Friday – Practice

Learning the circuit was always going to be a big task, and I felt it from the first lap. I just couldn’t get it right throughout the first sessions. I was trying to find a line, set-up and get the gearing right and it just wasn’t happening.

The bike was all over the place and was such a handful to keep hold of. The bumps just kept making the bike unload so fast that it had no rear end grip at all, even in a straight line it was unmanageable. I had to back off so much just to stay on board!

[Matt forgot to mention the minor incident where a quick shifter wire broke cutting the engine at over 120 mph. He managed to pull the clutch in and ran on in to the long grass at the back of the circuit. He was forced to miss the rest of the session as the grass was too long for the recovery truck to reach him - Mike]

Saturday – Qualifying

Qualifying went a little better, but we still hadn’t got an optimum set-up and were having so many problems it just got to the point of becoming a salvage mission and very much aggravating for me. I was being held back by the bike not doing what it should and I knew it.

Sunday – Races 1 & 2

Despite all the problems and being left to a very lonely ride in both of the races, we still collected more data and got more experience, even if it wasn’t really filled with positives.

Knowing how a fast track affects tyre wear, and how the bike deals with bumps were all useful in enabling us to format a set-up for Snetterton, only a few weeks away. Soemthing I am looking forward to, having not raced there since 2005.

Saturday – Practice

Being back at a circuit I knew was good, and after riding at the MotoSix event, I still had a clear idea of what lines I’d need to take, what gear to use and a rough idea of braking and reference points.

Practice went fairly well. We had to make a lot of changes throughout the session in terms of bike set-up and also how I was riding, due to the bike being so different from when we last rode at the circuit. The changes were progressive and helped a lot, making the bike turn faster but also be more stable on the brakes. We were having a few problems with the bike constantly lifting the front wheel on hard acceleration, but we had some ideas on how to counter act this.

Sunday – Qualifying

For qualifying we tried some softer rubber in the bike and it seemed to cause us a few more problems, due to the softer carcass making the bike push mid turn. Being it was the first time we’d used a very soft compound, our inexperience had showed. But we had a good set up for race day and I was confident we could get a decent result.

Monday – Race 1

I got a decent start and just focused on the group in front. I settled into a nice rhythm and kept the pace of the guys ahead for the first five or six laps. After that they began to gap me and I just focused on being smooth, consistent and finishing for the first time this season! It was a pretty lonely race, and not much happened, but we got some excellent data and feedback form the bike. Plus we didn’t have any electrical problems, like what we had experienced in most sessions over the weekend. I was happy to finish, and I think the team were too!

[Matt forget to mention that the he got a great start in the race but it was red flagged and the restart didn't go so well. To make matters worse we didn't have another tyre to use so had to continue on the one that had completed several laps. On the restart he chased down and overtook four or five more experienced riders which everyone was very happy about - Mike]

Monday – Race 2

The start wasn’t as good as race one, but I got my head down and pushed as much as I could and began to reel in the guys just ahead. It took most of the race but once I got by I kept going. The changes we made in between the races made a real difference, and the race time was much better, as was the feeling that I got from the bike. It felt like we had moved forward quite a lot and by finishing both races we’d got some points up on the scoreboard, which was nice!

Saturday – Free Practice

The team did a great job to get me back on track at Oulton and I really wanted to start the weekend well and make all their efforts pay off.

We got out on track with pretty much the settings from Brands, but now we had the added benefit of the 16.5” wheels, which gave us a much better choice and grade of tyres. They did feel a little strange at first, with the profile being very sharp, but having a much better amount of feedback and grip from the very edge of the tyre. It was obvious to get them to work we’d have to push it from the off.

After the first few laps we made some adjustments to help the bike hold the line and sit better on acceleration. It helped a lot, and although I was still learning the circuit, I was feeling more confident with each lap. The track felt very small still and it seemed a lot bumpier than when I’d last been round; almost five years ago on a 125!

Luck was not on our side however and on the eighth lap I hit the deck trying to avoid another rider. It wasn’t a big fall but it was quite fast, and the slide seemed to take ages. I was unhurt but annoyed as we’d been scuppered once again by something that wasn’t our fault. It felt like we were back to stage one once again.

Sunday – Free Practice

After another long night for the team doing yet another rebuild, we got back on track with a clear idea of what we needed to do and what I had to get sorted before we could get on the pace.

Getting used to the wheels and tyres was top of the agenda; this went hand in hand with getting comfortable on what was a very challenging track. Focusing on my riding was at the forefront of my mind, and I concentrated so hard that it actually started to make my eyes water!

We began to get a good base setting with the bike, and despite the changeable track conditions, I was posting my fastest laps of the weekend throughout the session, and began to find new more comfortable lines around the circuit.

I also began to adjust my body position a lot more, weighting the pegs and keeping my body over the front of the bike, to help stop the bike wheeling every time it hit a crest. It all seemed to work, and again helped to improve the lap times.

