Cadwell Park

Cadwell Park: F450.com Moto 450/Supermono Cup

The Buff Supermono – Nitro Moto 450 is my main championship and one I can hopefully win at the end of the year. I came to Cadwell Park lying in second position and so I knew that three good solid performances over the weekend would keep me in the hunt for the championship.

Day 1: 29th May 2010

Just like my previous race meeting at Snetterton the testing day would be split up into three twenty minute practice sessions then a twenty minute first qualifying session in the afternoon. Fortunately for me as I am competing in two classes this year I would have two qualifying sessions. One in the F450 and the other in the GP2.

The weekend previous to this I had visited Cadwell Park where BSB were racing. The weather was absolutely glorious for the whole of the four days and I was hoping for much the same for myself for this weekend but typical of the British Summertime the rain was upon us and it would stay on and off through Saturday and Sunday with a brighter day on Monday. Every racer will tell you that when it comes to starting a session whether it be a practice or a race you want the conditions to be one or the other - wet or dry. Unfortunately throughout Saturday and Sunday rains came and went, track would dry out then quickly become doused again. This was the same for everybody which meant tyre selection and bike setup were going to play a significant part throughout the weekend.

Qualifying/races are hard enough when you only have one bike and you are trying to decide which setup to go with – wet or dry? Fortunately for myself and thanks to my Grandad, with two bikes available, I was able to have a different setup on each so that decision making can be left to the final minute.

My first qualifying session was in the wet in the GP2 class and although I felt comfortable with the bike and circuit my first qualifying position of 4th could and should have been possibly better. Nevertheless I was still in a good position. Less than an hour later I had my first qualifying session in the F450 this time going out on my dry setup I managed to qualify in second position. Managing to go 4.5 seconds quicker in the dry.

Day 2: 30th May 2010

Sunday morning and again the grey clouds are above us but at the moment no rain. For my second qualifying session in the GP2 I went out on a dry setup which would hopefully make me go quicker, 10 seconds quicker in fact. Even though my overall time of 1:44.208 for the 2.173 mile circuit was good unfortunately it was only good enough to put me in 8th position on the grid for my 4 races this weekend. For my second qualifying session in the F450 although the sun was out the circuit was still very wet from another freakish downpour and it was decided I would go out on my wet setup. I managed to improve my time by 5 seconds and my overall time of 1:45.304 kept me in 2nd place on the grid. Still my first pole position eludes me!

Race 1: Superpole Race – 14 laps

With the sun out and the circuit dry, conditions were ideal for the start of my first race. Starting from 2nd position on the grid I knew I was in an ideal position to be competing from the word go! After an excellent start I came around at the end of the first lap in 3rd position determined to stay with the front two. Four laps in the red flags came out signalling the race to stop. As it was a Superpole race with less than a third of the race completed the race would be restarted as a nine lap race and not a two part race. Again I got off to a good start and led the field through the first lap although I was to lose the lead during the second lap I continued to press hard never leaving too much of a gap between myself and the leader.

Cadwell Park is a physically and mentally demanding circuit and during the course of my nine laps this would put me to the test. With the last lap flag showing I crossed the line in third position and with a healthy gap between myself and the rider behind I knew a podium position was in my grasp. I took the chequered flag in third position and was thoroughly delighted. Even though I had finished third in the main race I had finished first out of the F450 riders.

Day 3: 31st May 2010

Race 2:

Bank Holiday Monday and the sun is shining, just for how long is anybody’s guess? Now something happened during this race that was a first for me. The race would be stopped with the red flag after 3 laps. There then followed a five lap race with the times being added together for a collective finishing time, thus (a two part race). The first part of the race had started well, with my third place position on the grid gained from the previous days Superpole race I was again in an ideal position to challenge from the front. During the course of the three laps I made one or two slight errors which cost me time and I slipped into 4th position. When the red flags came out I was just starting to get back dialled in and was less than two seconds behind the third place rider who was in fact the leading F450 rider. The restart put us back in our original grid positions and I knew I had to be dialled in to this next race from the start and alleviate any mistakes. The race turned out to be a cracker, although I didn’t lead the overall race in the F450 championship I was leading with the 3rd and 4th place riders also challenging me. For the four laps that followed I maintained the lead with Danny Murphy and Connor Tag never further than a bikes length behind me. We pushed each other to the limit in what must have been a fantastic spectacle! I concentrated on keeping a tight line into corners and getting on the throttle as early as possible. The notorious mountain at Cadwell Park I took with both wheels off the ground as I battled to maintain top spot. When I took the chequered flag there was less than 1.5 seconds between myself and the third place rider. In all the excitement I’d forgotten about the first part of the race and so when sat in the collecting area on my bike the realisation suddenly hit me when the times were added together I was down into second position losing out by 0.8 seconds on the eventual winner Danny Murphy.

