I’m really excited about this and we’ll give it our all to try and make the grade.

As a result the Ledbury meeting on the 9th of June will have to get dropped as it’s a long way down to Cornwall for me and there’s no point in risking the outfit or our fitness the day before such an important qualifier.

Roll on June. . . .

Before the day began Simon Beard pulled out with mechanical problems so 5 crews would race and with Bennett/Hughes and Harvey/Hogg in the line up it would be a good early season test for us. First drama of the day was Karl sleeping in second drama was him forgetting part of his kit! Anyway it was all sorted in time for practice, which went well, we got a couple of practice starts in and after getting back to the pits I made a couple of adjustments to the outfit to better suit the conditions.

Our class was the 2nd race of the day so the starting line was very grassy and slick, we went off in second gear from the outside with Harvey/Hogg just inside us and it was a great start, pulling away with the 6 times British Champion then finding some extra grip to reach the top corner in the lead. I pushed on sticking tight to the inside and and we took the race win.

It was only a short break before our next race but with nothing but nuts and bolts to check we were soon ready to go again.

In Heat 2 we gated from a similar position and again got away really well, the pre season changes to the clutch and leaver etc were starting to make a difference. I pushed on hard for a couple of laps untill Karl gave me a couple of nudges to let me know we were clear, I took it easy in the corners as there were some ruts starting to open up but there were still some good racing lines to take. We took it home for another race win, Harvey/Hogg only getting a couple of laps in before retiring for the day.
I got interviewed for the telly after this race, can’t remember what I said but I do remember running out of things to say! lol before heat 3 my bro gave me a pep talk about not needing to go silly in this race as we’d be in the final anyway and points in the heats only mattered for gate selection. We started good again and I pushed on for 2 laps when Karl gave me another nudge, I tried a few different lines in the corners in preparation for the final. Afterwards Karl was in a bit of bother, after nudging me he wholloped he funny bone on the grab rain and was experiencing that unfunny pain you get! Luckily there was an interval before our next ride.
So in the final I went from the outside, just inside us were the new boys Alan Titley/Sam Howis – who we’d lent a carb to earlier in the day and they got a flier but up the first straight and into 2nd gear we pulled ahead, Bennett/Hughes on the inside pulled a big wheelie with Hughes taking a tumble then running to get back on board! I was oblivious to this and pushed on for 4 laps to take the race win, unbeaten all day and a great trophy at the presentation.

Thanks again go out to my Bro and Dad who were on hand all day and to Scott for all these awesome pictures, you can see more from the days racing by following this link.

.

I went into heat 2 thinking about a gearing change, but it didn’t matter as I dropped the clutch to fast and the bike gripped and all of a sudden I was staring at the sky, a massive wheelie! Karl managed to hang on and luckily the bike came down straight (I’ve seen some photos and will try and get one on the site) we got going but was last into the top corner, we passed Canning and Richards on the bottom corner and set after team Heath, I could see Barry was already well ahead and at best I thought all we could was catch Heath and apply some pressure. We did but a last bend move didn’t really work and I was already knackered from working hard just to catch up.

We changed the gearing in the break to give us some more acceleration out of the corners. Heat 3 was a great race. A good start from Bennett and Heath saw them quick to the top corner, but we were right with them on the inside, half way round the corner they both turned in tight and I was left with nowhere to go – either into Barry or over the inside track markers I took the later option and came out of the corner still in 3^rd. We got a move on Barry a couple of laps in and entering the bottom corner behind Heath where he locked up right in front of us, somehow we avoided smashing into there outfit but I lost all momentum and Barry came back past us up the inside. Into the last lap and with Barry all over Heath I managed to make a cut back move up the inside and win the race to the line to take a great 2^nd place.
 

It was only a short break before we were out again in the last race, and with only 2 points separating the 3 of us it looked like the winner of this race would take the overall win.

Our start wasn’t to bad and we followed team Heath for a lap pushing them on the bottom bend then making another cut back move up the inside of the exit on the top corner and we went on to take the win.

