YeeeHaa!
What a day!
Started off at 5:45 to meet up with a few others. The sun was just rising as we entered Wales and cruised up the M4. Fog was settled in the fields below us and the sun was shining down from up above glistening on the top of the odd church steeple or barn as it poked out the top of the mist. It was a fantastic site.
Arrival at pembrey was met with clear blue skies and the hustle and bustle of the paddocks tinkering over last minute adjustments to the machinery. Prep talk done we (Little bro and I) were in the second group to go out so we set off to have a look at the track and see what the pace was like.
Holy Sh!t these guys are fast (mind you it was the "Fast group" to go out first and half of them were either on slicks or race rubber) we instantly decided to make a pact and go at our own pace in our group.
Our first couple of laps were monitored by the on track marshals keeping the pace down and giving us time to warm the tyres and get used to the track, the rest of the time was up to us and as each lap went by the confidence went up and up and the times came down and down. All too soon the first session was over and it was back to the pits.
Grinning from ear to ear I sat myself down with a coffee in one hand and a fag in the other and went over the track details with the others from our group.
Session two, much as the first until one rider decided to out brake himself going into the hair pin and another tried his hand at grass tracking his CBR1 (not recommended I hasten to add) on the next bend so the red flags came out and we lost out on a few laps whilst they mopped up the carnage.
Session three
I'm well on the ball now and most of my time is spent finding the bikes limits and the best lines around the track. I managed to push through to the front of the group and only had three boys in front I just couldn't make any headway on. Best of all I passed two dukes in doing it Ha
After coming back into the pits Steve and Gareth (From the fast group) gave us a pat on the back and told me I was only 16 seconds off the lap record. Not knowing if that was good bad I just said "sorry I'll stop messing about and try harder next time" It must have been the right answer cause they both burst out laughing
found out later they were going around on average 10 seconds faster than me. In my defence they did have tyre warmers and full racing slicks though.
Session three of the fast group was up next.
I ran off to the bottom Honda corner to try and get some pics of Steve and Gareth ranting it onto the start finish straight away. After about the fifth lap as I turn to go back to the paddock there is a horrendous scrape and then silence. Red flags pop up all around the track and everyone comes in, everyone except Gareth that is. He's high sided himself doing in excess of 120mph and launched himself and his R1 down the road and off into the fields.
Thirty minutes later (one of the longest thirty minutes of my life) the medics finally move him into the ambulance. He had been out cold all this time and we still hadn't been able to get any info out of the track staff. Steve was the last to see him, as he was following him around the track, and the last he saw of him he was flying through the sky exit stage left. Steve was then grass tracking him self trying to avoid the debris and keep is bike under him. He managed to get it under control (more luck than judgement he confessed later) and came to a stop half way down the start/finish straight. Looking back over his shoulder all he could see was bits of the bike and Gareth, yards away, unmoving.
More than a little shaken Steve had made his way back over to us and we had stood there waiting on the ambulance together. Once the medics had him in the van and carted him off to hospital Steve badgered the marshals again to get some details. Still with out anything solid to go on he then heads off to the hospital to see what the situation is.
Meanwhile I Little Bro and Lee are standing around looking after their stuff as the wrecker turns up with the bike.
Surprisingly there is very little major damage. The plastics are split and the foot pegs and one clip-on is gone, every end of the bike has touched the deck at least once but the engine and chassis, forks and wheels look intact. The brake reservoir has been ripped off covering everything in fluid so the paints gone too but with a bit of TLC it’s a definite fixer upper. Inspection over we decided to start her up. A judicious prod of the starter and cough! Cough! Splutter! She fires into life ….amazing!
Time for a lunch break. Sandwiches scoffed and tea supped the sessions start again. First the beginners go out during which we get a phone call, “Nothing broken just a mild concussion and a few bumps and bruises†Yayyy! “Oh and he’s only got a thirty second memory spanâ€
Poor chap didn’t know what he was doing there, how he had got there, what day of the week or what month of the year it was. Steve decided to stay with him and the Doctors wanted full x-rays of everything to see if there was any hidden damage. We new it was going to be an over nighter for Gareth at least so Steve got onto his partner and we made arrangements to get everything back home for him. We also decided as it was only lunchtime we may as well carry on with the day, not that any of us were in the mood for it, and cart it all back that night.
The next session was us and if I say we took it gingerly I mean really gingerly. Half way around I realised I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind and not concentrating properly. I had to give myself a mental kick or I was going to be the next one down the road at this rate. Determined not to let that happen I brought the pace up a bit and just started concentrating on braking points, turning in points, and apexes, it’s amazing how easy it is when you’re doing it right! Sooner than I realised the race was back on and the session was coming to an end and we were called back into the pits.
Back at the van I’ve got a message on the phone from Steve. He’s sounding happy, the Doctors have plastered up Gareth’s right hand and his memory is now lasting for about five minutes. Excellent! Hay! What! Nothing was broken a couple of hours ago? I gave Steve a quick bell to get the full low down.
Apparently the fractures had been missed because he was out cold track side and only showed up during the x-rays; a couple of metatarsals in his hand and everything else was fine. His memory was improving but he still had no recollection of the day other than he had a dream he was at Pembrey and slowly getting faster and faster. Steve also said he was starting to cheek the nurses so things were looking really good all things considered.
Much relieved we got the camera out and started to take some piccies of the bike for prosperity and future pi$$ taking.
Moods much improved the next couple of sessions were a blur. I can honestly say when the suns beating down and the tires are working properly it’s an absolute hoot. I couldn’t stop grinning after getting off the bike I thought my jaw might break if it went any wider.
Also managed to learn a few things.
In the right hands R1, CBR1 and Kwackers are definitely faster than an SP even off the bends.
Gixxer Thou is just fast everywhere
Dukes, don’t try to follow one into a bend. They can brake so much quicker and in a shorter space of time.
The SP out drags a Duke and once you’re past they just can’t catch you HA!
(Made my day that last one did, had four of the little buggers in our group and managed to dispose of all of them once by bottle was up)
Pete.l
Had another call at about 4:30.Steve and Gareth were on their way back to us. Gareth had checked himself out (His partner is a nurse) and they were on their way back to us.
What a day
I've put a few piccies in the Gallery if anyone's interested
so it should be a laugh.
