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!

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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!

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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.

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  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
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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

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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!
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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

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

I’ll have to keep this a bit short as i’m in the garage every evening this week getting ready to leave for Germany on Sat’d.

The bank holiday Monday meeting down at the Swega club (Exeter) was more of a confidence builder and engine testing session than a serious days racing for me.

I stopped in Coventry Sunday night to break the journey up a bit – which turned out to be over 550 miles, and collect my bro. It rained all the way down there and early reports from track side (thanks Sinead) didn’t look good. But they have a good field which drained really well and practice was only 15mins late starting. There would be only 3 500cc sidecar crews today and I was without Karl who’s still got a problem with a thumb injury from the Wainfleet meeting so thanks to Graham Tizzard who stepped in and did a really good job for us. Sinead McClaren who’s getting quicker at every meeting and Mike Read who’s a quality experienced race winner would make up the magic number.

In Heat 1 we all got away really well with Mike on the inside, we pulled level down the straight but he went into the corner too fast and he couldn’t keep a tight line round the corner so i nipped up the inside of him and never looked back to take the race win.

By heat 2 the track in some areas had totally dried out but off the racing line it was deep mud. We gated really well this time and led start to finish, i checked the rev counter after this race and it was under 10k but i thought I’d take it easy on the motor and keep the gearing setting as it was.

Heat 3 came round after a little bit of rain and although we made a good start Mike came thru on the inside, we followed him round for 4 laps but I got caught with a stone on my collar bone and thought it best to settle for 2nd place. However I felt we could go quicker, the bike was bogging down out of the corners so we made a change to the rear sprocket that would hopefully give us more acceleration off the line and out of the corners because i didn’t fancy taking any more hits!

A short pep talk from my bro before the 4th race was a good bit of advice for the final heat. So in the 4th race we went for it off the line and got away first and into the top corner, Mike followed us round but got caught with a bolder on his little finger and had to stop because of the pain. I pushed on for a lap untill I noticed he wasn’t chasing, i could see Sinead behind but decided to take it easy for the last few laps.

So a meeting win was good, but the motor passed the test and will be kept in for the Euro qualifier in Germany next weekend.

heat 2 below

Check out the Gary cam below for what could be the nearest we see Mr Southgate to racing in the uk this year…..

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practice

1st race

2nd race

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Before our first heat we had to change the clutch as it had been slipping in practice, so in our first heat I gated well from the inside but the bike veered to the right immediatley, we were quick away so missed causing any trouble off the line, I even looked over my right shoulder to make sure we were clear, as I did Scott Dunn came past on the outside and we entered the top corner in 2nd place. I pushed hard and gained on Scott in the corners but on exiting the bottom corner the bike was bogging down everytime, we took the 2nd for 5 valuable points. We made a change to the engine settings to try and compensate for the loss in power out of the corners.

In heat 2 it was a similar case to the first ride, 2nd from the line and this time chasing Josh Goodwin, but the bogging down issue hadn’t really improved so we took another 2nd place finish. With all the sidecar heats there hadn’t been many overtakes, the track was turning into a bit of an odd one and not really lending its self for good overtaking opportunities.
We made another change to the outfit before the next ride by giving the back tyre some extra pressure. We came up against former British champion Nick Radley who had won both his previous rides, we gated alright again but I think the outside starting position was the best and he came flying by up the straight. But down the back straight he wasn’t as quick and in the bottom corner we gained a little so I thought I’d see if we could at least catch him see how close we could get and then maybe go for a pass.
So we pushed hard for a lap gaining on the corners but then out of nowhere in the top corner we hit a rut 1/2 way round that staightened up the bike, it gripped, lauched the front wheel in the air then back down to the left almost horizontal with my leg taking a hit when it came down. I somehow managed to stay on the bike and even got it back on all 3 wheels, was ready to press on with the race and thought I’d better check Karl was ok. I looked to my side and he wasn’t there, the pain kicked to where my leg had grazed the ground so I turned off the track. I caught a glimpse of Karl on his back in the middle of the track before hitting the ground myself all in a matter of a few seconds.