A great start to the new season and some good racing action for the crowd, also nice trophies at the presentation. Thanks to my Dad and Bro for being there with advice and the occational bike tweaks and to Karl for holding on in the middle of the big wheelie! Also cheers Scott for the excellent pictures, here is a link to more pictures from the day.

The bike is ready:-

and so am i! (including backup lego head)

I think we have won a couple of club championships this year so we will have some presentation evenings to attend early in the New Year. Till then I’m building up last years outfit either to sell on or loan out!

Just last week I attended my local clubs (Cheshire Grasstrack Club) AGM with a view of helping out a little next year, nothing to official though I still prefer the riding to anything else.

I’ll post some pictures of the presentations and progress on the 2 bikes.

Cheers Dave

I was hopefully for good weather, especially as we set off in the dark and rain! On arrival at the field the track was set out as previous visits, but it was dry. We were running the backup motor today but with only 3 of us sidecars racing I really wanted to enjoy it. Practice went ok but I felt we were over geared so made a change. In Heat 1 we gated in 2nd gear but Bennett/Hughes got a flier and we were chasing, a lap in and were right on their tail eating dust, however I actually got more inside my goggles thru a small hole than down my throat. A combination of that and trying to hard left us unable to make a move or even get close enough for a look!

We changed the gearing again to get more top speed, and in the 2nd heat gated good but suddenly the gearbox jumped into 2nd gear on its own catching me out, the motor bogged down and we were last away from the line. We chugged away again on the chase, this time catching Bennett as we went thru the last lap flag, I went for a big sweep around the outside and came out of the corner together down the straight, again on the outside we made it stick on the bottom now very bumpy corner to come thru for the race win, it was good ride.

In heat 3 we gated ok initially but the bike then jumped into neutral! Gutted as both the other crews got away. We caught Richards on the top corner and went past on the inside, but Barry was well gone riding the smoother wider line. I pushed on hard tho as we were quick on the inside line and 3 laps in we had caught Barry and the passed again on the inside. It was a great comeback from being so far behind (see movie below).

There was an interval before our final race so I decided we should change the gearbox and at least try to get one good start today! It worked, and our best start of the day and probably the season was the result – giving us a headache for next season as we were on both back up engine and gearbox!!! We went on to take the race and class win.

It was a bit of a mixed bag day but I really enjoyed it, coming from behind a couple of times and making a great start (at last) made it a fun day and top way to bring the curtain down on the season.

We had our first race which was a muddy one, after not gating very well from the outside we were filled in on every corner, and came thru into 2nd behind Bennett/Hughes. I felt we could go alot quicker if only i could see where to go! but before our 2nd race and after a nasty solo crash the club decided to abandon the meeting as the track had become very difficult to ride.

So an early end to the day, only one more meeting to go this season, hope that one lasts a bit longer!

.

I’ve attached a movie of the Final, Good race and championship win by Josh From Nick Radley.

Well it had been a long break since I last rode and today would be used as a test for a new gearbox set up especially as Richard would be filling in for Karl who was on holiday.

It was a nice return to the Chetton field where we last road about 4yrs ago. It was a good size track and nice bends, with a few large dips in the field.

We went out for a couple of practices but on return to the bits the gearbox had a problem, so to be sure we swapped it back for the 1 I’ve been using all year. Safe to say it failed the test! So 8 crews would race that included 4 of the top 5 from last year.

Heat 1 we gated ok but struggled in the pits corner with grip, and took 3rd. Some good and major track work was carried out before Heat 2, this was a better start and we went on to take a good 2nd ahead of Simon Beard. In heat 3 there was a bit of a cock-up, as 5 teams went out in the first heat leaving just us in the other heat – as 2 crews had pulled. I’d have gone in the other race had I known sooner. So we went round for 4 laps on our own but I tried a few different lines in preparation for the final so it wasn’t a total waste!

