Having Fun!
With everything that has happened lately it was a great idea to pack the trailer up and head off to Donington Park to ride a fantastic track. Now it would probably have been fine to do a trackday but instead we entered a race with the Derby Phoenix Motorcycle Club. DP don't actually have a race specifically for the Honda Hornet but they do have one for steel framed bikes. So the weapon of choice would be a CBR600 of 1997 vintage (I think) and the grid was full of them. With full race fairings and engines knocking out well over 100bhp our poor little Hornet looked a bit strange in the paddock and was getting a few looks from passers by. To make matters even more interesting the Steel Frame bikes are mixed in with the 'Pre-injection 600's' (basically a whole load of 2002 Yamaha R6's with over 120bhp)
Because grid positions are handed out relevant to championship standings I was right at the back for Race 1 in 34th position and could hardly see the lights. But they obviously went out at some point and we hurtled into Redgate with a crowd of others. The early part of the race was a bit of a blur as I passed as many of the slower guys as possible but then, with only a couple of laps to go, it started to get trickier to overtake. And then when I did manage to get in front, these guys would use their extra power to drive back past on the straight. But the flag came out and we were chuffed to see we had gained 24 places and finished in 10th place overall, 5th steelie framed bike.
So now we were on the 3rd row and within view of the lights I felt the second race was going to be even more fun. The first time into Redgate and I had got passed 3 bikes and then spent the whole race battling with a bike that I thought was an R6. I overtook him twice but he came straight back at me on the straight and I finally had to concede defeat over the line. But it turned out that he was the leading Steelie and I had just come home in 7th overall but 2nd in class - result!!
Loads of fun and some great clean, close racing in the sunshine and we even drove home with a trophy on the dashboard. We might have to race with the DP guys again.
Because grid positions are handed out relevant to championship standings I was right at the back for Race 1 in 34th position and could hardly see the lights. But they obviously went out at some point and we hurtled into Redgate with a crowd of others. The early part of the race was a bit of a blur as I passed as many of the slower guys as possible but then, with only a couple of laps to go, it started to get trickier to overtake. And then when I did manage to get in front, these guys would use their extra power to drive back past on the straight. But the flag came out and we were chuffed to see we had gained 24 places and finished in 10th place overall, 5th steelie framed bike.
So now we were on the 3rd row and within view of the lights I felt the second race was going to be even more fun. The first time into Redgate and I had got passed 3 bikes and then spent the whole race battling with a bike that I thought was an R6. I overtook him twice but he came straight back at me on the straight and I finally had to concede defeat over the line. But it turned out that he was the leading Steelie and I had just come home in 7th overall but 2nd in class - result!!
Loads of fun and some great clean, close racing in the sunshine and we even drove home with a trophy on the dashboard. We might have to race with the DP guys again.
posted by Black and White Racing at 7:15 pm
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