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CROFT 29/3/2003
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SP Racing team riders Stu and Ady set out on their
first meeting of the season at Croft with Phil attending the event as
a spectator having hung his boots up for the year. With a good number of
competitors having attended a test session at the circuit the previous day
Stu and Ady relied upon their skill and memory of the track from the
previous season for set up and prepared for the first race with Stu on row 3
and Ady just one slot behind.
Race 1 saw good starts from the riders as they
carved to the sharp end of the field on the first lap. Laying 2nd and 3rd
halfway through the first lap, Ady pushed early leader Dan Williams hard and
attempted to ride around the outside to steal the lead at 'Sunny Out' only
to be pushed wide kicking up dirt. Relentlessly, Ady tried again this time
on the inside at the next turn at 'The Complex' and made it stick as Stu
watched and chased as the pair as they tried to made a break at the front.
In a fairly static race the laps ticked by Ady set the pace and Stu chased
Dan Williams but couldn't quite make a dent on his slim advantage. Ady won
the 5 lap race comfortably from Williams with Stu comfortably clear in third
from Andy Wimpenny in fourth.
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With only a short break between races Stu and
Ady took to the front row of the grid for race 2 and eagerly anticipated the
lights. Ady made a blinding start with his front wheel pawing the air and
claimed the first turn first as Stu slotted into third. With a slip
streaming and outbreaking move Stu slipped into second past Andy Wimpenny
and pursued Ady halfway through the first lap with Dan Williams in fourth
and in close company. Ady again began to stretch the lead as Stu held of
Wimpenny and Williams.
Dan Williams began to up his pace and passed Wimpenny on
lap 4 and began to close in on and pressure Stu. Building up a slipstreaming
and block pass on the brakes at Tower bend on the final lap he slipped past
and despite Stu's best efforts to defend the position. With only just over a
mile of the race remaining Stu pushed Williams hard closing back in through
the ultra fast 'Jim Clark Esses' but Williams was sharp on the brakes and
held Stu off up to the 'Complex' and through the 'Hairpin' to lead him home
by just fractions of a second with Andy Wimpenny again taking fourth. Ady
headed home the following trio to win his fifth race in a row at Croft and
hoped to add another to his tally the following day.
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Results
and Championship points
(after Croft 29-3-2003)
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CROFT 30/3/2003
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After celebrating Saturday's race successes the
team prepared for Sunday's 10 lap feature race. It would prove to be a
dramatic one. Stu and Ady had discussed tactics for the longer race distance
and planned on conserving their efforts for the latter half of the race.
Again lining up on the front row alongside Dan Williams and Andy Wimpenny
they eagerly watched the starting lights and launched into the race. Dan
Williams set the early pace leading into the first turn of 'Clervaux' with
Andy Wimpenny close behind. Ady slotted into third and Stu to fourth as they
rounded 'Hawthorn Bend'. Stu, giving Ady a few bike lengths breathing space
on the approach to the 'Chicane', then watched the drama unfold. Andy
Wimpenny had a slight moment through the chicane and ran off the track.
Simultaneously Ady lost the rear of his machine and slid off across the
track in front of Stu. With nowhere else to go Stu had to take action to
avoid running over Ady or his machine and careered off the track at 85mph on
to the grass and gravel. With little or no grip he tried to head back for
the track, rear wheel spinning up and leaving a rooster tail in his wake.
Ady picked himself up, unhurt, as Stu rejoined the race in about 20th
position. Immediately he began picking off riders 2 - 3 at a time and, in a
demon lap had recovered to 9th place by the end of lap one. With the leaders
having already made a break Stu had his work cut out to catch them but
proceeded up the leader board to an incredible 4th position by the end of
the race. Dan Williams took the win with Gary Moore 2nd and Ian Popplewell
in 3rd.
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Despite the misfortunes of Sunday's race both
of the team's riders are still in the top four of the championship at this
early stage and have everything to play for looking forward to the next
rounds of the series at Anglesey on 4th/5th May.