With the tyres very much past their best I posted my fastest lap, thanks to really focusing on pushing the front into turns hard, and using the extra grip the slicks give. It also made the bike more stable and inspired me with a lot more confidence.

Sunday – Qualifying

Qualifying didn’t go brilliantly, even if we did take two seconds off the best lap we had posted, but we had made a huge step forwards with the bike and my riding. And when it was considered the massive deficit to everyone else on the grid, in terms of track time, we were very much where we needed to be.

Monday – Race 1

Again we were greeted by some changeable and uncertain weather conditions, and the track was very much in between dry and wet. We opted for intermediates for the race, and due to the crash and having only one extra set of wheels, we took a set of wets, thinking the track would not dry up.

I made a good start and instantly thought I’d made the right tyre decision. I got by a group of guys at the Hizzy chicane, and then began to pull up to the back of the next group. I was feeling pretty good, and happy at the pace, then the red flags came out.

Everyone else switched to slicks, something we couldn’t do.

On the restart I pushed as hard as I could but by the end of lap two it was apparent the tyres were overheating and going off very quickly. It became so slippery and really unsafe. I didn’t want to risk another fall, so retired form the race.

Monday – Race 2

Race two was completely dry and thus with slicks fitted, I was feeling good. The start was manic, but I found a way through and settled into a good rhythm. I began to pick up the pace and was lapping again faster than I’d previously done. I was sitting with most of the Cup guys and the bike began to stutter and drop in and out of ignition. It happened more and more often and eventually got to the point where opening the throttle more than 25% and the bike would simply cut out. It was dangerous and thus I had to again retire.

It was a bad end to a weekend that once again, went against us. We have had so much bad luck this season, but I know we also have made some great progress. We are beginning to find out what works in terms of set-up and I am starting to ride the bike like a Superbike, not like a stocker. It’s still going to be a massive mountain to climb, but I’m sure that if we can keep up the morale and keep taking steps forward, we’ll be there soon.

Friday – Free Practice

First time out on the bike in a much higher spec than anything else I’d ridden was a completely different experience. The speed and power of everything was remarkable. The engine was great! Fast acceleration, but smooth, and the top end was unbelievable!

The Ohlins suspension was also hugely impressive, giving great feedback and feel along with loads of confidence. But the most noticeable improvement was the brakes. After years on stock brakes, the Brembo’s were another world. So strong that every time I pulled the lever my eyes near flew out of their sockets! They were however very stable.

It didn’t take too long to get used to everything, including being back on the Indy circuit. I just focused on getting comfortable and getting a base set-up for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday – Free Practice

We were focusing on improving the bike and the lap-times throughout the day, a job made much easier with the adjustments we had made to the bike’s suspension.

The bike became a lot more stable on the brakes, turned a lot faster and still held the line really good. I could feel the surface of the circuit perfectly, which made planning and attacking the lap much more precise and effective. We also had good consistency.

I began to work on adapting my riding style to the Superbike in the afternoon as well, even though I have been on a 1000cc for the last two seasons. I was using more of the track and taking a much wider, sweeping line into the turns, using the extra grip from the slicks and extra braking power from the monoblock callipers. It was something that I developed throughout the weekend.

We attempted race simulations, but to no avail as the weather was not on our side due to the rain interrupting the sessions.

Sunday – Free Practice

For qualifying day we were simply looking for some more out and out pace. A few more changes to the bike seemed to cure some of the problems from the start of the weekend.

I was still struggling to really get on the gas hard and early, while everyone around me seemed to be able to thanks to the combination of wheels and tyres they were on, while we were using the stock rims. Fortunately we found a good solution, and found a better balance in the bike, which helped us get back to where I was happy with the handling and grip.

Sunday – Qualifying

During qualifying I’d got into a good rhythm and felt happy and confident on the bike. The softer tyre compound was working well, and gave so much feedback it was amazing. I began to push really hard, braking later, turning harder and faster and get on the gas much sooner and it was all feeling really good. Then the gear lever snapped off, and completely broke my rhythm.

The team did a great job getting me back out for the last few minutes but by the time I’d got my head back down the session was over.

Monday – Race One

Race day started good in warm up. We were well on the pace and I was feeling really good. We had a good set-up on the bike and were happy that the tyres would be more than capable of completing the race distance.
Sitting on the start line I was prepared for the race, even though I was extremely nervous! As soon as we were away from the line for the warm up lap, the apprehensions I’d felt drifted away.

I made a good start away from the line, only to get a little boxed in around the opening turn. I made a good exit and got back a few places at Druids, only for the work to be lost after someone decided to make a bit of a do or die move two corners later, forcing me very wide through Surtees. Then we got to Clearways and all just somehow went very wrong!