I was fine, a sore patch on my leg but I think as I managed to hold onto the bars I got away with it,
Karl was not so lucky.
I heard a couple of stories but it looks like as the front wheel came down it launched Karl out and away from the bike, probably landing on his nut as he was out cold in the middle of the track!
I didn’t really want to look, my bro came over and after the ambulance crew had checked Karl over reported back that he was ok but probably concussed. He got took to the hospital as a precaution and it would indeed turn out he had concussion and a heavily bruised or fractured thumb at the end of the day.

Fortunately the bike was ok! but with no points scored for that ride it left us or now just me in a sticky spot. I had a semi final and needed to score at least 2 points from it but more pressing was getting a passenger. Luckily Gareth Tregilgas stepped up, he’d been riding with Micheal Stote but hadn’t made the semi finals. We rode a couple of times a few years back but the new bike is smaller than back then, my leg hurt and we had the harder of the 2 semi finals to try and get some points from. It wasn’t a good start neither was the race with the bike bogging down and dying on us from the line, everyone got away and not really knowing how the bike would handle with a different passenger I took the decsion to take it a bit easy, along with avoiding a few ruts i was off the pace and and it wasn’t untill the last lap that I got a feel for it and could push a bit harder but it wasn’t to be. Thanks go out to Gareth for giving me the chance to have a go at getting the required score but we came up short by a couple of points and finished the day in 12th making us first reserve for the British final, I don’t expect anyone will drop out but we’ll be ready if they do.

I suppose all in all we go home in one piece to race another day, but boy am I disapointed to not be in the Brit Champs. Gutted (again)

As a result of todays accident we didn’t ride at Leamington.
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I made the 2hr drive down to Alcester, Worcester in the morning only forgetting my mug of tea on route. We were in the usual field and similar track to last season’s meetings and I was glad I arrived early as the pit area was pretty small and for once I got a good spot near the track entrance. We were running the No.1 motor today to see how that went in the new outfit and I’d improved the padding in my seat after the last meeting left my arse in a bad way!

The meeting was being filmed by the extreme channels ‘blood sweat and gears’ program to be broadcast later in the year (I will post more details as I get them regarding this) and I was interviewed before practice, after practice, during the meeting and again filmed at the end of the day, I hope I put a good show on for them and not embarrass myself too much. 8 crews would take to the field in a ‘round robin’ style meaning 3 rides each in heats of 6 crews but disappointingly no final on a hot sunny day. 

Practice went ok, we had good grip on the straight but in the corners there were patches of grass that caused the bike some problems. We left the set up from practice to the first race where the biggest issue would be getting off the line with it being so slick. We were the 3rd race out and so no real grooves on the start line had opened up. I attempted a 1st gear start with low revs but we hardly moved from the line and I think we were last away then as we got moving Sinead McLaren had a problem and ended up veering left in front of us I somehow managed to miss them but by the time we got to the top corner we were way down, coming out of the corner the bike gripped and took a wide line to pass Brian Chapman, I think Simon Beard came up the inside but we were ahead going into the bottom corner but on exit of the corner we found grass and got no grip, Simon came past us on the outside but I wasn’t giving up. I pushed hard and both of us caught Brian Canning. I overtook Beard on the same corner that he originally had us then went on to take a wide line round Canning on the last lap to get a good 2nd place finish. I really enjoyed this race, with 3 over taking manoeuvers, the bike felt quick but the track was already pretty rough especially the bottom bend that had a massive dip half way round.

We had a long break before our next ride and it was against some good riders. This time we found some good grip from the line and when I change into 2nd gear the bike just gripped and pulled us ahead. The top corner was a little tight with Scott Dunn on the inside of us but down the back straight we were away and managed to pull away for the remaining laps, taking a big lead from Scott Dunn, Tony Cook and Simon Beard all quality seasoned riders.

So going into the last ride a race win would see us win the meeting a and I was confident we could do it, however I wasn’t prepared for what would follow.

We had an ok start but Dunn pulled away initially, we reeled him in after a lap and a couple of times in the corner Scott seemed to slow a lot for the rough conditions but he was keeping a tight line. Exiting the bottom corner I figured the only way past Scott would be on the outside – now what was funny was a conversation that me and Bro had earlier in the day about taking a wide line on the bottom corner “it would be a brave move to go round the outside of anyone on that corner…” I agreed, the track and that corner especially was really bumpy and rough and it was now as we went thru the yellow and black flag that’s his words came back to me! So I tried the outside on the top bend we gained on Scott and exited less than half a bikes length behind him on his outside lining up a big move on the dreaded bottom corner. But It wasn’t to be. The engine let go and seized with a horrid sound of loose clinking metal now inside the motor. Gutted to say the least. We pushed the bike round to take the 1 point and claim 3rd for the day.