Track work was carried out and although the track had cut up in areas the club did a really good job of  making it ridable again. We had 3rd choice gate for the final and found a good line off the middle. However the tape went up a bit quick and we were only 4th away. We pushed on hard and in the top corner especially we could gain on Harvey/Hogg ahead and on the 3rd lap we got past up the inside as we went past the yellow/black flag.
It was good to get on the podium behind Dunn/Smith and Radley/Young but gearbox gremlins we need to be ironed out before next weeks British Final!

2 different views of the final, a poor start from us but managed to collect the 3rd spot.

The Norman Southgate memorial meeting came round at Fenlands last weekend and it was 2 days of racing for the Carvill family. I arrived on Saturday to watch and help out my brother who was racing in the vintage class on his 350cc pre 75 and 125cc post 1985 classes and our Dad was there helping also. These races were held on a track on the inside of what would be our racing track the following day. Steve did alright winning a few heats but engine trouble seen him miss out on the top prizes and took home 2 second places overall.
We camped over and in the morning got set up for what would be a really hot day, Dad was on good form in the kitchen! There had been some watering of the track on Saturday and at the time I didn’t think it was quite enough. Before racing began I spoke with a few riders and it looks like I have a passenger lined up to cover for Karl at our next meeting so that was a bonus! I walked the track, it was a good size with decent shaped bends and it looked like it would ride well but we only got a lap in practice before a clutch problem ended our ride. After some inspection it was concluded the cluch arm adjuster on the gearbox had moved. Fixed and with new clutch fibres we went for a second quicker practice, the bike felt good and the conditions were alright, but dust was already starting to get kicked up.

There was a bit of re-shuffling of the heats as a rider had dropped out so 8 crews would race in heats of 4. Our first heat was a tough one, made harder by not gating brilliantly. We found ourselves at the back behind Andy & Lora Kerrison, Ant Goodwin, and Dunn/Smith. But it was a good race, I tried a move on the inside of Kerrison but he closed the door, I had 1 eye (thru the dust) on Goodwin ahead and we went to the top corner not far apart. Andy held a tight but slower line, we went wide. Both of us were catching team Goodwin and going into the last lap I managed to power around Goodwin and Kerrison in the same corner, I was well pleased with the move!

We made an adjustment to the clutch and motor as I felt the bike was bogging down in the corners and I needed more revs. In heat 2 it was Simon Beard and new passenger Emily Coglan who held the lead and were looking really quick, we had another battle with team Goodwin and we made a similar move as before to take another 2nd place finish. Due to the dust the Clarke of the Course cut the laps down to 3 after this heat as watering wasn’t an option.

In our 3rd ride we came up against Dunn/Smith and Dean Norton who’d been making really good starts. However this time we gated better but couldn’t do anything about the speed that Dunn was carrying so another 2nd place finish. This gave us 3rd choice of gate in the final.

So in the final, we gated ok but Dunn, Beard and Goodwin all did better. Into the top corner and the dust was bad, I went wide to get some vision and down the back straight was ok. Dunn and Beard pulled away and would have there own battle for 3 laps, with Dunn/Smith having an unbeaten day at the end. So Into the bottom corner we went and I was totally blinded from Ants bike, and I mean blinded. I don’t think I could even see the front wheel so I eased off on the throttle kept turning left but didn’t know where we were in the corner! Eventually some dust cleared and we were on the outer edge of the bend, I saw Gary Southgate drive up the inside and boy was I frustrated! We had been quick all day and I felt we really could do something in this race but it suddenly felt like the chance had gone. Anyway I went for it, pushed really hard and kept us tight to the corners, we caught Southgate and passed him, getting a bit too close (sorry Gary) but it was the last lap and even though we caught up with Team Goodwin on the last bend it wasn’t enough – we could have done with an extra lap to have a go at getting past.

I suppose going home in 1 piece at the end of the day was more pleasing than the 4th place in the final! It was a good meeting on a nice sized / shape track, well run and organized but the dust again was an issue like it has been for a few clubs this year.

Thanks to my Bro and Dad for all there hard work in the pits and as usual Karl for hanging on so well. Also thanks Derek from dcd images for the great picture.