As I started coming out I pinned the throttle, hooked fourth gear, tucked in and then bang! There was just a bike upright and rider-less right in front of me. I had no where to go and no time to react, I just hit it full on. I can remember just seeing the fuel filler cap before sliding down the road on my backside.

Instantly my foot and groin were hurting and I just simply couldn’t move, maybe it was shock, but it certainly hurt!

All the medics and marshals did a great job, and I was quickly whisked away to the medical centre, where the doctors patched me up really well. I was lucky to get away with just a small fracture in my right foot and some bruising and grazing around my groin, but it was down to the great protection from all my kit.

I was gutted for the team and sponsors and everyone involved with us this year, we’d all put in so much hard work and effort only for this to happen, but it’s not the end by any means.

We’re going to come back, faster and stronger than before, plus we’ll have more bits on the bike which will make a massive difference. So for now I’m going to relax and recover and get back training as soon as I can put weight on my foot. Then at Oulton Park, we’ll show what we can do!

Saturday – Free Practice

We began with the set-up from the Portimao test, along with the standard factory set-up on the Ohlins rear shock. It was a good base to start from and would give us an indication as to which direction to make our adjustments.

The opening part of the session was good. The bike felt a lot more lively thanks to the LeoVince exhausts and DynaPro Interceptor fuel mapping box we had installed. The bike had a lot more bottom end grunt and pull out of the turns, while maintaining great top end speed. I also had more grip and better feel on the rear end.

A quick flying lap bought us up to pace, and with track conditions worsening we ended the session early, rather than risk a fall.

Saturday – Qualifying

We set the bike up with a basic wet weather adjustment inside it, which seemed to be okay, but lacking in terms of mid turn grip. It was difficult to get on the throttle early as the bike would run wide.

I pitted and made a few more adjustments which made the bike turn very slowly, making it difficult to enter the turns. We revoked this change later in the session and began to make some good progress.

We ended with a much smoother feel and more grip, which in turn improved the lap-times extensively.

Sunday – Race One

Starting from right at the back of the field in 32nd place on the grid was something that seemed a little daunting at first, but after some thought and planning, I was pretty certain that I knew what was required.

Off the start I made a good clean getaway and divided to the inside as much as possible, found a gap and stuck to my line. The whole first lap was really just an exercise of staying rubber side down! Once the field had settled I set about making some forward progress.

Lap by lap I gained places, but remembered to take my time and be patient, it was better for the team to finish 20th than fall off trying to get an extra position. I was struggling somewhat when the bike was under heavy load, but used the extra power we had thanks to the LeoVince exhausts to spin the rear, and steer round the harder turns.

I was happy to make a couple more places at the end of the race, finishing 19th, and getting some good points saved for the team. We also gained more knowledge on the set-up of the new bike, and had an idea of what changes we needed to make.

Sunday – Race Two

Again I started from 32nd, but had a new plan for the first lap: to be aggressive and make as many places as possible in the first few turns.

I got a much better start, ran in deep, squared the corner off and got a great run through Craner’s. I had to life my knee and bike up to avoid team mate Bruce Wilson, but apart from that the first lap was fairly incident free.

I made a few more places over the next few laps, with simply set-up, get the drive and out-brake manoeuvres, and then became enthralled in a battle with Scottish rider Les Shand. We swapped places maybe three or four times, and closed in on the group ahead, but he got the better of me, finishing in 14th place at the end.

Overall it was a great weekend. We got some great data to work with, found out more of what works with the K9 and I got back into the swing of close racing. Once we get the bike fully prepared for Brands I’m sure we are going to make some real progress and bag some excellent results.

Day One

Having not ridden since the final round of 2008 I was looking forward to getting back on a bike, on a course which is, quite frankly, awesome!

The first half of the day we opted to use the K7 test bike, that hadn’t even been started since the Almeria test in 2008, and now it had different suspension compared to what I had used throughout the 2008 season! The bike’s Andreani fitted front forks actually felt quite good, even if I was only going round at a moderate pace.

Initially it was just good to be back on a bike, but after a few laps I was back into the swing of things and began to search for better lines and ideas for set-up. The track was so much different to when we had ridden back in October, it actually had grip, but was a lot bumpier. I got a few good laps in towards the end of the final morning session and found a fairly good set-up on the bike.

For the afternoon we decided to switch to the new bike, just to get a good idea for the comparison of the two machines, and within three laps it was obvious as to just how good the new bike is! The chassis is a lot firmer and handles better, the brakes are amazingly powerful, the motor has fantastic pull right through the rev range and even the standard suspension is up to par with some of the race set-up’s I have used before! Even as a completely standard road bike I have to say that this is one seriously fast bike, not just as a road bike, but as a race bike too! It was so good in fact, that I didn’t even ride the K7 for the rest of the test!