On inspection of the motor initially it looked bad with loads of metal fragments dropping out of the exhaust (see picture) and a lot of rattling then today I got the really sad news that she is a goner, loads of internal damage with the whole top end destroyed, crank cases will be salvaged along with the fly wheels but that’s about it! Crap. I have got some big decisions to make in the coming weeks with what we do next.

I am however still looking for more sponsors so now could be your time! lol

Movies below of a couple of races and the moment the engine let go!

heat 1

heat 2

heat 3

heat 3 with added sound of engine rattle!

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We arrived and set up in the pits and tried out our new bike stand, which didn’t quite work and needs some modification. We walked the track which was a nice shape, decent straights but tight corners. There would be 10 teams today including the British No1, No2 and No4, a couple of new faces – always good to see and some old ones! Today tho would be about getting used to the new bike and enjoying it

Not knowing how the new bike would react I set it up in a pretty neutral way, we were using the trusty Jawa motor and went out and did a few practice laps at a moderate pace, straight away tho I could tell the bike was gripping and giving us loads of drive. A nut and bolt check afterwards found nothing lose, we made an adjustment to the side wheel position and went for a 2nd practice. I pushed a bit harder but the bike was loser in the corners so went back to the first setting for our first heat, it looked like our gearing was spot on with the rev counter comming in on 10,000rpm

In Heat 1 we gated well and found ourselves in the lead at the top corner, I pushed hard for the 4 laps only taking a quick look back after 3 laps to see where Tony Cook was! I couldn’t see him on the inside so presumed he was on the outside of us for the last bend but after crossing the line and looking back properly we were pretty much on our own. A great start to the season on the new outfit.

Heat 2 saw us up against the British champions team Harvey/Hogg, Josh Goodwin and Cookie again, I started from the inside but had to give way at the top corner entering it in 4th, down the back straight we passed Josh and cookie and after a lap we were on the tail of Harvey/Hogg. The bike was really gripping in the corners enabling us to take good tight lines, the drive out of the corner was also good and I tried 2 moves to get past the British Champion but it wasn’t to be however last season we couldn’t get anywhere near them and the race for the line was a close one.

After another check of nuts and bolts (this time we found the rear spindle nut wasn’t tight and the from damper had come lose) and a quick chain adjustment we went into the third heat and I knew we could make the final, the start was ok but at the top corner Dunn/Smith and Cookie were ahead of us, the track although riding really well was now dusty and visibility in the corners was bad. I should have tucked in tight but I felt we were quicker than cookie and I wanted to get past but with the dust he kicked up it was impossible to see a way thru and we were 3rd across the line.

Going into the final we had scored enough points for 2nd choice on the start line so I opted for a middle position. Now I’m not sure what went wrong, I was totally ready for the tapes to go up but somehow still managed to miss it and was last away! gutted. but the bike had been quick all day and by the time we got to the top corner we were back in the race, Dunn went wide out of the first corner taking Harvey even wider so myself and Cookie went up the inside. Scott fought back and I watched as these 2 nudged and swapped positions, again tho I felt we were quicker so tried a few moves around the outside – the long way round! this left a bit of a door open for Harvey to come thru on the last lap but it wasn’t over. I seen him come thru a bit fast into the last corner and with cookie in the middle of the bend I tried a cut back on both of them. I was impeded by cookies outfit and had to ease off the gas a little to avoid running into the back of them but was then back on it for the race to the line, the lap counters saw us take 3rd ahead of Harvey by 2 votes to 1.

So a great start to the season, the new outfit has different characteristics to the old one and we still need more meetings to get used to it but it’s a positive start to say the least.

Next meeting is at Worcester on the 17th April, we’ll be on the GM motor to see how that rides in this chassis

Enjoy the movies and feel free to leave comments

official result:-
1st Scott Dunn/Paul Smith
2nd Tony Cook/Jon Cook
3rd Dave Carvill/Karl Webb
4th Shaun Harvey/Danny Hogg
5th Rob Bradley/Daniel Head
6th Keith Richards/Godfrey Thrower

Heat 1

Heat 2

500cc sidecar final

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