Arguably a bigger part of racing is when you’re not actually racing. The prep and spannering required to have the scooter in the best possible condition for the track is considerable.
This time round the scooter needed a new head cowling. That’s all I believed it needed as it was running fine in the last race at Cadwell. However, things are rarely that simple. A few days before the race my new cowling (that was sold as specifically for the RB20) arrived, awesome, I’ll throw that on and the bike will be ready to go. If any of you reading this have ever worked on a Lambretta you know that “just throw it on” was never going to be the case.
The cowling did not fit at all, so I opted to repair my original broken cowling by welding new bits of metal to it with the finesse of a dead fish. It’s not pretty but it should last the race…
Very annoyingly once I’d sorted the cowling I had a look over the rest of the engine and noticed the carb rubber had completely split. Not ideal as I didn’t think a new one would arrive in time. However, a quick post on the BSSO Facebook group and a plethora of people willing to sort me out a carb rubber popped up. A job for Friday night at the track then. Thank you so much to everyone that offered to help, and ultimately to Dan Mears and JG for the rubber that I’m now using. Hopefully, it lasts longer than a single race meeting this time.
Practice 1, Supers
The first practice did not go to plan. Before the first corner, the carb popped out of its rubber. Through many people reminding me to not over-tighten the rubber, I think I actually under-tightened it. I then sat and watched the entire practice with some marshalls, wishing I wasn’t, and instead wishing I had actually got some time to get a feel for the track. Never mind, I got to watch how everyone else was taking the hairpin so I could now try out some of their braking points once I got out on track. Should be an easy fix and then back out for the production practice session.
Tim Simpson leads Phil Hallam and Ben Readings
Production practice
Much more successful this time. I managed to actually get to a corner! Just getting to know this track, finding where I wanted to brake, what gear I needed to be in, and where I wanted to use the throttle. For a while, John the Greek was getting me to follow him, for me to see his line. Always incredibly helpful, so thank you John. However, he does seem a lot more comfortable using the entire width of the track than I am, John assures me it’s safe to go on the painted strips on the edge of the track but my brain says NO! I managed to get a 15th place qualifying, so wouldn’t have to battle right from the back (unlike in the Supers races).
Nikita McNally knows how to separate the men from the boys
First supers race
I was getting to know the track more and getting braver in the corners. In this race I was taking the corners really well, but then an issue with the bike was stopping me from being able to keep the throttle pinned on the straights so people were getting past. Pretty annoying. Maybe a new plug or something? Also, the head cowling had completely come loose. Things to quickly get sorted before the next race.
I wasn’t really paying attention to where I finished, as I was trying to allow myself more time to take in the track and know what corner was coming next. Previously I’d be annoyed at myself for not immediately knowing the track, and that wasn’t massively helpful.
Zip rider Mark Shirley and John Woods battling it out
First stock race
The scooter seemed to be running much better. Not dying when at full throttle, so allowing me to keep hold of what I was gaining on the corners. Definitely getting to know the track now, getting the courage to climb off much more and trying to remember all the advice I’d been given.
Something that Dave had noticed from the previous meeting at Cadwell, was that although I’m climbing off much more on the corners, it’s just my arse that is coming off the bike. He also suggested for me to try and put my chin on each end of the handlebar instead of keeping it central to the headset. I gave this a go, it is pretty scary, but it definitely does seem to allow me to pull it around the corner much better. I managed to finish in front of Phil and Tim, although the full-throttle issue did seem to raise its head again right at the end of the race. The last two straights it messed about again, but I had gained enough distance to cross the line in front of them.
Graham Tatton manages to save a highside in the sequence of images above, very close!
Second supers race
Bloody rain. There was lots of umming and ahhing before going out, on what tyres to use as the heavens had opened slightly. Most of us deemed dry tyres would be okay so that’s what I went for. Also, for the reason that changing the tyres on an anti-dive setup is a massive pain in the arse. Anyway, I ended up being glad we didn’t put the wets on as it didn’t rain a lot and the track seemed to be drying out. As soon as I realised that I probably had enough grip, I just did the same as the previous race. But was still trying to improve my racing line and find quicker ways through each corner. Just after the last lap flag came out Warren came off right in front of me, just a gentle reminder that it is still a bit wet.
Justin Price on his Runner, with Stephen Graves in hot pursuit
Second stock race
I couldn’t have asked for the day to finish in a better way, what an incredible race that was. The rain had died down and the track was drying out. I got a decent start but am not aggressive into the first corner so end up behind Phil and Gary. Right, the game is on. Climbing off more, and pushing harder but staying in control and relaxed. Once again taking people on the corner, I got past Phil and he stayed behind for the remainder of the race. Now, Gary is in my sights. Lots of back and forth between us. I’d take him on some of the corners and the straights, and he’d get back in front of me on the hairpin. We must have swapped positions twenty times. The last lap flag was shown and Gary was in front of me, right, this time he is not going to get past me on the hairpin, I stole his line and he couldn’t get past. Now just to hold the lead, just relax Ben. Keep things moving, keep climbing off, brake sensibly, roll the throttle on gradually on the corners, get tucked as much as I can on the straights. And I did it. I finished in front of Gary.
I came off checked the times and realised Nakita hadn’t finished that race. Wait a second, that means I just finished 3rd in Production. My first podium! There was joy in our Hornet tent when I realised that, Dave gave me a very proud-boss hug and we had a bit of a cheer. What a race that was. Walking through the paddock to go and have a chat in the commentary box a lot of people commented on how they were impressed with my performance and how entertaining that race was, what a feeling this ludicrous sport gives you. I could not recommend this stupid hobby enough.
