Going Racing in 2013!

[StuB]

Well after I had such a brilliant time racing in 2012 (& didn't quite bankrupt myself), where I competed in the Hottrax Modern Classic Supercup (10 year old bike designs to the WSB class of the era), I'm back again for more this year.

I was hoping to make the Thudersport Golden Era Superbike class (with a massive entry list), but due to a number of diary clashes with personal/family commitments, I've chosen to go back with Hottrax for the 2013 season. Hope our grids are better than last year.

The class structure has changed this year, so I presume we'll be on track in a mixed class again (which doesn't help the commentators or the spectators too much, but allows a good mix of bikes and speeds).

I'll be in Superbikes on my 2001 Aprilia Mille RSV-R. The classes are;

Series are designed to allow riders to compete on motorcycles from over 10 years ago on 1st March 2013 with restrictions.

Modern Classic Superbikes
4 cylinders Over 598cc up to 840cc 4-stroke
3 cylinders Over 725cc up to 975cc 4-stroke
2 cylinders Over 850cc up to 1300cc 4-stroke

Modern Classic Megabike
4 cylinders Over 850cc 4-stroke

Modern Classic Supersport
4 cylinders 398cc to 615cc 4-stroke
2 cylinders to 750cc 4 stroke

Clearly, if there's someone who can ride on an pre March 03 R1, GSXR1000, ZX10R or Blade, they're going to disappear out of view, a bit like Dean Skipper did on his GSXR750K2.

This year, my good friend Giles from Concept Communications ( www.conceptcomms.com) is helping me out (massive thanks) with title sponsorship, so I'll be looking a bit more professional and hopefully really easy to spot. The 'Concept Bike' will be bright red with the Concept logo on the side. Hopefully I'll be making solid improvements in laptimes and racecraft this year.

I just wanted to say a massive thanks to all those who supported me either on PH (there was some very good advice on my original thread - especially about buying the best tyres, which are Dunlop's BTW), those who visited and helped at race weekends. Shame I couldn't make the pissup Snetterton weekend at the end of October.

Anyway, here's the dates of this years meetings.

March 9 & 10 Snotterton 300
April 19 & 20 Oulton Park Int.
May 25 & 26 Anglesey Coastal
June 9 Donington GP
July 13 & 14 Cadwell
August 10 & 11 Pembrey (where the fook's that?)
September 7 & 8 Brands Indy
October 5 & 6 Mallory Park

It'd be great to have some support, mech/general help, banter, pics, company, whatever, please let me know.

All the best.

Stu #21

Edited by StuB on Friday 22 February 15:08

[curlie467]

I shall pop the oulton dates on the calender and may pop over and say hi!

[Tim85]

sounds like your living a lot of people dream. Enjoy

Is there a thread with pics from last season?

[StuB]

curlie467 said:

I shall pop the oulton dates on the calender and may pop over and say hi!

Cheers John. Got my first class win there last year in the wet/damp conditions we had. Loved the track.

[StuB]

Tim85 said:

sounds like your living a lot of people dream. Enjoy

Is there a thread with pics from last season?

Here's the thread I started off last year, with some pics in it.

Hoestly, words can't do justice to how much fun it was (mostly).

There definitely were lows, like 2 crashes before Qualifying had even started at Donington (1 Friday am, then another Sat am in warm up), my first off, in Race 1 at Snetterton in my first wet race (forunarely for me abandoned and started again Sunday and with the help of SRob and his mates at NUTSMOTO, we got the bike fixed) and a 'very wet' weekend at Anglesey.

The highs though, the adrenaline buzz, especially for the first race ever at Brands Hatch a year ago, realising how good Dunlop's top of the range slicks are, having a ding dong race long battle with Neil Appleby (2011 Ducati Desmo champion, so a very good rider in my book) at Cadwell Park on a glorious summers day.... mega.

Racing's a mighty powerful drug alright!

[StuB]

Me being hunted down by Neil Appleby at Cadwell. I don't have the bib any more.

[ali4390]

Good to hear you're doing it again, I can't wait till my finances allow me to return to racing (I want to do it properly and not have to scrimp and save which can take away from some of the fun).

