perkins back with the immaculate chain drive BMW – in fact it was just great to see so many outfits this early in the year.
As many crews said it was good to be back for some great racing and a lot of laughs with some like minded nutters. OK Matt shaking his booty on stage Saturday night may have scarred a few. Did anyone notice how Clive Faulkner initially tried to convince people that the Paddock 2 was NOT his idea, although he had personally suggested it, and yet on Sunday when Clive was struggling to hitch up his new trailer (due to a malfunctioning camera) and Paddock 2 had proved a great success he was adamant it had been his idea all along?
Remember when you go to Mallory Park, next round, it appears we will not have access to the circuit until after 6 p.m. Saturday evening, probably nearer 7 p.m., so be prepared for a little aggro!
Bob, Out of g/box into a 90deg angle drive,driving a chain to rear wheel. reason is its far less expensive to change gearing ,also its lighter and quicker
Last edited by 666 on Wed Apr 14, 2010 5:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
666 wrote:Bob, Out of g/box into a 90deg angle drive,driving a chain to rear wheel. reason is its far less expensive to change gearing ,also its lighter
See you at Mallory 