Race 3:

Rightly or wrongly I have now got one eye on the championship. My good friend Will Hodgson who was leading before this weekend has had some unfortunate luck. He was already carrying an injury he had picked up at Snetterton and with another crash here this weekend it hadn’t helped his cause. I was now aware that I had more points than him and knew that a good solid finish in this last race would see me leave Cadwell Park as the F450 championship leader.

Again after a good start I came past the start finish line at the end of the first lap in 3rd position but during the course of the race I had slipped to 5th. Two other F450 riders in Danny and Connor were ahead of me but not by much. Again it was good fast racing contested by lads all wanting to win a race. As I entered the final lap still 5th overall a Supermono bike now separated myself from the other two. So rather than attempt anything rash or stupid I tucked in behind with my main priority now to finish the race in the position I was in. I knew from my pit board that I had a healthy lead between myself and the next F450 rider and so had nothing to gain and everything to lose from a mistake in trying to get past the 4th place rider. I took the chequered flag in overall 5th position but a podium 3rd in the F450 championship.

Coming to Cadwell Park back in April for a test day had definitely increased my awareness of the circuit and benefited me immensely. My targets for the weekend had been podium positions for my three races and this I have managed to achieve. With a best time of 1:39.136 for the 2.173 mile circuit. I was more than happy with my achievements.

Cadwell Park: Michelin Thundersport GP2 and Minitwin Cup

29th/30th/31st May 2010

My two qualifying sessions had been done in totally opposite conditions from each other. I had managed to put myself 8th on the grid even though it was my worst qualifying position to date I was still confident of being able to compete with the front runners. It is very difficult sometimes when you are a racer not to go out and try and win a race but to work on certain areas of either your riding ability or where your weakest points on the circuit are but in my case this is what I must do whilst still trying to finish as high as I can. During my four races over the weekend this philosophy would test me to the limit and also my pit lane crew!!!!! In Race 1 I had a fantastic start even though it was raining I was in second position as we approached the mountain. Call it what you may my philosophy I have just explained went out of the window when my good friend Will Hodgson passed me. Determined to get back at him as quick as I could I soon found myself sliding across the grass at the foot of the mountain after going in too quick and too late on the brakes, the front end folded. In race 2 conditions caught everybody out. I had initially gone out on a dry setup but during the warm up lap the heavens opened and so I came in and swapped bikes rejoining the circuit just in time to start the race from the back of the grid. What was to follow was probably to date the best race I have ridden. With my helmet full of red mist! I tore off from my start position of last determined not to be there at the finish! By the end of lap 1 I was in 6th position, by the end of lap 2 I was now in 5th and by the end of lap 3 I was up into 3rd. The circuit was drying out all the time and had the race started from this point a dry setup would have been ideal. However, I was on wets and the front two riders were on a dry setup. I maintained my charge through the field right up to the chequered flag where at this point I had missed out by 0.127 seconds and had to settle for 2nd place. In doing so I had started from last and got past 34 other riders by the time I took my helmet off in the collecting area all the red mist had gone and a wee smile was all that was left!! Race 3 was another disaster with a first lap DNF that I don’t want to talk about. In my final race of the weekend I managed a solid 7th in another shortened red flagged race. With the F450 championship obviously being my main concern I do need to make the most of these races from now until the end of the season because I am sure if I can improve on my weak areas in this class it will benefit me enormously for my main championship.

Race 1: DNF
Race 2: 2nd
Race 3: DNF
Race 4: 7th

Quickest time in this class 1:40.292 for the 2.173 mile circuit.