Southern 100 - 7th July 2003

Billown Circuit

Can't believe it's been a year already since the last Southern 100.... got ourselves prepared this year, and asked the S100 club instead of an awning, could we use a container, and as easy going a club as they are they agreed that I could....so, gave my good mate Eamon McGhee at Container Rentals Ltd a ring (07624 493234), and he dropped a 20ft x 8ft jobby off for us in the paddock.... Fantastic.... it was even the same colour as the grass.... how convenient.

Me and Stuey lashed a couple of strip lights in her and loaded all the stuff in on the Sunday, as well as parking his big race truck alongside it.... Factory! Main reason for wanting this instead of the usual awning, was that we could lock it up instead of loading and unloading the van twice a night, this way is the laziest way.... and has given a few people a few ideas, because we had loads of people approaching us asking where did we get it from.... I reckon there could be a few in the paddock at next year's TT Races.... Me ol' mate, Eamon could be a busy boy……

Went to the signing on at Castletown Stadium to do the necessary on the Sunday night, so we were all ready to go for tomorrow…. well, hopefully.

My biggest goal for this week was to join the 'Ton Up Club' on the 600 machine, I was the only new member to join it at last month's Steam Packet Races, and was the 58th person to do so, albeit on the Big Gixer 1000.... as for the races themselves I want to get into the top 10 in all of them, but secretly, a top 6 would be better than I could hope for.... its gonna be bloody hard to do that, but you have to aim high, as they say....

Monday 7th July

Tipped up at the paddock in plenty of time, to get the minor jobs done to both bikes, the weather was fair to middling, but there were some dark clouds in the distance, but as it was, it was plenty dry enough, although a tad windy.... had done hardly anything to bikes since the Steam Packet Races, except give them a service and a good clean, they were rotten after racing here in the wet last month.... kept the same tyres on the R6 from last time, but lobbed a set of scrubs that had done 2 laps of the TT course on the Suzuki Thou.... got slick tyres to use for the races, but seeing as it was practise, I thought these would do.... Although the times we did tonight would determine our grid positions for the races, ideally would have liked new slicks on for that, but was saving some cash, seems to be a grippy circuit anyway .... had wished I had done a meeting before this event as I hadn't ridden a bike for a month, when a lot of these blokes are riding week in week out, and a lot of them had just got off the boat from doing the Skerries road races in Ireland on Saturday.... hoped it wouldn't take me too long to get on the pace. Most of the usual crew tipped up to cheer me on, as well as Team PC Racing's biggest French fan, Jean Michel Prudon who has come over for the week, as Chris has been telling him how good the Southern 100 is.

Had four practices lined up tonight, 2 on each bike, with the first 8 minutes of the first ones as untimed practice, then they shove the board with a big clock on it out to indicate timed practice....

Was out on the R6 first.... was let out in the second group and tucked in behind Mark Parrett.... we started to reel in the first group which had Martin Finnegan in it and this new wonder kid, Guy Martin, both had just come from winning races and setting lap records at the Skerries and were both newcomers to this circuit.... slotted in behind them all and let my tyres get up to temperature, as I wasn't using my tyre warmers tonight, but will be come tomorrow.... I seemed to be losing a bit of ground coming out of the hairpins, when all the boys in front were getting the power down earlier than me, must still have a bit of a mental block thinking it's gonna high side me again.... will have to shake that loose.... and no mistake, but reeled it all back in again on the brakes into the corners. Still went steady enough, and both me and Mark took the cautious approach when we were right up Martin's chuff out the back through Billown Dip.... Just stayed behind and didn't do anything silly.... at Cross Fourways, talk about using the whole road, Martin was in the hedge on the exit and kicked up all sorts of dust and shite.... heard he was a bit hairy, but credit where credit's due, he looked pretty smooth and very stylish everywhere else.... knee down everywhere....when mine was about two foot off the road. Did five laps in total and pulled in with my lap timer indicating a best of 2mins 35secs which is about 98 or 99mph.... had a bit of arm pump, which I was expecting to tell you the truth, but had hoped wouldn't show.... but lucky old me.... it did.