You’ll see what i mean about the dust from the movie of the final below!

.

I’d been looking forward to this meeting and it didn’t disappoint (apart from the rain!)

The Bewdley club put on a good meeting and the Bonanza was a big occasion, I arrived early but with a full program the pits had filled up early with even keener riders. Weather forecast for the day predicted rain as some stage but early on it was sunny. I caught up with a few riders in the pits and even Bob was there today to film the event (think I’ll have to purchase this dvd). So 9 crews (after Mike Gosling dropped out after practice) would compete in 3 point scoring rides and then a straight run final for the prize money, it was the same in the other classes with some of the country’s best 500cc solo and 1000cc sidecar riders in attendance. In my class we had the top 4 from last year’s British Final which is why I’d been looking forward to it; this could be a good marker for our progress this season so far.
I made a gearing change to the bike as the track was a good size and we went out later for practice, I took it easy for a few laps after watching the other crews struggle on the slick grassy conditions but although bumpy on the top corner the outfit had some grip and I figured we could go in hard on the first race.
In Heat 1 we came up against Harvey/Hogg, Dunn/Smith and Canning/George all of whom gated better than us, there was no grip on the inside. Up the straight Harvey/Hogg pulled away but Dunn and Canning were side by side with the later on the inside going into the top corner. They might have touched it was pretty close and I eased off just in case, but coming out of the corner Scott Dunn was ahead. We chased on for a lap and caught Brian Canning on the outside of the same corner exiting ahead of him, down the back straight and into the bottom corner tight on the inside with Dunn, we exited really close together and were side by side up the straight. Off the inner racing line was definately riding quicker for us and in a similar move to the Canning over take we went around the outside of Scott. I pushed on for a couple of laps but the British Champions Harvey/Hogg were clearly ahead and we came in for a good 2nd position. I got a little warning from the clerk of the course for clipping a few inside pegs but he saw my point that I was actually trying to avoid Dunn rather than under cut him.

In the time before our next heat we change a few settings on the engine and then the rain came! Not a lot but enough to make conditions tricky. The water settled on the track and the hard mud was now really slick, I spent a bit of time actually on the track with my Dad looking at the conditions, to us the inside looked unridable, wider where the loose mud was looked ok. We gated from the middle, again poorly. 2nd gear low revs and we didn’t move! Gutted, we were last away behind Dunn, Canning and Sinead McClaren (in that order) and going into the top corner I think we all locked up sideways because of the conditions. On exiting the corner I got us out wide looking for the grip and it worked a treat. We passed Sinead on the pits corner then Canning on the top corner, Dunn/Smith had pulled away from the others but we charged on and in the pits corner again wide on the gas we passed them to take the lead and a couple of laps on to the win. It was a great feeling coming from the back to win like that.

The rain kept coming and it didn’t look too good for the meeting, but they got thru all the heats and our last race seen us up against Shaun Harvey again but a few other crews had dropped out and it was just us in the race! From the outside we gated bad again! but the track was so slick and after pushing for 2 laps I had to ease off as visibility was poor.

Due to the conditions the finals were not run it was a case of counting the points from the heats, we came 3rd and were only beaten on track today by the British Champion so a pretty good result.

Fenlands meeting is up next in a couple of weeks, I recon it’ll take that long just to get the bike clean! oh and thanks to Mark Vickers for the race photo at the top of the page, nice one.

 .

  OF ALL the families with four generations of grasstrack riders the Carvills go back longer than most – almost as far as the birth of the sport in this country. Little did Ronald Carvill suspect when he first raced at a meeting way back in 1937, he would be starting a tradition which would still be being carried on by his grandsons and great-grandson some 74 years later.

