Moanthebairns latest Trackday ****up

Moanthebairns latest Trackday ****up

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mckeann

Original Poster:

2,986 posts

228 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
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Picture the scene. It's 6pm on Sunday night and I'm outside MTB's house, after packing the van with his stuff. I had loaded the van with my 2 bikes as I wasn't sure my old bike would pass noise testing at Oulton, so I packed my new quiet bike aswell. This meant we would have to tow MTB's triumph. Having only owned the van for 2 weeks and having never towed anything with it or paid much attention to his trailer i asked him the question "I take it the electrics are all the same type"? A very confident reply came along the lines of "course they are you thick st". And that was that. Off I drove, to grab some sleep and return at 0330 for a drive to Oulton.

I then did what every one of us would do, i had my dinner, watched some telly, went to bed at 10 pm and set my alarm for 0300. MTB (for some strange reason that can only be justified in his own head) decided to stay up until 0100. Anyway, I meet him at his dodgy lock up in one of the toughest areas of falkirk to collect him and his trailer the next morning to find a VERY grumpy looking MTB who hasn't had much sleep. I ask why, and he repies "I stayed up late so I could sleep in the passenger seat". I questioned why he didn't just have 5 hours sleep like me and STILL sleep in the passenger seat. He grunted something that i couldn't make out. So MTB connects his trailer to my van and then tries to connect the electrics. It doesn't fit. He looks at the plug and the connector on the van and they're not the same kind. His has 7 pins and mine has about 12. He tries again to push them together like a fking retard, somehow hoping the 7 big pins will move position and reduce in size to fit into the other socket (a bit like when a 2 year old tries to get the square toy in the round hole and spends 5 minutes before crying and giving up). I stop him before he breaks the connector and starts to cry. It doesn't fit. It won't ever fit. Without much time to spare before we need to hit the road or we'll be late a decision has to be made. We have 3 options. 1 is drive back to my house, remove a bike, drive back to MTB and pack his into the van. It'll take an hour and we'll be late. Option 2 is to drive the trailer with no lights. It's pitch black at this point. This Is MTB's preffered choice as he'll probably be sleeping as I get huckled into a cell. Option 3 is for him to drive his trailer himself. Other than costing us both full price in fuel, and the fact MTB hasn't had much sleep because he's a flid, this seems the easiest and best decision. I make the decision. MTB looks like he wants to kill me.

So off we set. I decide to make an early break from the convoy so I don't have to stop and be a witness if MTB falls asleep and the wheel and crashes his taxi. It also reduces the chance/risk of having to do mouth to mouth if it doesn't totally kill him.

The plus point of not having Alex (other than by having I listen to his pish patter) is that I can stretch out in the van with the cruise control on and my feet up. It's quite comfy.



We finally arrive, get set up, and arrive to the briefing on time. The briefing is 10 minutes late starting and the guy drones on forever. It's too much for MTB.



Also sat in the briefing is Caneron Donald and his norton team. I really hoped they would have the TT bike out, but it's too noisy for Oulton so they had some stty old thing instead.



We get out the briefing at 0856 with the first session about to start. MTB is out first at 0900 except the instructor is still handing out wristbands. He arrives at 0911 and off they go. Bit tardy from MSV, there were only 30 bikes booked in he day spread across 3 groups so it's not like they were overwhelmed with numbers.

The morning passes quickly with 4 sessions. Loon arrives for a blether and I ask about his work. I get confused as I thought he was in insurance but it turns out he is actually a professional plate spinner. Sounds like an exciting gig, although I can see why premiums are rising if insurance companies can afford to pay Loon to spin plates for them. Especially when he said he prefers to knock them down and start again. That's ALOT of plates to replace.

We ripped the pish out of MTB. He was tired and emotional so it was too easy. He also fell asleep again.



We didn't wake him. Honest.




Afternoon went well. Lion gave me some racer tips that really helped (helpful things like telling me stories about lam the places him and his mates have crashed horribly around Oulton) and then left. I went back to lapping as fast as I could. It's a very physical track and very hard to keep the front end down over the bumps. I'm st with the front wheel in the air so that held me back a bit. Managed to get a 1.45.4 in the last session which is good but it's 1.5 seconds off my mate Micks time who races at OP. He is a bit of a Oulton specialist though, so I did well getting that close on my first attempt.