I'll try and pop along to the Donington round and show some support.

[StuB]

ali4390 said:

Good to hear you're doing it again, I can't wait till my finances allow me to return to racing (I want to do it properly and not have to scrimp and save which can take away from some of the fun).

I'll try and pop along to the Donington round and show some support.

Cheers. After my off's and the dodgy weather, I know there's a lot more to come at Donington as I pretty much decided to take it steady and bag the points as Mr. Appleby wasn't racing. Still had a great battle with a guy on an R1, but the front 3 disappeared pretty quickly after I held Mark Dicken up for a lap and a half.

Just got a good deal on some lovely N-Tec slicks from Bike Tyres Leeds (thanks guys).

[srob]

I'll be at Snetterton in March I reckon

I'll have Jonny on speed dial

[Timbo_S2]

Im racing my 1996 GSXR 750 with Bemsee again this year, in Thunderbikes extreme.

Had a great first season last year, and can't wait to get going again! Sure it costs a bit, but nothing compares to that feeling waiting on the grid!

[srob]

A picture of how wet it was at Snett last year!



But not all weekend!

[StuB]

srob said:

I'll be at Snetterton in March I reckon

I'll have Jonny on speed dial

Cool, be great to see you both again! I'll see if I can get you some tickets. How many do you want mate?

I reckon there's a trick of the light as I don't remember the sun coming out!

[StuB]

Timbo_S2 said:

Im racing my 1996 GSXR 750 with Bemsee again this year, in Thunderbikes extreme.

Had a great first season last year, and can't wait to get going again! Sure it costs a bit, but nothing compares to that feeling waiting on the grid!

I loved my SRAD, but gave mine to my brother, so went for the Mille instead in this class, wanting to play on something different. Not disappointed at all to be honest. An SRAD turned up at Donington & was competitive with an experienced endurance racer aboard (ran in the front 3 and got a P2).

Good luck for this year

[MrKipling43]

Nice one - looks like a cool series.

Hyperlink the link in the first post to your title sponsor, so we can all click it and he can see the traffic coming in from Pistonheads on his analytics.

[StuB]

MrKipling43 said:

Nice one - looks like a cool series.

Hyperlink the link in the first post to your title sponsor, so we can all click it and he can see the traffic coming in from Pistonheads on his analytics.

Good call. Fixed that.

[Timbo_S2]

StuB said:

I loved my SRAD, but gave mine to my brother, so went for the Mille instead in this class, wanting to play on something different. Not disappointed at all to be honest. An SRAD turned up at Donington & was competitive with an experienced endurance racer aboard (ran in the front 3 and got a P2).

Good luck for this year

And to you!

Extreme was won by a SRAD last year. Its a power to weight controlled class with a limit of 130bhp, so its always going to be competitive. Managed to get the old girl down to 172kg now as well...

[StuB]

Timbo_S2 said:

And to you!

Extreme was won by a SRAD last year. Its a power to weight controlled class with a limit of 130bhp, so its always going to be competitive. Managed to get the old girl down to 172kg now as well...

Cheers.

Is that Bike only power/weight limit?

The 'jockeys' will always do well in a bike weight class, espcially if it's a light bike.

[UnluckyTimmeh]

StuB said:

srob said:

I'll be at Snetterton in March I reckon

I'll have Jonny on speed dial

Cool, be great to see you both again! I'll see if I can get you some tickets. How many do you want mate?

I reckon there's a trick of the light as I don't remember the sun coming out!

I'll be along too, but on the sunday only as i'll be working on the saturday i'm afraid.

[StuB]

UnluckyTimmeh said:

I'll be along too, but on the sunday only as i'll be working on the saturday i'm afraid.

Nice one.

Just agreed an extra couple of tickets with Hottrax, so let me know what name to put on (via PM) & I'll leave them with the boys & girls in the gatehouse. Simon, I know your name, just let me know if it's you only or you & your Dad again.

[Timbo_S2]

Yup, bike only. 1.46kg per 1 bhp, upto a 130bhp limit.

Like most classes, we have some big guys and smaller guys - though rider skill is still the deciding factor, as opposed to who's eaten more pies that week!