  Carvill senior from Coventry rode a Norton 500cc that day, but it didn’t start out life that way. A plumber by trade in his father’s business, but with no vans in those days a motorbike with sidecar fitted were standard tools of the trade. Business was good and according to son Roger Carvill, who would later take up the grasstrack mantle himself, his dad cut his racing teeth on a
job down on a housing estate in Oxford. “Dad and the brickie on the job used to race each other – they used to do it in about an hour and that’s how it all started, said Roger. That first grasstrack bike was made from a completely dismantled machine which had lain in the garage for eight years at his father’s business premises. Ronald lovingly rebuilt it – a skill which would pass through his genes to his son in the course of time – and he was ready to go grasstrack racing. “It was heavier than his rivals’ machines but dad used to say ‘she’s a real goer and full of power,’ continued Roger. “A lot of the meetings in those days were mountain grasstrack and hill climbs, so the order was to go up turn left and come back down again.” Carvill continued racing through the 30s winning an unlimited final on a Charter-Lea in 1939 before his racing career was interrupted by the outbreak of war. He took a reservist occupation as a chemical plumber lead lining vats
for sulphuric acid used in chrome plating for Spitfires and other machinery. During this period he used his bike as a despatch rider, and his machines were put to good use in his role in the Home Guard. “When there was an air raid on the Home Guard boys used to lead the
fire engines in on their bikes.”While he was out on one such air raid his house was bombed, but
fortunately his mother and sister were in the house next door and therefore escaped unhurt.
  The family was relocated to of all places Mallory Park and Roger suspects his dad had a spin around the circuit on more than one occasion. “He was a bit of a mad head by all accounts,” he says. He wasn’t frightened of opening the throttle.” Carvill was back racing again almost as soon as the war ended in July 1944, a time when according to Roger riders used to take their bikes to
meetings by train and ran their engines off Methylated spirits (he asked if any of the sport’s older fans remember this?) But his love of an open throttle was to have serious consequences at a meeting two years later when the linkages on his girder forks broke when he was flat out on the strait locking the front wheel, sending him head first down the track. He was admitted unconscious to Redditch Hospital where he spent several weeks recovering from a skull fracture- Roger still has the broken linkages as a reminder of his father’s narrow escape.
   Carvill returned to racing the following year mainly racing his 250cc Triumph Tiger, a machine he would often talk about and one on which he claimed the scalps of many a rider aboard higher powered machinery in Unlimited races.
  Apparently the notes on his tuning suggest the valve timing was similar to the racing engines of today. In a detour from grasstrack racing, Ronald turned his attention to the Isle of Man TT in 1948 on the T70. He suffered a spill but still managed to finish third after achieving an average speed of 63.49mph.Speedway was the next thing on the radar as early in 1949 Ronald phoned
the then Birmingham Speedway promoter Les Marshall to ask for a ride. The immediate response was not too encouraging as Marshall advised: “I’ve pretty well got my team sorted so there’s no place for you, but I’m having a pre-season individual meeting, you can come and ride in that” Undeterred by such slim picking Ronald rode and on the strength of his performance he was offered a place in the team for that year as reserve. Things began well as in May he put up a strong performance away to Belle Vue Aces, beating his opposite number in the home side who was none too happy at the turn of events.The aggravation between the two was to spill over in the return fixture later in the season when the Belle Vue man appeared to put Carvill into the safety fence. He had fractured his skull for a second time and was again admitted to hospital unconscious. The incident was to mark the beginning of the end of his racing days, as although he recovered and signed for Oxford the following year it soon became evident the injuries he had sustained had dulled his reflexes. “He still knew what to do, but he was half a second late all the time doing it,” said Roger.
  Ronald maintained an interest in bikes through trials riding and it was left to Roger to pick up the mantle of riding, though his first experience with a bike certainly didn’t help the process. My first memory of a bike was from when I was pretty small and my dad starting the bike up in the shed/garage,” he recalled.“I remember it frightened the life out of me and I ran back to the
house crying.”
  Fortunately, there were no lasting scars and Roger first took to the grass at a meeting in Coventry in 1960, aged 16 and riding a 250cc Cotton. He was to race for only that season as a teenager –money was tight back then too it seems – but six years later he returned to racing after turning his hand to building his own bikes. He put it together using a BSA and a C15 engine which he tuned for Methanol.
“I read an article about a bloke who made his own grasstrack bike and so I just copied him,” says Roger. “Everyone did the same in those days because no-one could afford to buy the proper stuff.”
He would never buy a frame again as he built all his own frames throughout his 22 years of racing, a service he has since performed for sons Steve and David and grandson Sam.

