BSSO Scooter Racing: Rookies Report – Round 5 | Darley Moor

Rookie racer, Ben Readings is currently lying third in the LCGB-sponsored Production Class. Hornet Racing have taken him under their wing this season and the team’s experience and Ben’s quest for improvement are paying dividends. 

Ahead of this weekend’s visit to Anglesey, here’s what he had to say about his wet weekend at Darley Moor…

Due to the way Pembrey finished for me (upside down), we had some work to do to get the scooter ready for the next round of racing.

The scooter had been messing around while at full throttle and causing the engine to cut out, not massively helpful while going around a corner at 70 mph. After some speculation and a few dyno runs at Jahspeed (Thanks John) we found it was due to the carb vibrating and frothing the fuel at a certain revs.

Bad vibes

Interesting, as while on the dyno, you could hold the revs in the trouble area and it would splutter and run bad. But then as soon as you touched the carb to stop it vibrating it would run perfectly and hold full throttle for ages. Anyway, it was back to the softer carb rubber and forgetting the poly-engine mounts and moving back to rubber mounts, and hopefully the scooter will behave a bit more for Darley.

The night before

Just like every race, a few days before I started looking at the weather forecast. It’s been such lovely weather recently, surely we’d have a really nice sunny meeting just like last year’s Darley Moor? Nope, the forecast says rain, and lots of it. The drive up to the track was a nightmare absolutely pouring all the way up and a miserable experience getting the paddock set up. But as I write this I’m heading off to my expertly created hatchback campervan and the rain has stopped. Fingers are very heavily crossed that we don’t have too much rain. But maybe this will be the first time I switch over to wet tyres.

First practice

Really not trying to go fast on this one. Just figure out the track, take each corner as it comes, and get to know it. I was also trying to see if the scooter’s issues had been sorted. I’m not pushing as hard as I hopefully will be, but so far the scooter hasn’t really spluttered or misbehaved at all. I assumed I wasn’t going very fast, but once I was back in the paddock I had a look at the times and I’d done all right for qualifying, getting faster times than those I’ve been battling with. Should give me a good start for the production races this weekend.

Second practice – Supers

Just as the rope is dropped and we are allowed out onto the track, I notice that my headset is loose. I quickly turn around and rush back to the paddock. Myself and Dave rush to get the headset top off and tighten the bolt within. While we are doing this a huge gust of wind gets under our tent and lifts it up and across the field. Without saying a word, me and Dave continue to work on my scooter as other people in the paddock chase after the tent. We finish my scooter and I jump back on it without even looking back at the carnage behind me. Luckily, I’m allowed out and can get a grid position.

As always, getting quickly accustomed to the track. Starting to know what corner is coming next and now just playing around with how I want to take each corner. A big crosswind makes the straights a bit scary but I’m confident we have sorted the issues that plagued us at Pembrey. Nailing it all the way down the straights and taking the corners slowly. Each time I take a corner it feels better and faster. Hopefully, I managed to get a decent grid position.

Look closely, those are hail stones you can see – just to add to the persistent rain!

Saturday – first Stock Race

Minutes before the race, the heavens opened, damn, we’re definitely going to want wet tyres on for this. Dave was busy looking at John’s bike as it was having ignition issues. So I cracked on with mine. Procrastinating about dealing with the front end of the Lambretta, I got the rear sorted the old-fashioned way, with a spanner, none of this impact stuff. Then to move on to the front, I was beginning to change the front wheel when Dave rushed over to help me. Thank God, Dave did it a million times quicker than I could’ve and we managed just by the skin of our teeth to get me out on time. Dave sacrificed his race to get me and John out. Thank you so much Mr Bristow.

Ryan Clipstone’s new paint job gave him wings but look at the concentration/fear in his eyes…

Diving in

The race itself was brilliant, it’s bloody wet, but I’ve got wets on so it should be fine. Not as easy as that, those huge puddles on the track are terrifying. Seeing other people just attacking the puddles headfirst I also tried. Oh, wet tyres are good. It took a few laps but my confidence in the tyres and in the grip grew. Gary and Phil seemed miles off in the distance, but I didn’t give up, I pushed as hard as I felt safe to, never getting desperate. Slowly closing the gap between them. Then Phil touched a bit of the painted track and had a wobble, giving Gary and I a chance to get by. Now just to reel Gary in. The last lap flag is shown and I am right on Gary’s tail. C’mon Ben, keep it steady, concentrate on yourself, do not get desperate. The second from last corner, just before the last straight and I am inches away from Gary, just get my head down, tuck in as much as I can on the straight and get that throttle wide open. Please behave little Lammy, let me hold wide open and get past him. Yes! I’m past him. Right, just the last corner now. I’m finding it difficult to go round the corners fast in the rain, so I decided to take the corner really tight and get the scooter back upright to get back on the power early as possible. Full throttle, wack it through the gears, and across the line without Gary getting past. What a race, what an awesome, bloody wet, race.