James McNally on his beautifully prepared Macca-painted Lammy with John the Greek hot on his heels
Third Supers race
I was going really well, a bit of a wheelie off the line but I caught it and carried on. Round the hairpin, gaining one or two places. Round my favourite bit, hanging right off, trying out new lines that had been suggested to me. All going well… until on the back straight, at full revs the bike cuts out again. Fuck sake! I thought this problem had been sorted.
All the hard work on the corners getting past people was being lost on the straights. Although being incredibly annoyed I still pushed on and managed to take the lead from Gary on the very last corner. A slightly later apex on the very last corner, as recommended to me by Johno, allowed me to take a tighter line and get back on the power much sooner than Gary, driving me out of the corner and toward the finish much quicker than him.
Ben shows off war wounds to both himself and the scooter…
Third Stock race
This one didn’t go quite to plan… So even though the scooter seemed to be having issues that caused it to cut out on the straights and cause me to lose positions, I was able to claim those positions back during the corners. I had tried to solve what I believed to be electrical issues, I’d changed the plug and the HT cap, which had seemed to reduce the issues but not solve it completely. I had also tried to blag myself a replacement coil for my Vape ignition but it didn’t seem anyone had one for me to use.
So ultimately, I decided to go out with it as it was. Knowing that I’d only have issues on the straights when I was going completely flat out, I thought it’d be safe on the corners. I was wrong. I think because I’m getting better at fast corners I am now capable of riding flat-out corners. This meant that the issue was possible during a corner, and I found this out the hard way.
I wanted another podium so I was pushing hard. Through the start/finish straight, around the hairpin, and into my favourite really fast corner overtaking some competition, things were going very well. I pulled the scooter around the long left, with the throttle fully open, just as I began to pull the bike upright and transition into the right corner, the engine cut out for just a second. This really made me jump and badly threw me off balance. I had to pull the scooter right up straight to try and get back into control. I was back in control but I was now pointing straight at the grass with no time left to do anything about it.
Looking at it in hindsight, I assume I had my front brake on, so as soon as I touched the grass the front of the bike went from underneath me and I was off the scooter. Tumbling around at what must have been at least 60mph, grass then sky then grass then sky is all I could see. Ultimately landing face and front first. I have winded myself plenty of times before, so the few seconds of not being able to breathe was unpleasant but nothing new. I eventually got my breath back and rolled over to my back. Yeah, that hurt a bit, but I was more annoyed to have lost my race position. The paramedics helped me up, and asked the usual, “Do you know your name?” “Do you know what day it is?” “Yes, I’m fine”, I asked “how’s my scooter?” “When can I get back on track?” I was ushered into the ambulance and to the medical centre, before going through a few medical tests. The adrenaline was wearing off and I was starting to hurt. A headache was starting to creep in, and my right hand was very painful to move. I had taken my helmet off in the ambulance and had only now just noticed the cracked visor, along with the pain in my nose and chin. Who’d have thought face-planting the floor would suck so much. The medics strapped my fingers together, and it was pretty obvious I wouldn’t be racing again that day. Gutted. Just as I was getting into the swing of things, the scooter misbehaves and throws it all out.
Watching the last races
I had walked back to the paddock, with a flurry of people checking I was okay. “I’ll survive,” I said to most of them, not really hiding how gutted I was for my racing to have been cut short. “Guess I’ll just be watching now then” I was now somewhat glad to be out of my very sweaty leathers and back in my civies. Although I could now feel every single one of the many mosquito bites I had amassed over the weekend, was there one stuck in my leathers, enjoying the all-you-can-eat buffet that was my horribly sweaty body?
Hard riding Steve Wright leads Tom Shaw
Motor Sport Can Be Dangerous!
The last few races went by, one of which had a bad end for my teammate Andrew Sharkey, with him ending up heading for the hospital with broken bones. It had put my accident somewhat into perspective. Maybe I should have been less annoyed at the lack of race results and more glad that I didn’t end up at the hospital. Things quite obviously could have been a lot worse. That’s the second member of Team Hornet Racing to have been carted away in an ambulance with broken bones. It’s beginning to feel like this sport might actually be dangerous. You sign up knowing that it is dangerous, but it’s not until you see and actually experience some of it for yourself that you really realise.
However, it has not deterred me at all, as soon as the scooter’s issue is sorted and I’m healed up I’ll be back out and continue trying to progress and improve. There is an undoubtedly addictive aspect of it, especially now that I don’t feel like I’m just fighting for last place. Hanging off a Lambretta around a corner at motorway speeds is very quickly becoming my absolute favourite thing to do. Although I am proving that I am becoming more and more capable, through gaining a podium finish, it is also becoming very clear how easily things can and do go wrong.
What is also clear is that my new skills in riding fast should not be used on public roads. I can feel myself craving the feeling I get from racing while on a road scooter. Sometimes keeping that throttle open a bit too much, or hanging a knee while on a roundabout. But this race meeting demonstrated that the reason I can race on the track is really because of the medics that are only seconds away from helping. So, the lesson from this meeting is really to just relax while I’m out on the road, and save the lunacy of racing for the race track.
I’ll see you all again at Darley Moor, with a new headset, no electrical gremlins, and determined to continue to progress at the same rate regardless of now having experienced a proper “off”.
Words and paddock shots: Ben Readings
Action shots: Kevin Gunstone – see more images here.