Roger is modest about his achievements in the sport saying: “I had a bit of success and I could be the odd one or then. Every dog has its day I suppose. He enjoyed some success as a sand racer for a few seasons in places like Port Talbot, Redcar, Southport, Jersey and Guernsey. He was fourth in the British Championship one year despite only racing three of the seven rounds. And among his finest hours was to be crowned Antelope Club Champion in 1970, a club of which his father was a founder member back in 1950.

  It was a moment which was to prove important to the next generation of Carvill racers as his oldest son Steve recalled. He said: “My dad winning the 250cc Antelope Championship is my earliest grasstrack memory. “I accompanied him on his lap of honour in an open top Land Rover.” It wasn’t long before he built a sidecar from a little Honda C90 which both Steve and soon younger brother David (born 1972) endlessly raced in the field at the back of their house. In fact according to Dave it wasn’t just in the field at the back of the house the sidecar was taken for a spin. I remember my mates coming around and when mum wasn’t looking we would sneak through the fence to the football pitches at the bike and go a bit faster” – (well David if mum didn’t know before she does now.) David was first to the track, having a year of motocross in his last year as a junior before turning his attention to grasstrack at 18 after hitching a ride on Jim Hide’s machine after a meeting at Brinklow. Typically he remembers doing a couple of laps before asking: “Does it go any faster?” 

  It was the cue for Roger to spend winter in the workshop building a sidecar and David had one season of racing before setting off for university. I fell off in the first meeting,” he said. Someone came off in front of us and they were cartwheeling, but you can’t worry about it – you just have to get back on.” Steve took the track for the first time in 1991 on a 250cc solo and raced for two seasons with granddad Ronald watching in the pits. However, a crash in 1993 in which he broke his collarbone saw him lose his enthusiasm for racing for a while and he didn’t return to the track until 2001 when he joined the Formula Grasstrack Association and began racing in their championship.

  David was soon to join him on his return to racing, winning the Manchester club Championship one year, while Steve was the overall FGA Senior Champion in 2007. However, by this point both sons had added further strings to their bows and in Steve’s case he’d won a British title. He takes up the story: In 2004, my dad built me a 350 BSA and I began to race in the pre-75 class. The frame and engine were the ones my dad had in the 60s. In 2006 he also built me a 250 BSA and, with luck on my side again, I won the ACU pre-75 250cc British Championship.

  Meanwhile, in 2007 David realised a long-standing dream to return to the 500 sidecar ranks and went on in 2010 to represent Britain in the European semi-final. “The three wheels were still calling me,” he said. I just felt I could go much faster on three wheels than I ever had on two.”

By this time the four generations had been completed with Steve’s son Sam having caught the racing bug. Aged 10 he rode a KX60 around the same field where his father and uncle had begun their grasstrack adventures years before, and by the following year granddad Roger was in the workshop again building a Honda 125 so Sam could join his dad and uncle on the Formula Grasstrack scene.  He had five podium finishes in British Youth Championships and in his second year as an adult racer last year he hoped on his dad’s 250cc BSA and raced to third spot in the British Pre-75 Championship. Little has been seen of him so far in 2011, but Uncle David feels his nephew has the potential to do well in the sport.
He said: “Sam loves it on his 350cc. I saw him at Worcester when it was a bit slick broadsiding it around the bends and I was a bit worried. “But he’s got the speedway riding style – he’s just not doing enough meetings at the moment to take it to the next level, which I think is a purely financial thing, but I’m sure he’ll be back on the track soon.”

So there we have another family with four generations behind them on the grass.

