Westhoughton Motor Cycle Club
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Westhoughton Motor Cycle Club
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[Back]. 2009 EVENT DATES & VENUES: Rounds 1 & 2 May 2nd / 3rd / 4th Rowrah, West Cumbria Round 3 June 20th / 21st Whilton Mill, Daventry Round 4 July 11th / 12th Llandow, South Wales Round 5 Sept.12th / 13th Rowrah, West Cumbria
After a shaky start to the year a bit of umming and arhing and cash being tight I decided 'what the hell lets go racing'. Tarmac turkeys were disbanded for 2009 and after a ride in the Lakes, Moto GP and Super Bikes starting again on TV the mid life crisis yearnings started to kick in. The XR had been in bits in the back of the garage for three years all the bits were there or so I thought. I promised Kay it would only cost the entry fee, I'll use up all the old bits, saving costs and keep it a one man team so I have got total control of the budget and can pick and choose when to race, simple. All this was four weeks before entry dead line. Last time the XR was raced the crankcase had broken around the main crank bearing so in theory all I needed to do was to swop crank cases. I'd bought a few second hand engines off E-bay, the only good thing on one was the crankcases so after a hurried rebuild a late night start up. It sounded as there was something whining in the gearbox. I was gutted. So it was engine out. I stripped it and there was a bearing cover dinted, that’s all I could see. I had also bought a complete engine a year ago so I decided to use the bottom end of that, the only thing was that the crank life was unknown. A quick test run in garage sounded OK, so I decided to give it a run on a local industrial estate on a Sunday morning, got up bright and early should have known kept seeing one magpie on its own. Gets it out of van not a soul about and the bike wouldn’t bloody start. No spark one day before entry cut off. The ignition fitted is used on karts and only Magnum Motor Sports in Atherton stock them. I took it round after work where it was tested and it bloody works, faulty connection. The bike was in the back of the van so of to the nearest industrial estate. It didn’t look like there was a recession on to me, vehicles and people everywhere, found a quiet spot and had a very quick test run. Everything seemed OK. The song 'Dream the Impossible Dream' playing on the radio on the way home it was a good omen me thinks. Once you pay your entry fee it certainly gives you some motivation. Weeks before and so much to do and no spare time to do it. Small things start to snowball and doubts creep in. Will it keep going will it be fast enough? Water cooled 50s, CG125 engines and 110 pit bikes against my 85cc four stroke! Trying to keep a lid on any spending. Any form of motor sport is going to nail your wallet. After fitting hand guards, crash protectors and all the bits that had gone missing over the years as well as a last minuet ignition alteration, we forgot it required extra degrees at full revs (the new ignition is fixed) we were ready. Thanks to Dylan, John, Rex, Mario, Chris, We loaded the van and caravan up on Friday night after work. We set off at 7o'clock. Rex and Mario were going that afternoon to help put up Doug’s workshop. On my way through Abbey Village the phone rings. It's Chris. Are you there yet? I'm just walking dog. I'll meet you there. I'll come up on the bike. I'll kip in the caravan. OK then. About ten miles away from track in the dark, a ZX10 sails past tooting its horn, guess who? We get to the track, set up camp, have a few beers and wander off to bed Next day butty wagon did not turn up so Team Old Peculiar were fed by The Chicken Chasers. The weather was warm and dry. I collected class winning trophy for last year with team Tarmac Turkeys, Doug and John . Bike flew through scrutineering. Qualified ninth on grid. What used to feel like a fast bike was lacking that few mph top speed, that’s progress, but it felt good to be racing and I hadn’t dropped a valve yet. Main competitor was a 110-pit bike and CG125 ridden by pesky kids, fearless and quick. Said bye bye to Chris , John and Rex on Saturday. Saturday produced dry racing and some good results. Kay joined me on the Sunday. Old Peculiar were flying, just one broken ring and an off. On Sunday it rained all day. Team Old Peculiar did one race and called it a day . I felt comfortable in the wet. I had paid a lot of money and saw the chance of a trophy, the kids were getting reckless and engines were spluttering in the wet. I was getting some good class results. In the last race my engine was sick and firing flames out of the exhaust on over run much to the amusement of the last wet spectators, but it finished . and I