Read on at your peril -but its cheaper than ovaltine
OK, here goes.
We weighed anchor and set sail from a decidedly soggy Solihull (pronounced sew-lee-hull) at 6.30am in the tranny van of the damned.
The exhaust had blown apart at the joint under the drivers cab and there wasn't so much a hole as no effin' pipe for 2". Noisy is not the word, on tickover it set off car alarms and on the nearly deserted M6 we had to resort to wearing ear plugs -I kid you not!!
Anyway, in true Holland family style we arrived at Oulton about 3 mins before the compulsory (and dull/stupid/pointless) riders briefing. I know they have to make sure people who've never been before know the score but how many times have I been told what the flags are for and no sparky sliders
So with Dad out i the first session it was out with his bike while he got changed and then help him on with his waterproofs (he's no spring chicken any more and his mobility's not what it was -ie true VFR owner)
Once he was sorted I had to get my bike out, get changed and start swapping wheels over (010's on -hedging my bets!!)
Got the front wet on before they called my group so off I toddled anyway.
To say it was wet would be an understatement; There was a pond at the apex of Old Hall (1st corner)
Cascades was an apt name
Small stream running over the entry to Island and a small river at the entry to Shell oils hairpinFoulstones chicane was muddy
Clay Hill was peppered in wet leaves
Druids had more of the same plus mud from the muppet in the inters who flung his Gixxer750 up the road there on his FIRST LAP -where do they get these people from?
Lodge was its usual bumpy off camber nasty self and the bottom and slope of Deer leap was also leafy and puddly
Other than that, perfect conditions!!
Session 1
So the first lap was no overtaking and we all bunched up behind an R1 on full wets being ridden by my granny. Once past him it was a case of picking a line to avoid the standing water, feeling for grip from the 010 rear (surprisingly large amount as it happened but lacking feel -you hear it spinning almost before you feel it) and avoiding the Kawasaki green Blade (yes really!!) who lost it going into Lodge
Red flag
Lap times -2:35's
And time to change the rear for a nice sticky wet, and gaffer tape my waterproofs over the top of my boots (I've only got short legs yet a size Large still pull up over my boots if I even thing about moving around on the bike, WHY?)
Session 2
Bit more like it, I'm starting to get confidence in these wets (never used 'em before) and amazed at the feedback and GRIP in these crappy conditions. Have one moment when I decide to see how much standing water they can deal with and run throught the edge of the pond at Old Hall (2" deep) They don't like it and step sideways to the shallower part -note to self "Dont try that stupid fu%&ing trick again"[}}:-|>>]
Bloke lobs it exiting Fousltones
Red flag
Lap times -2.23's
Session 3
Now I'm getting there, got a good line past the Old Hall pond sorted, realised just how much grip these tyres have and left the part of my brain that says "Its really wet, ride slowly" in the garage.
Gettin to grips with just how much it is possible to muscle the bike round, pulling it tight to go inside people on the exit of corners
or take a bit of a chance and just go round the outside -Cascades, Island and Clay Hill are favorites.
Lapped the guy on the R1 and a bloke on a Supermoto (so much for Focussed Events promise to move people round who were obviously in the wrong group -a couple of people in the novice group were absolutely howling round, 4-5 in the fast were stuck in 2nd gear!!)
Couple of moments, touched the white line on the inside of cascades which puckered the seat and got unsighted outbraking someone on the outside going into Island and ran a bit deep. Nothing maor but saw the edge of the track coming closer than I was comfortable with before it comes back towards you on the second apex
Lap time: 2:19
LUNCH
Thank fook, I'm knackered!! Have a wind down, allow my poor frazzled brain to cool down and try to sort my waterproofs out. I normally ride in a Goretex jacket and waterproof trousers so for track day use I've got a Frank Thomes one piece 1996 vintage. With a hole in the knee (don't lend stuff to your parents)
Taped up the hole and for good measure gaffa taped my knee sliders over the top
Session 4
Nice and gently back into it after lunch, heavier rain over the break and no-one on track to clear it mean there's even more standing water (pond is nearly half the track, little stream before Island is a big stream and Deer Leap is almost washed away.
The organisers said they'd get the track swept during the lunch time break -more bullshit, not inpressed
Surprised by how many people have left over lunch -most groups are only half full
Lap times: 2:25's
Session 5
Intend to take it easyish again but get overtaken by 2 Gixxer-thou's exiting Shell Oils hairpin and that goes out the window Hang onto the back of them for a lap, then re-pass the one round the outside of Cascades and the other exiting Hizzys going up Clay Hill.
Absolutely having a ball, despite my boots being totally full of water and a soggy butt
Knee down in Hizzys surprises me coz I hadn't actually been trying to do it. But then you know what a confidence boost it is when you do coz all of a sudden you know how far over you are. Cascades and Island follow (obviously don't like right handers as much!)
R1 bloke had gone home, lapped Supermoto guy TWICE
Lap time: 2:16.7
Session 6
Last one, I've never agreed with the idea of sitting out the final session but resolve to back off slightly and look at different lines as the pit lane marshall said it was now really slippy under the trees due to the number of leaves
Lap times: 2:19's
Packed up, got changed (had to go commando coz I'd not brought spare pants!!)
My socks were actually wringing wet -about 1/2 a pint from each, ear plugs back in and toddled off home for a well received curry + beer and several pints of water (I'd had over 4 litres during the day but was still dehydrated!!)
Conclusion
Race wets are the absolute mutts nuts. I still can't help smiling everytime I think of some of the stupid liberties you can get away with on them.
Riding in the wet teaches you SOOO much about being smooth and progressive with braking, and throttle.
A good exit pays huge dividends coz by turning in slightly later or pulling it slightly tighter and then standing it up I was getting some silly speed past all sorts of bikes on the way out of corners
My waterproofs suck butt. Don't know if it was the lack of fairing lowers on the Storm or the fact that I had no rear hugger on but my legs were drenched
Riding on race wets is physically just as hard work as in the dry. Today my legs are so sore, and my forearms haven't felt this much used since I found that copy of Razzle behind the sofa
Anyway, if you've made it this far, sorry to have prattled on so long but I'm still buzzing now as much as I was the first time I ever did a track day
Ben