Only 3 500cc sidecars in attendance today, we were lucky to get that after 1 dropped out and Sinead borrowed Gary Southgate’s outfit (we’ve now seen more of his bike on track than the good man himself) this was after she spotted a crack in the passenger frame on her bike. Some pre meeting maintainence was required following yesterdays racing, oil change, nut and bolt check and I had Karl change a bearing in the front wheel as we found it have a little bit of play.

The weather was very overcast and it looked like it could rain at any time still I waited till late on to practice to give the track some time to get rid of all the slick grass, we took it easy for a couple of laps but surprisingly found some good grip in the corners and a lot of really rough bumps! A practice start suggested a 2nd gear start would be best.

So to heat 1 and it was important to not be on the inside today as at the top of the straight there were some very large dips in the field, not good for us 3 wheelers. We gated ok with Sinead along side us and going into top corner we went around the out side of her to take the lead, we pushed on for the win, and I think Sinead and Rob Bradley had a bit of a battle for 2nd with rob I believe getting it on the last bend.

In heat 2 we got a great start off the line, there were some nice ruts and we use one to our advantage now using 1st gear. 2-3 laps in I heard Karl shout we were clear. The track and especially the bends were really bumpy and they felt harder the slower we went! I dont think Karl or his knees were that pleased about it.

LINK TO MORE IMAGES

Before our 3rd ride Rob packed in, (he was also riding the 1000cc chairs and told me they were a lot easier to ride in these conditions but still not ideal) he was also on borrowed machinery and didn’t want to chance damaging it. So it was just us and McLaren/Galligan who were keen to keep racing, we gated good again and after watching some of the quick solo riders in previous heats I took a much wider line (it was a lot smoother) in the bends. It wasn’t particularly quick but it was a better way round for now, we took the race win.

So going into the last race we’d been unbeaten all weekend, but this time we didn’t really get off the line and were playing catch up to Sinead. A lap in and we were on there tail and on the inside down the back straight and into the bottom corner it was a bit close and I had to ease off as we exited the corner. We chased on and into the next lap made a big move round the outside on the pits corner that worked a treat. It was probably the best 500cc sidecar race of the day, however I think we were all glad to make it thru and finish the day without and damage.

We’ve got a couple of weeks off now till the Bewdley bonanza where hopefully my No.1 motor will be used. Cheers
.

Prior to firing up the motor just before practice I heard an odd noise from it, a few more turns of the engine with the spark plug out would suggest something not right at the top end either valves, springs or as I thought something to do with the cam chain was wrong. We took no chances and swapped it for last week’s engine and managed to get out for the last practice. One gearing change and tweak of the clutch and we were ready to race.

5 of us were due to ride but I believe Trevor Heath had injured himself in the week so 4 would take to the line for the 4pm start, conditions were overcast but luckily rain stayed away and the field rode well.

In heat 1 we started from the inside and gated well with Sinead McClaren, got to the top corner i think together but we came out ahead (i think) and stayed there by trying to keep a tight line, it was slick off the racing line and in the later laps there was a bit of a battle between team Goodwin (Anton & Scott) and McLaren/Galligan.

In heat 2 again we went off the inside but Team Goodwin made the break and we went into the top corner behind them, down the back straight and into the pits corner Anton turned in a bit sharp and exited wide as a result leaving the door open for us and we squeezed thru and into the top corner in the lead and that’s how it stayed.

For race 3 we got a great flying start and never really looked back, I kept it tight for the last lap as there still wasn’t a lot of grip for anyone to try and go round the outside of us even tho the track was now at its best.

So 3 out of 3 wins for us today and nice trophy and good points for the club championship that we’re keep to retain for 2011, it was a late drive home but at least no unloading required as I was off to Congleton, Cheshire for my local grasstrack meeting on Sunday.

more images available just click on the picture above

Finally I filmed the 1000cc sidecar final for anyone interested see below

.
.

Again this report will have to be short, I’m stacked up at work and there’s a dirty bike in the garage calling me to get it ready for sat’d!

