when i wake on the sunday everywhere is wet but it is not raining and the clouds are getting lighter so i'm hopeful for a dry practice, i'm a little giddy about this place as it is may 1st time here and it is so tight and twisty. but the sun is trying to come out and its getting warm things are looking up.



i'm in the 3rd group to go out for practice and by time i go out the track has dried out, i take my time at first and have a good look at the place, a few laps in i start to push it an i realisie that this place is a lot of fun and i think it will suit me as i have good corner speed its the big stops that i hav'nt got my head round yet and there are none here. the session seems to go on forever and my quads in both legs are starting to hurt, i'm so glad to see the chequered flag.
when i get back to the pits i'm talking with another rider an he laughs telling me that by the end of the day my quads are going to be killing.




qualifying race, 7 laps

i draw 12th out of 17, six of them are 750's so there are eleven 650's but its a good match as there is no long straights for the 750's to use there power.



the lights go out and we fly off from the grid through the two right handers then its a short climb "cowards rise" then drop down in to another right, a short straight in to a long right which comes right round back on your self 3/4 round the bend there is a bump an i hit it every lap in practice and i'm still hitting it in qually. the next section is tricky a sharp left which is slightly up hill before dropping down through a right then the esses, then its a short blast to a left then another right that just keeps on going leads in to another right then a right kink and thats a lap. as i finish lap one i think i'm still in 12th an i have my eye on the 750 in front of me and the two infront of him. i pass the 750 at the start of lap 2 but half way round he gets me back an he is holding me up i can see the two bikes in front of him pulling away so i make my move and get him back, then i tell myself to really push, to brake him and to pull the other two in. as i cross the line for lap 3 i'm flat out pushing to catch the two in front through the right hander an i can see ive gained the next one is a slight sweeping right an i have it pinned, something is wrong oh shit i'm flying, didn't feel spit me off. it was strange realising your flying through the air while still focused on catching the two in front up. now it all gets a little blur but i do remember seeing the back wheel and swinging arm right at my face with the front of the bike pointing down between my legs. i'm in the tyre wall feeling like shit, an i know i'm broke
as the marshals get to me they take no time getting me out of the tyres, this feels wrong shouldn't they have checked my back first? as soon as they get me flat they undo my leathers and there hands are in feeling all round my body.
once they have carmed down a little an the ambulance is there they take my lid off i know my back is ok but my right arm and right foot are broke i know this before anyone tells me. i can here the marshals talking and it was a massive highside.
once in the meat wagon they cut my leathers off an i didn't care my arm hurt to much to be worried about my leathers. once there off they see a big gash in my right thigh. and i also have a broken finger on my right hand.
all this damage come from the bike landing on me as i hit the floor the bike has come down on me and the as its bounced up its flung my right in to the air again and in to the tyres. on the bright side with it hitting me it took the force out of the bikes tumble so is not to bad the fairing can be saved for a small fee (fully painted) needs a tank, screen and one fork stantion (the chrome bit) its not bent but it does have a dint in it as its hit the turning stop.so about £500 puts it right if i'm not racing by september i'll be upset.

at least 6 weeks in plaster both arm and lower leg, i'm not aload to put weight down through my foot, and they don't want me using crutches as i broke my elbow in the same place as its been done before, and the need to let it heal. so i'm hopping everywhere, which sucks as i'm in the isle of man next week for the southern 100 road races