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Results
and Championship points
(after Croft 30-3-2003)
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ANGLESEY 04/5/2003
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The weather forecast for the Isle of Anglesey
didn't look too optimistic for the bank holiday weekend's racing and was
found to be accurate as during the Saturday test session the winds
strengthened and the rain relentlessly lashed the circuit, halting
proceedings, and continued well into Sunday's events.
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Despite the bad weather the racing proceeded as
normally as possible and Stu and Ady lined up for their first race of the
weekend with the track having dried slightly. Both opting for dry weather
tyres but with some of their rivals choosing wets they anticipated the
starting lights. Stu, struggling to keep his machine at optimum running
temperature on the blustery grid got an uncharacteristically poor start as
Ady and several other riders poored past into the first turn. Settling in
and picking off several riders on the first lap Stu climbed back up the
leader board as Ady, Andy Wimpenny, Dan Williams and Dave Marsh made the
early running. Finding the conditions very slippery Stu halted his progress
at 5th as Ady claimed 3rd in a fairly sedate and static yet incident packed
race which saw fast charging Dan Williams take the lead and snatch the win
from Dave Marsh on the last lap. Andy Wimpenny claimed 4th to complete the
top 5.
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As the weather took another turn for the worse
during the afternoon full wet tyres were the order of the day for race 2.
Ady took to his front row position and Stu slotted back in behind on row 2.
Ady made a good start and settled into 3rd as Stu struggled to launch his
machine again this time spinning up the rear wheel on the sodden track. As
the pack again Stu again climbed back up the order quickly to slot into 5th
and begin a race long tussle with wet specialist Dave Marsh. Suddenly the
race was to take a turn as several riders overstepped the limit including 5
riders crashing at 'Douglass In'. Unfortunately this statistic included Ady
as his machine slipped from under him on lap 3 dropping from his 3rd
position. Stu elevated to fourth made it past Marsh briefly to 3rd before
being pegged back after finding his machine wouldn't rev cleanly after
ingesting vast quantities of rain water in the wake of the leading machines.
Andy Wimpenny took the win with championship leader Dan Williams continuing
his good form in 2nd. After repairing the minimal damage to Ady's machine
the riders looked forward to better fortunes and better weather for the
following day.
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Results
and Championship points
(after Anglesey 04-5-2003)
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ANGLESEY 05/5/2003
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With the changeable weather looking more
pleasant on the bank holiday Monday morning the team decided to leave their
tyre choice until nearer to race time. With blue skies emerging and a
complete transformation from the previous 2 days dry weather tyres were
fitted back to both machines ready for the first race. Ady contemplated the
task of starting from the tail end of the grid with several other of the
previous days fallers as Stu took to his front row slot. The lights changed
and Stu making an improved start on yesterday's efforts and quickly slotted
into 4th as Ady made good progress. Stu soon discovered his progress would
then be thwarted as having changed from wet tyres to drys that the team had
overlooked to match the suspension settings back from the previous wet
settings. Struggling to hold his lines around the circuit Stu still managed
to pressure 3rd place man Tim Bradley as Dan Williams and Andy Wimpenny
again escaped at the front. Ady also developed problems as his gear shift
lever came loose giving him problems changing through the gear box. Both
riders consolidated their positions in 4th and 8th respectively and looked
forward to making amends in the final race of the weekend. Williams took his
second win of the weekend with Wimpenny in 2nd
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Monday's 2nd race was to be far more successful
for the team and easily the most exciting of the weekend. With both machines
fully rectified from the problems in the first race Stu and Ady lined up on
rows one and two respectively. Stu still struggling to launch his machine
made a slightly improved start as Ady got away well directly behind to pass
Stu on the inside towards the first corner. Fired up, Stu leaped back ahead
on the brakes and sliced across Ady to reclaim 4th around 'School Corner'
for the first time. Tim Bradley was next on his list and was disposed of on
lap 2 up the inside at 'Douglass In'. Ady engaged in his own battle in 5th
with fast charging Mark Jordan making a welcome return to the sharp end of
the field. Stu then reeled in championship leader Dan Williams and outbraked
and swooped around the outside at 'The Hairpin'. Andy Wimpenny trying to
make a brake at the front was then pressured and caught by Stu and again
strong at 'The Hairpin' Stu had a look around the outside only to be forced
out to the kerbs. The final lap would prove to be telling as with nothing to
separate the 2 Kawasakis with Williams, Tim Bradley, Ady and Mark Jordan all
ready to pick up the pieces. Catching back markers at the 'Radar Chicane'
gave Stu his opportunity.