So with the help of my mate Phil we put a replacement motor in from what was used in Germany, basically I was using this meeting to test it and Karl’s thumb!, It was good to have Karl back and he managed to hang on for the whole day.

After arriving track side at about 9.30 and putting the gazebo up it started to rain / drizzle and didn’t really stop till I got home later in the evening.

Practice went ok but it was clear (unlike my vision) today would be more about getting round safely than actually racing. We had 3 rides and only gated well once – after we had tweaked the motor to calm it down as there was so much wheel spin. Basically the race was over after the first corner with Mark Cossar beating us there every time, Sinead also made good starts but spun out in race 2 along with Dean Norton with the conditions probably catching them out.

The meeting was abandoned after our 3rd race, I think we’d done well to get that far.

Well done to the club for their first meeting, you can’t help the weather but everything else worked well, hopefully next years will be bigger and better (and dryer)

Next week we’re at Ledbury for their afternoon meeting and Cheshire (riders permitting) on Sunday, hope the weather is kind to us!
.

After setting up we walked the track which was massive, the bends were about twice the length of the straights with one bend slightly bigger than the other, It would be an early start in the morning so we made a few bike alterations in the evening.
The bike sailed thru scrutinearring and officially weighed in at 125kg – with fuel, so the day was set with bright sunshine and big crowd including a few Brits which was great to see. Practice sessions went ok, we changed the gearing and engine timing a tad to try and help keep the revs up especially from the line.  In the break before the presentation and racing we gave away a load of team photo’s and even signed a few (and some t-shirts see picture). Then it was onto the simple presentation a few photos and a nice parade lap. The German crowd were really enthusiastic and everyone got a great responce. So 12 European crews including our own Radley and Dunn would have 4 rides with the top 4 qualifying and a run off with the next 6 for the last 2 spots.

In heat 1 and having felt some nerves on the line it wasn’t a great start but going into the 2nd bend there was a coming together with 2 crews in front of us and I turned into the in-field to avoid what was going on as dust had impaired my vision. The race was stopped and Mark Detz was excluded from the re-run. I felt a lot calmer in the re-run but the motor bogged down and the bike gripped too much from the line and it wasn’t a good start. We rode on hard for the 4 laps to take 5th – this was the first time me and Richard had raced together and all went really well but I think we were both a bit knackered by the end!

In heat 2 our gating was a little better but nowhere as quick as these top euro boys, and we found ourselves at the back but right on the tail of France’s Christophe Belabre who we chased and drove round the outside of on lap 2 which was a great feeling, we pushed on and gained on the crew in front but ran out of laps to make a move on them.

Before our third heat we made a small change to the bike and I had Richard position himself a little further forward to try and get the back wheel spinning more from the line, it worked but again my reaction time was off compared to the others and 3 laps in I eased off to finish the race at the back.

Going into the final heat we needed a top 3 to make the B final but it wasn’t to be. We rode hard for 4 laps on the tail of Stefan Radtke trying to line up an overtaking move but on the last lap my goggle system gave up and entering the final corner we were filled in and blinded so had to ease off. One of the other crews were excluded for cutting the corner and we gained an extra point but still finished the day in a lowly 11th position.

All in all It was an enjoyable day tho, riding abroad is totally different compared to home and it’s another one to chalk up to experience, Richard enjoyed himself even tho he collected a nasty lumpy hip bone bruise!

Our final race of the day however was to get to the ferry port in time! We left the track at 6pm and had just over 5hr drive which would give is a 15min window to get on board! But we hit traffic early on and needed fuel so turned up a few mins late. Luckily we only had a few hours wait for the next ferry and got some kip beforehand. I arrived back in Manchester at 12.30pm after a short stopover in Coventry and 1300 miles on the clock. Many thanks to Richard again for stepping in and to my bro for once again taking time out to drive, cook, film and spanner for us! also thanks to Gerd Hubrich for the racing pictures.

copyright www.speedway.org

.

I have attached the final below (which we obviously didnt make!) with more movies and photos to come.