Was next out on the big Gixer Thou, did 6 laps this time and the lap timer indicated a 2' 30 on my second lap which was not bad considering, (about 102mph).... noticed that the front brake lever was coming back to the bar more than I liked and was thinking that the brakes needed bleeding again, pretty scary when you're squeezing them as hard as you can and you wonder if it's gonna stop …… coming into Castletown Corner there were Marshals in the road and the yellow flags were getting waved, and when I rounded it, saw them helping Martin Finnegan back onto his bike.... apparently somebody had blown their engine and dropped oil on the road and he slid off on it.... bugger.... I slowed a lot, and the next thing was that Ian Lougher came past me at breakneck speed.... said "right, I'll have some of that".... chased him up to the first corner, Ballakeighan, and it's got to be said he braked earlier than me, stood on the anchors and stamped down the gears and the back end juddered.... gid gid gid gid.... was thinking, Christ, if he doesn't get out of the way I'm gonna have him off.... he obviously, had braked at the right point, slower in and faster out, than me, messing the whole corner up... was still standing on the brakes as I approached the apex of the corner.... so I took the safe option of straightening up and overshooting.... turned about face and haired off down the straight.... handy enough, had a clear road ahead of me....Saw Geoff Cannell in the hedge and he gave me a big thumbs up, but never managed to do it back although was thinking of doing something next time round, but never managed to as I was too busy trying to keep the front wheel on the ground. Managed to do six laps and pulled in with a best of 2' 30.1.... happy enough with that for the first practice session.

Was back out again on the R6, this time in the same group as Finnegan, Gilder and Martin.... had gone up two clicks on the front fork compression and a tooth on the rear sprocket as I felt I wasn't in top gear for long enough. Had a word on Mister Finnegan in the holding area, and he said that he was okay after falling off, and when I was adjusting my steering damper he couldn't believe how stiff I had it, he said he hardly used his.... I never believed him, so he wiggled his bars and it was as if he never had one.... he must be one strong mother f*cker.... the boys went off at a pace that told me that they must have been using tyre warmers.... and I wasn't, so erred on the cautious side for the first lap anyway.... watched as Gilder passed both Finnegan and Martin and hit the front, I slotted in behind and was happy enough with the pace that we were doing.... hairing up the bypass, noticed that the gearing change had made a huge difference, as I was in top gear for a lot longer, and saw somebody come out of the holding area.... recognised him as Ian Lougher on his 250 Honda.... he joined our group ahead of Guy Martin and me, and we all haired down to the Iron Gate together.... watched as Martin out-braked Lougher and was thinking, silly boy.... stick behind him and learn something.... that's what I planned to do.... approaching Ballabeg Hairpin, Gilder lost the front of his 600 Honda big style and he went down heavily, the bike flipped over but I'm happy to say careered away from the rest of us, but it was a moment all the same, and I'm pretty sure we were all glad it happened where it did, didn't see what happened to Phil, but heard later he had broken his collarbone.... it didn't take Lougher long to get back past Martin and I went past him meself going down the gears into Castletown Corner, and the next lap round passed lucky Lougher on the approach to Great Meadow, got to confess it felt great passing somebody of his calibre (and I don't give a f*ck that he was only on a 250).... and then sat behind Finnegan.... my bike seemed to be a tad quicker than his and down the Castletown Bypass I rolled the throttle so as not to pass him, but after Ballakeighan Corner, got him going down the straight.... was really enjoying it although me visor was steaming up a bit.... I think I'm better having a dice with others of the same pace to get me warmed up, and it's much more fun.... Passed a few orange bibs at William's Bend at about 50 mph more than they were travelling, they were all in the middle of the road, so it was a gamble where to pass them, but went around the outside of the three of them at William's Bend, was really glad they never went wide and put me in the pavement.... got the chequered flag after 5 laps and had a look to see that I had pulled a bit of a gap.... nice one.... a nicer one was that my lap timer had indicated a 2' 32.1 which is over the 100mph lap.... Brilliant!.... but as Chris had my lap timer beacon after the flag he never timed my last lap, so that could have been faster still.... will find out tomorrow.... me sister, Angie had me down for a 2' 31 which is a 101mph.... better still.

Was straight out on the Gixer Thou for the last practice session of the night.... was a little bit late getting out and was all on my lonesome.... Stuey had also made changes to the front forks on this bike as well as bleeding the brakes and adjusting them up on the master cylinder.... got to Ballabeg and slowed right down to re-adjust it.... got my head down and wasn't really enjoying this session, as I was a bit hot and my visor was steaming up pretty badly.... had a pretty lonely ride till that Irish Manxman.... Ryan Faragher (ahem.... Farquhar) came alongside me on the brakes into the Iron Gate.... we rounded it pretty much side by side, and a shit load of sparks came off his bike.... put the willies up me for a bit.... chased after him, but he was quicker than me, but I was surprised to pull a few yards back on him up to Cross Fourways... and I must have put my fastest lap of this particular practice session in chasing him.... I had forgotten to put my lap timer on, but my sister and Chris had me down for a 2' 31.... but my last one may have been quicker.... fingers crossed.

Loaded the bikes in the container, which took less than a minute (yee harr) and had my good mate Robbie Sylvester of VRS Tuning, who was spannering for the Irish Manxman, ask me could he put a couple of Flying Ryans bikes in our container.... there was room for two more so agreed that he could....

Tune in tomorrow for the next very exciting episode....