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I thought I'd bore the pants off of everyone and write a little blog of my racing capers this year. When it comes to racing I'm a big kid at heart. I decided to post it here as opposed to the blog forum so I can post a few photos to set the scene.
It's the first race of the year for me tomorrow at one of my favourite tracks at Ashdown Farm in Blewbury, Oxfordshire. It's about an 8 mile lap over varied terrain - a motocross course, hill climbs and lots of tight narrow woods and runs through a farm at one point. It's run on a Hare & Hound format - as many laps you can do in three hours. It's a dead engine start and the riders go off four per minute. Each completed lap you go through a time check and wave a transponder on you wrist at a box on the side of the track. Theres one refueling stop. It'll be pretty muddy tomorrow and not to my liking. I'll get through 2 or 3 sets of goggles.There are about 120 riders over 3 classes: Expert, Clubman & Beginner and I'm a Clubman.
I spent most of today preping my bike incuding putting on a new rear tire and new seat. The stock KTM seat was like a piece of wood and was the cause of major monkey butt. I managed to get an aftermarket seat from the US that promises to solve the problem.
At 52 I'll be the oldest rider and it is very physicaly demanding and it can take 3 or 4 days to recover. Although I have won my class there a couple of times in the past, these days I aim to finish in the top third. The results take a couple of weeks to be published though.
Here is a few pics of me at Blewbury last year, albeit in nicer weather than it'll be tomorrow.
It's the first race of the year for me tomorrow at one of my favourite tracks at Ashdown Farm in Blewbury, Oxfordshire. It's about an 8 mile lap over varied terrain - a motocross course, hill climbs and lots of tight narrow woods and runs through a farm at one point. It's run on a Hare & Hound format - as many laps you can do in three hours. It's a dead engine start and the riders go off four per minute. Each completed lap you go through a time check and wave a transponder on you wrist at a box on the side of the track. Theres one refueling stop. It'll be pretty muddy tomorrow and not to my liking. I'll get through 2 or 3 sets of goggles.There are about 120 riders over 3 classes: Expert, Clubman & Beginner and I'm a Clubman.
I spent most of today preping my bike incuding putting on a new rear tire and new seat. The stock KTM seat was like a piece of wood and was the cause of major monkey butt. I managed to get an aftermarket seat from the US that promises to solve the problem.
At 52 I'll be the oldest rider and it is very physicaly demanding and it can take 3 or 4 days to recover. Although I have won my class there a couple of times in the past, these days I aim to finish in the top third. The results take a couple of weeks to be published though.
Here is a few pics of me at Blewbury last year, albeit in nicer weather than it'll be tomorrow.
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