Tom Shaw follows Graham Tatton around a very wet Darley

First Supers Race

As always, Gary and Phil are the blokes I wanna beat, and we are all neck and neck on the starting grid. Awesome, just don’t let them get away and just edge in front of them. Nope, for some reason, maybe the fear of the rain, I am not going my fastest until there is some distance between us, and then I’ve got to work really hard to get back close to them. Exactly the same story for this race, me and Gary managed to get past Phil and then I was working to get in front of Gary. Just as in the last race, I managed to get past Gary a few corners before the end, but this time Gary managed to get past me on the very last corner. And he finished before me, the bastard. Oh well, at least it wasn’t a production race.

Second Stock Race

Really fun race. Tried my best to get to full pace straight away, Gary is a few positions behind me on the grid and I wanted it to stay that way. Started with rain but it quickly cleared, the biggest thing for me is when the rain obscures the visor, so with the rain disappearing, my visor was nice and clear and I was getting on it. Gary stayed behind, and a few times I glanced behind to see where he was and he was in a bit of a battle, a little while back from me. So my sights were fixed on Phil, who is currently pretty far away. Just relax, work on the racing line and be consistent. Reeling him in, inch by inch. The last lap flag was shown and Phil was within reaching distance, still pushing but with just an inch or so between us as we cross the line, Phil took the win. However, due to various people not finishing the race, I actually came 2nd in the Production Class, my best win yet. 3rd place will never be good enough again.

Phil Hallam leads the group into the hairpin

Second Supers Race

Not the result I was after. I should have come away from this race smiling, it was a brilliant race, four of us battling it out the entire race. Myself, Gary, Phil and Sean. There was a moment in there when someone passed me and for a moment I was unsure who it was, but when I realised it was Sean, I screamed “Yessss Seannn!” But I am not smiling, because I am beginning to take this too seriously, and going from a 2nd in Production to losing the battle to three other people, was very very annoying. I might have been swearing at the other three as we crossed the line (sorry guys). Very, very good race, but expect me to be moody all evening now.

Sunday – Third Stock Race

The sun is out this morning and we’re back on the dry tyres. Hopefully, I’ll find a bit more confidence in the dry conditions. A good start was followed by a pretty rubbish corner, I need to get back into the groove with the corners. I need to move past the incident at Pembrey and get back to being fast around the bends. Now a pretty large gap between Gary and Phil, and me. But just keep on working at it, get more confidence on the corners and slowly reel them in. Working and working, and I did manage to catch Gary up, got past him and now Phil is in my sights. Working hard, to reel Phil in, closing the gap between us, all while knowing that Gary will be right on my tail. Damon seemed to be having issues so I’d got past him on the straight before the last corner. Right Ben, just hold this. I am not happy with how I’m taking the last corner and it showed on this one. Phil got past me on that last corner, and Gary got past us both. Not what I wanted, but still a brilliant race.

James McNally, with his iconic DTC paintwork, leads the field

Third Supers Race

This race ended pretty abruptly and ended with me having a bit of a tantrum on my own in the paddock. I was already getting annoyed as I just was not performing as well as I would have liked, but I wanted this race to go well.

The sun was out and the dry tyres were inspiring a lot more confidence than yesterday’s wets. The start was as scary as ever with everyone funnelling into the first chicane and me losing my nerve and coming out at the back of my group. This added to my annoyance, but I had pulled it back before so I’ll try my best to do it again. Around the first hairpin, not my best and I know I can do better, full throttle down the straight and gaining a little through the second chicane, around the left which I am definitely getting better at, and then around the far hairpin which I still need to improve. Down the back straight toward the paddock, fully pinned and fully tucked. Right, this upcoming corner has been troubling me, I’m really not sure how I want to take it, do I come out wide and try and carry as much speed through, or do I want to lose some speed, take it tighter but get back on the power sooner? I was weighing up the options all while the corner was getting closer and closer. Still thinking about how I want to do it, still getting closer and closer to the corner. Shit, I’ve left this too late. I’m heading straight towards the gravel trap and I can’t pull it around now. Through some luck, I manage to just miss the gravel, but now I’m heading straight for the grass, and that didn’t end well the last time I visited the grass at Pembrey. This time though, as soon as I was on the grass I was off that front brake and slowing using the rear brake. I managed to stop before the fence, but I had stalled the scooter and was not allowed to go back on track. I pleaded with the marshals to let me bump the scooter and get back out, but no. I push the scooter off the track, bumped it and rode back round to our paddock. I was not a happy bunny to say the least, and I really hope John (the Greek) isn’t wearing headphones when he looks through the camera footage as I was not quiet in my anger of how that race finished for me.

