| THE
FUTURE'S BRIGHT... BUT WHAT WILL IT HOLD? |
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| 2006 to
2008 has seen an evolution of SP Racing with the team's personnel's
commitments continually changing. With Stu having dipped a toe in endurance
racing with great success in 2005 several possibilities lay ahead for the
forth coming years. |
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the team are between projects and are keeping an eye on the future. A Yamaha YZF R6
was purchased in 2006 and the team looked fielded their regular riders as a wild card entry in the 6 hour endurance event at
Snetterton on the 20th of May 2006. With many modifications required to
ready the machine for the outing the team worked tirelessly to have it ready
and track worthy. |
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A test day
was booked and Ady and Phil put the new 600 through it's paces for the first
time and paid testament to the team's preparations as they were confident
that despite the lack of testing that they could be competitive in SP
Racing's first ever endurance race. Stu, Phil and Ady all reunited and
looked good in practice juggling through the top 10 in qualifying and as the
quickest times were posted and sorted they qualified in 18th and second in
their class. After Stu's experience in endurance from 2005, he had learnt
the ropes and guided the team towards the exciting start of the race. As a
wildcard entry and with nothing to lose the team decided to give Phil the
1st stint of the race and the Le man' s start. Sean Moss, one of Stu's team
mates from Epona Racing from 2005 now riding for Black Cat Racing and a
rival team in their class qualified his new team in 24th. "We're really
pleased to outqualify Black Cat as they are an experienced team with good
riders, we must be doing something right already!" said an excited Stu as
Phil and Ady pepared for the start of the race, both in their first ever
endurance event. |
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As the
union flag dropped at the strike of noon Phil made a cautious start but
fully aware that in endurance you can not win the race in the first lap, but
you can certainly lose it! After 30 laps and 40 mins of racing the team's
first refuelling and rider change was due to take place. With Stu to take
the helm for the second stint and after the team having only rehearsed the
stop earlier that morning, the changeover ran like clockwork and the team
gained numerous seconds took over Black Cat Racing who pitted at the same
time. Stu began reeling off a string of consistent laps and looked towards
heading the team's class, class E, and after an further 35 laps and 45 mins
of racing Stu handed over to Ady. Soon leading their class and flying
up the leader board to 16th and still climbing things looked better than
could have possibly have been expected.... |
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Until just 5 laps before
the team's third scheduled stop, the heavens opened!! Ady knocked off
the pace a little but was caught out by the conditions and lost the
front at the esses.
But all the team's hard work on preperation paid off as the tip over switch
worked perfectly and nothing was broken in the crash. Ady remounted and
brought the bike back to the garage and promptly fell off the bike in pain.
The team set about checking the bike for damage and changing to wet weather
tyres ready for Phil to continue the race. |
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12 mins
later Phil was back out and on wets but came straight back in. OIL LIGHT ON!
With the exhaust smoking a little and the apparent loss of oil thoughts
transpired that the bike may have tipped some oil into the airbox or catch
tank whilst it had been on it's side. The team stripped the bike down but
the 'escaped' oil was not found igniting fears that the problem could be
more terminal. Nether the less the bike was re-assembled and topped up with
oil and Phil went back out to test the water. Carefully checking the exhaust
for smoke as Phil continued around the bike looked fine and on he continued
but having lost over 30 minutes in garage and SP Racing thought they were
out of contention for the honours. |
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