had won my class . Thanks to Mario and Kay for toughing it out the weather. It was Cumbria at its worst. Whiltonmill, Daventry Did not race my dads 70th Llandow, July 11th & 12th 2009 Having had good results at Rowrah and the bike still in one piece, I decided to do another few meetings. Llandow in South Wales the short track. The crew were Dave Bates, Mario and Rex. Mario towed Rex's caravan down so we had somewhere to brew up and Batesy .to sleep. When me and Rex got there Friday night, base camp was already set up so straight in to barby and a few beers, Next day on the Saturday it was scrutineering and paper work. The I.D. was only entered the week before. Last minute as usual but every thing was ok. Then the rain started. My first problem was I had bought a set of Sava tyres of ebay described as sport road tyres. I'd fitted one to the front and in passing conversation I asked one of Team Fox racing guys what he thought of them (they're shit, hard as f**** and no grip) it had taken me all Thursday night to fit as well. To get it to inflate and seal on the rim I had to resort to igniting brake cleaner to make it expand on to the rim. In the first wet practice on a very grippy track it was loosing the front all the time, I’m crap in the wet anyway. So before second practice it was a quick tyre change. The worn race Sava from Rowrah was put on the front. Immediately you could tell the difference, then it was game on. Last practice was a drying one and I qualified tenth overall and seconds in class A couple of races followed, Then barby and beers and collected my trophies for the first meeting. It rained all night but started to dry first sunlight and just got better. It was a non-stop day but the bike ran and ran, just topping up oil and tyre pressures between races, I was completely knackered and so was my front tyre by the last race. Late nights and beer were taking their toll on me. We ended up with a class win overall due to our main rival (Devil racing) having gear box problems. Overall it was a good weekends racing on a track that was grippy and twisty. The whole event was well organised by FAB-Racing with good company and support. Thanks lads. Next one Cumbria Rowrah, September 12th & 13th 2009 Rowrah last round Never thought I would have made it to the last round of the series, the bike had done me proud. Not having dropped a valve all year no major faults to complain about, something had to go wrong. After the good results we had been getting I thought of splashing out a bit, new clutch plates and a front tyre, and a team member to help ride the thing in the name of young Stephen Bates (Number one), after getting the tyre of FAB RACING only a few days before race day Which in my defence I had ordered weeks earlier there feeble excuses they had been to Indianapolis and Misano with there race teams. What ever, so it was a late night rush job and the clutch fitment didn’t go smoothly. Quick bump start and run engine with a rag over exhaust seems ok no oil leaks. Friday night Mario, The Bates Clan would meet me and Rex there, I would tow Rexs caravan, on the way up the M6 we hit traffic and slowly pass Mark and Yvonne were are you going I ask? Rowrah was the reply more the merrier I say. Get there in the dark we camp were Mark and Yvonne can pitch a tent, and its beer and Barbie and watch the Bateses cook pitas in their out door oven, all I have to say about that is it’s a Dave Bates thing. Weather great clear starry night but bloody freezing got about three hours sleep .8.30 start, all's well first practice Stephen comes in at the end all oil over his boot. Oil leak from the clutch cover I had took off, quick strip down no visible faults. Replace with new gasket still leaking from one off the cover screws plaster with some liquid metal to do the last qualifying session, qualify thirteenth that will do mid pack, Luckily I had a spare clutch cover off a CB50 which is the same after a good clean by Mark it was a leak free engine. The old casing had a tiny hair line crack near a screw hole and oil way, We also changed the gearing going two teeth on the rear, that was the only other rear sprocket I had. The weather was fantastic for a change and we managed to finish all Saturday’s races. With our main rival Devil racing having engine failure. That night I turned in early with extra blanket. Left the rest to party on. Sunday a later start weather great again what a contrast, good racing some good dices. Devil racing no show. End of day we win our class and are 2009 class four champs return home absolutely shattered, big thanks to those who came to support me hope you enjoyed it as much as I did nice to get something good out of such a crap year keeping the dream alive chow for now Joe |