Zip rider, John Woods and Hornet Racing’s John the Greek battle it out on a drying track…

Fourth Stock Race

I had cooled down after the last race, with the help of everyone just reminding me that I actually needed to turn right at that corner. Thanks, guys for the awesome advice! I was still in a bit of a mood, and with even more to prove to myself now. The race started and I tried to push through the first chicane but still not doing as well as I’d like, we get one lap round and Brookie takes a tumble into the gravel pit at the first hairpin, it looks a pretty nasty fall from behind and a red flag is shown. I hope Brookie is okay, but the race is restarted and I consider it a second chance to do better than I was. The lights go out and this time I’m trying to push through the chicane, but it seems that everyone had the same thought. I’m looking ahead as the faster guys pass through and Bristow is suddenly pushed out onto the grass, with Nikita following him out, they both take what I like to call “the motocross line” right across the grass and back out onto the track. This racing line didn’t work out well for them with them both re-entering the track at the back. But it wasn’t long before the screaming SS90 roared past and into the midfield of the race, through the chicane and around the hairpin and I didn’t see either of them again. With the distraction of that, I had quite the gap to make up on Gary. I pushed and with my confidence growing in the track and how I want to take each corner. I managed to close the gap and finished just behind Gary. Why do I have to wait until there’s a big gap before I find to mojo to close it again? I need to find that mojo immediately and then I’ll be doing much better.

Fourth Supers race

Right, this is the final race of the weekend. Let’s make this one count. The lights go out, and I have possibly my worst start. Coming out of the first chicane at the very back of the pack. Not ideal. With the words of wisdom from the ever-positive Andrew Sharkey ringing in my ears, I don’t let myself get disheartened and just try my absolute best to get back to a position I am happy with. I go around the first hairpin the best I ever have, leaving Jon Holt and Andy Walker behind me. Andy takes it back on the straight with his more powerful scooter, but he brakes and I go flat-out through the chicane. I then manage to get past Sean on the left hand before the hairpin. Still not happy with the far hairpin but definitely the fastest I’ve gone round so far. I get on the power early, draft Mark Shirley down the straight, out-brake him, and pull it around the corner faster than him. Now just the gap between myself and Gary to pull back. I work hard for a few laps, finally feeling the rhythm of the track and actually beginning to enjoy Darley Moor, all while closing the gap between us. The last lap flag is shown and the gap between us is small. I’m on his tail all the way until the left before the far hairpin. This is definitely my favourite corner of this track, and the fast left corner is becoming my favourite type of corner. Hanging off the left of the scooter, trying to get my knee down and laying the bike down I get past Gary. I then slam on the brakes to slow for the hairpin, I pull it round faster than I ever have, but my exhaust grounds out and it lifts the rear wheel off the ground. I almost lose the scooter, but manage to get it back on track. I get on the power as early as possible and tuck right down for the long straight. I daren’t look back to see where Gary is and hope he isn’t about to pass me. Just relax Ben, just relax, AND TURN RIGHT. I do the last corner better than I ever have and I finish before Gary. Yessssss, that is how I wanted this weekend to end.

It’s always good to see Mikey Bonett back out on track on his lovely orange pearl Lambretta

Outro

I think this weekend, more than ever, has taught me to go easier on myself. I sometimes hold myself to such a high standard and get really annoyed when I don’t do as well as I’d like. I often have to remind myself that racing is supposed to be fun, and when I do realise that, I tend to go faster. I need to give myself more time to get used to a track, especially when it’s pouring with rain and I should probably be more proud of myself when I do manage a 2nd place, even if it is only due to people not finishing. So if you ever see me at a track, and it looks like I’ve got the hump, just tell me to cheer up. I’m sure that’ll go down well, haha.

Ben readings #65

Action photography: Kevin Gunstone – view his full images here. 

James McNally and Justin Price riding on rails as they lap everybody

BSSO Championship

As we head to Anglesey, Justin Price currently dominates the AF Rayspeed Group 4E, with James McNally and Graham Tatton hot on the heels of his Alpinestars boots. Steve Wright tops the leaderboard in the CST Group 4E (Specials), with Graham Tatton and Andy Walker taking second and third spots. Justin Price is number one in the CST Group 6A class, with Steven Graves and Ben Darling making up the rest of that podium. Ironically, Vespa rider John the Greek is top in the Lambretta Club Great Britain Production Class, with Steve Wright and our rookie, Ben Readings making up the top three. Finally, Group 4 sees Damon Yatres at the top, John Balcomb second and Tony Rudd in third. You can see the full championship standings here.