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Getting superior drive out of the corner Stu
leveled with Wimpenny only to be pushed wide and onto the grass up to the
braking area for 'The Hairpin' where Stu again lent on the green Kawasaki
mounted rival. Forced wide again Stu kept up the pressure but Wimpenny
failed to crack to take his second win of the weekend with Stu shadowing in
2nd. Williams claimed 3rd, Bradley 4th, Ady 5th and Mark Jordan 6th in a
brilliantly close race. "Once my suspension settings were back where
they should have been I could turn my machine where I wanted. Andy is a
tough nut to crack and defended his lead to the bitter end. Fair-play to him
but I don't intend to lose out at Mallory" said a pleased Stu.
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Next up on the calendar is Mallory Park on Bank
Holiday Monday 26th May.
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Results
and Championship points
(after Anglesey 05-5-2003)
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MALLORY PARK 6/7/2003
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SP
Racing made the return to Mallory Park on the 6th July and embarked on
continuing their challenge for the championship. With a different race
format being adopted with each rider competing in 2 out of 3 formula 400
races, to allow more riders to compete, Stu and Ady would compete together
only once but be able to spectate on each others remaining races.
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Ady
lined up for the first of the day’s 3 races along with championship leader
Dan Williams as Stu and the rest of the team looked on from their vantage
point. Making a superb start Ady slotted into 3rd off the start behind fast
starting Colin Sleigh and Williams and moved to 2nd as the pair passed
Sleigh on the brakes first time into the new ‘Edwina’s’ chicane. Ady
and Williams then, lap by lap, stretched their advantage at the head of the
field and began a race long tussle. Ady continually showed his front wheel
to Williams in an attempt to pass but Williams, strong on the brakes,
continued to fend off the challenge. The final lap of the 6 lap race would
be telling as Ady, after rehearsing an out-dragging maneuver lap on lap, was
right on the rear wheel of Williams the final time through the ‘Bus
Stop’ chicane for one final attempt towards the line. Ady pulled alongside
on the ‘drag to the flag’ but missed out on the victory by a mere 0.1
seconds. Mark Jordan completed the top three some 11 seconds adrift of the
leaders.
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Stu,
along with 3rd placed in the championship Andy Wimpenny, having not enjoyed
watching his rivals competing without him began to prepare for their first
race of the day. “I’m not a fan of the new race format” commented Stu
“I’d rather have some control of the outcome of the races that go
towards the championship instead of sitting on the sidelines waiting for my
turn. Some of my rivals are now more mentally prepared for the next race
having already competed where I’m preparing for my first outing.”
Ady and Dan Williams would also line up for the second race along
with 5th placed in the championship Tim Bradley.
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Race
2 and the lights changed and Ady launched superbly as Stu’s machine bogged
slightly. Losing ground on the first lap Stu set about regaining the deficit
lost to the leading pack as Ady again tussled with Williams at the front.
Disposing of him with relative ease on lap 2 Ady stretched an insurmountable
advantage as the following pack tripped over one another in a blistering
fast and close race. Stu, setting the second fastest lap of the race in the
progress, clawed his way back to Andy Wimpenny and Gary Moore who were
engaged in their own scrap who in turn were in close company and ready to
pick up the pieces of the battle between Dan Williams and Tim Bradley in 2nd
and 3rd. Stu pressed Wimpenny but could not make a lasting impression and
had to settle for 6th behind Wimpenny and Moore in 5th and 4th respectively.
Bradley passed Williams to snatch 2nd and Ady claimed another victory and
fastest lap to strengthen his title ambitions further after his bad luck
from earlier meetings.
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Stu,
disappointed after finishing only 6th,was ready to make amends in his second
race and race 3 for the Formula 400 class. Lining up with Andy Wimpenny, Tim
Bradley and Gary Moore the race was going to be far from easy.
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