We arrive on friday afternoon and start setting up, once we are sorted its off to the club house for a bite and beer. Its very cold with a cutting east wind i get in my sleeping bag fully dressed. Saturday 29th was a test day, an it will be the first time we have rode the bike since refreshing the engine over winter. I'm up early and its not as cold but the sky looks full, an as we approach start time it starts to rain, the weather report says it will dry up and be a nice bright day, an even better on the sunday, so we sit the first session out. No point wreaking a £300 set of wets if its going to be a dry race. 30 mins till my 2nd session and its still spitting with rain and the track is wet. The wets go on as i need to get a few steady laps in bedding the motor in. It stops raining about 10 mins before i go out but the track is wet still.
We ran the coastal




I go out and it feels awful its spluttering alot, it feels like a fuel issue, i do 1 lap and pull staight in, quick chat with my mate and we decide to just run it for a few laps to bed it in, so i head back out. After 2 laps it has started to clear up only notice it every now and a gain at about 6000rpm, but it is able to driver through it.
The track is still damp and i'm shocked at how much grip i have with the wets on, i'm starting to push it on a damp track and it feels like it is dry, WOW these wets are fucking brilliant. towards the end of the session a dry line is starting to appear. The weather has changed and the sun is trying to brake through and i can't wait for session 3, i go out and start building my speed a few laps in an i'm really starting to push myself catching and passing other riders. this bike really handles an i'm having a lot of fun putting the power down coming out of church, 4th gear, bike right over knee and foot pegs on the tarmac, but towards the end of the session i ask to much and get the bike to far over coming out of church, this unloads my rear suspension i pick it up quick but i'm way off line and i run on the grass heading towards the tyrewall bouncing over the grass i'm trying to turn it very slowly i just manage to turn it enough and run along the wall coming to a stop near a marshal, he asks if i'm ok i nod and get back on track, 1 more lap and the session is over. when i get back in i'm buzzing with my almost crash and that i saved it. come on session 4.

I'm full of beans as i put my lid on an i look over at my daughter and say "i'm going to nail this now" coming out of the pits i put the power down i go round the banking a little to fast and the bike slides and twickes as it grips again i tell my self to push on and keep it pinned round church and along the back straight flat out i pass a few riders through the two right hand kinks and up the hill towards rocket a tight left, right on the crest of a steepish hill, to agressive as i throw it in.......GAME OVER.... it was like hitting a patch of ice, i'm rolling in the middle of the road an i see two bikes coming towards me i curl up in to a ball till i stop rolling take a quick look then jump to my feet and run of track towards my bike and pick it up. a marshal comes over and we push it to a safe place left side bar is twisted and foot peg and gear lever are bent, also the crash bung (frame slider) has bent over, but it did its job. the paint on the tail end has taken a hit and is down to the fiberglass. i sit with the marshals till the end of the session and i notice my right hand is starting to hurt. i look over my lid and i got away with it no marks on it  as any marks on your helmet and you can't use it. i mange to get it in to 2nd and coast back to the pits. laughing i look at my mate and say "i love this deal i crash them and you fix them" my daughter tells me i'm not normal. We spend about an hour getting it right, and then its back to technical inspection it passed.
its beer oclock.

Race day Sunday
As i open my eyes it comes to my attention that i'm not in good shape, my right hand is useless and a thick head and a rotten mouth great me. to much beer. i go down to race control to sign on and i do my best not to show i'm struggling with my hand, i get throught it but i need more coffee badly.

timed practice
i just can't get going and i feel slow. didn't feel it but my confidance has taken a little hit. my hand only hurts when opening the throttle. at the end of the session i pull in and i know i was slow, didn't go as fast as i was the day before.
27th and last place. talking about being a bit slower with my farther he says "if your not going to push it there is no point being out there"




650 Twin race 1, 8 laps
The lights go out and its go go go, not aggresive enough off the line but the bloke in front gives it to much and almost flips it and i get one straight away in to Target (turn 1) and i get in amongest them, to tell the truth it all gets a little blur, but i'm working hard riding as fast as i dare. i am working my way through getting faster and faster and come round on lap 5 and i am gaining on the two riders in front of me, as we come round rocket i can see how much i have gained and i'm starting to think about passing them.as i go in to peel i have a brain fart and go down 1 to many gears locking the backend just as i was about to tip it in to the turn. i pick it up and run off heading towards the tyres (this is going to hurt) i don't know how but i got it stopped just as my wheel bumps the tyre wall. i look up at a sea of faces all looking down at me with slight dissapointment that i din't make a bigger mess of it. looking over my shoulder as i back it up i see 4 bikes come by all that hard work gone. i rejoin unable to get any of them back i finished 22 place.



650 Twin race 2. 8 laps
i start in 22 place, i set off riding well, i pick up a few places a few laps go by and i gain a few more places and i'm hunting the next riders down, out off rocket and towards peel i see a bike in bits the rider just lay there and the marshals running while red flags stop the race. 5 laps in 18 place.

extra race lightweight open 8 laps (only 14 in this i guess because its late, i don't think i will do it again, makes the day to long with packing up and travel)
i start in 14 ride well pushing my self i get past two of them and start to gap them and i'm really pushing trying to catch the next one but its slow going i am pulling him in but it takes a few laps before i'm getting close. lap 5 and going in to the banking i make a mess of my downshift and hit a false nuteral, really needed the engine braking i over shoot i pick it up jump on the brakes and stop just before i run off track i straighten up and get going again lost lots of time but no places, and no chance of catching the group infront up finished 12.


next round Oultan park 26th April
i will be at Oultan on the 5th April in a differant championship.