And that was that. Just the small matter of a 250 mile, 4 hour drive home, then unpack, then fall into bed and let sleep overpower the 6 cans of redbull I necked on the drive home.

Good day out, can't wait to do it again

gwm

2,390 posts

143 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
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Good write up, though you were far too kind to MTB.

Do you always drive down in the morning? No concerns with it affecting your performance?

mckeann

Original Poster:

2,986 posts

228 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
quotequote all
gwm said:
Good write up, though you were far too kind to MTB.

Do you always drive down in the morning? No concerns with it affecting your performance?
I like to minimise the time spent socialising with MTB. I certainly dont want to share a room with him biggrin


My plan is to kit out my new van and start to go down the night before and kip in the van. Need to get curtains sorted for it this week

moanthebairns

17,918 posts

197 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
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All of this is factually correct, slightly exaggerated but correct, except, I didn't call you a thick with the pins...biggrin I did claim they were the same on Sunday though.


And yes, I did try to make a 8 pin fit into a 12 at 3 in the morning. For some reason in my mind I saw them suddenly fusing an instant solution. I was very, very tired, I didn't know there was a 3:30 in the morning.

hebegb

1,523 posts

146 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
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There are not a lot of surprises in this excellent report ..... in fact , none whatsoever....

Glad you both had a good day on the bikes without any adversity , it just shows MTB and planning do not seem to go hand in hand for the trackday job....

Alex did well at 1.58, sounds like good progress, glad for him.

Your 1.45.4 on a new track ,on a track day, is pretty amazing Neil, I saw Mick do 1.43.0 in the race meeting ( which he won, as you know ) in near perfect conditions in very much his own back yard.... I think you need to sign the forms,ACU, turn up and do the deed, if even just now and then....will be great to watch for the craic and you would most definitely have great support wherever you chose to race i'm sure....get it done.

mckeann

Original Poster:

2,986 posts

228 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
quotequote all
hebegb said:
There are not a lot of surprises in this excellent report ..... in fact , none whatsoever....

Glad you both had a good day on the bikes without any adversity , it just shows MTB and planning do not seem to go hand in hand for the trackday job....

Alex did well at 1.58, sounds like good progress, glad for him.

Your 1.45.4 on a new track ,on a track day, is pretty amazing Neil, I saw Mick do 1.43.0 in the race meeting ( which he won, as you know ) in near perfect conditions in very much his own back yard.... I think you need to sign the forms,ACU, turn up and do the deed, if even just now and then....will be great to watch for the craic and you would most definitely have great support wherever you chose to race i'm sure....get it done.
Its on the to do list, definitely. I'm booked up for Oulton on the 23/24th of June if you fancy it?? I believe Loon is on it, as is BN and Aky.

curlie467

7,650 posts

200 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
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mckeann said:
Its on the to do list, definitely. I'm booked up for Oulton on the 23/24th of June if you fancy it?? I believe Loon is on it, as is BN and Aky.
I think I will be booking on that one too.

hebegb

1,523 posts

146 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
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curlie467 said:
mckeann said:
Its on the to do list, definitely. I'm booked up for Oulton on the 23/24th of June if you fancy it?? I believe Loon is on it, as is BN and Aky.
I think I will be booking on that one too.
I would love to - I have some mates who were in Cartagena two years running , all yourselves on here down that day and it looks like I will not be able unfortunately ... holiday period at work ...can't even take the test day/ quali session on the Friday before Fleegle and I race on the Sat 14th .... But then again it is Friday 13th.... .!
If I do get an option for 23rd I will be there - for sure . Either way I shall be consuming curry and beer in the evening ...!

mckeann

Original Poster:

2,986 posts

228 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
quotequote all
Need to discuss with Loon, but I presume we will be currying near OP, or does he head back to his house???

LoonR1

26,988 posts

176 months

Tuesday 26th May 2015
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Doing both days so happy to curry any of the days and travel to you guys if needed. I can't drink before track days at my age anyway, as I just get a stinking hangover.