We made a few more small adjustments to the suspension to help the bike hold the line and settle on the exit of the turns, but even so it still kept pace with some ex-British Superbikes on the straights and I was even to out-brake them entering turn one! I doubt I could have got even close with the old bike! The only area which was below par, for the track, was the rear shock, which although gave great feedback, wasn’t really designed for really hard laps around the Portuguese track, and thus became looser and looser as it got hotter and hotter, but you’d expect this from any standard shock. Overall first impressions were that the bike is a serious weapon!

Day Two

It was good to start the second day on the new bike with a fairly good base setting, which again we made a few tweaks too, with more preload, compression and rebound on the rear of the bike, while we just tweaked the rebound on the front end. It was all designed to keep the bike more settled and balanced through the exit of the turns, which is where I felt we needed to make improvements.

I was actually surprised at how fast in a straight line the bike was, and just how late and hard I could brake. It was like being back on a 600 when entering turns; you could nearly hold the brakes fully on right to the apex! The only problem was that I couldn’t stop the bike form backing in everywhere where I needed to brake hard or off the centre of the tyre. It may have looked good, but it was making it hard to turn in quickly and stay stable.

We made a few more adjustments front and rear to combat this, and it worked a treat, reducing the backing in, but also allowing for me to push the front into turns a lot harder. It felt fantastic!

For the qualifying we put in a new set of tyres as the ones we had on had done a lot of work and were fairly well shot! It made a big difference, especially allowing me to have some extra edge grip and feel. It helped combat the wiggling at the back from the rear shock, which although was not uncomfortable, was affecting the drive out of slower corners, even if it was really good fun! I didn’t want to get off the bike, it was just so enjoyable to ride, but Mike reminded me that I still had a race in the afternoon and that I was getting anymore tyres. I thought it best to park the bike and try and keep some grip for the 14 lapper that afternoon.

Starting from seventh on the grid was a good confidence boost as the only bikes in front of me were either full World Superbike in the form of Lorenzo Lanzi’s ex factory Ducati 999, World Supersport R6’s or European Superstock with Barry Burrell on board, specification machines! I had some ex-British Superbikes behind me, it was all a bit surreal that my fully standard, four day old K9 road bike was beating most of the guys out there, and I still had my wing mirrors on!

The only downside was that everyone I could see had brand new tyres on! How stupid did I feel? It just made me want to enjoy it even more!

Off the start I got a bit of a push wide, but slotted in behind an R1, which I managed to slide pass by the end of the first lap, and then I set about catching Loic Napoloene on the Celani Suzuki Italia bike (that Chris Seaton rode to the podium at the same track we were on in 2008). I managed to pull in to within a second of his rear wheel before the red flags came out.

I made a bit of a mess of the restart and ended up a bit further back than the opening start, and could feel the tyres getting well past their best, but I was enjoying it so much I didn’t mind the rear spinning and sliding everywhere I opened the throttle. I got into a great battle with Barry Chapman on the ex-Karl Harris BSB R1 from last season and Peter Hancock on a BSB spec GSXR1000, which was an absolute rocket on the straights!

We were swapping positions and having a great time throughout the 8 lap race, with Barry unfortunately having a slow speed off at one of the hairpins. I just managed to nab Peter on the final lap, when I saw God before I hit the brakes at turn one! It was the only way I could get past him. I made it stick and was happy to take sixth place at the finish.

It began to really highlight just how very, very good the bike is. It felt so good to be competitive on a bike that is effectively 15kg heavier and 15bhp down on what the fully prepared version will be. The fact that I could keep pace with Napoloene on the Celani bike filled me with confidence.

Day Three

After a great previous day we were going to use the final day just to do the final small adjustments to try and figure out what will and won’t work on the bike. I felt smooth and fast but it was becoming obvious that the rubber brake lines and factory filled brake fluid was being pushed far beyond its limits, and was making stopping a big problem. On the positive side it enabled me to just keep a track on what the bike was doing in the corners.

I got a really good feeling for the front end, which was planted so well on the entry and mid-turn. I could feel exactly what the tyres were doing at every point, and even with the rear sliding a lot, I could get the gas on early and feel the bike actually sit and twist for grip. The chassis was working brilliantly! It gave so much confidence to push into turns, and it just handles so much better than the old bike. Whatever Suzuki has done, they have done very well! I just can’t wait to ride a fully spec’d up version, watch-out for this bike, I think its going to surprise a lot of people!

Friday – First Practice

The track surface was still nearly brand new, and still very dirty, thus making it extremely slippery, and very much a one line affair, plus, to top it all off, it was raining!

The first plan of action was to learn the circuit and figure out which lines were the best to take and also which parts of the track had more or less grip than the other sections. It was pretty apparent that the whole place was very slippery, due to the new surface, and much of the track was holding standing water, especially in the braking zones, making things very treacherous.

After about half the session I had a decent idea as to where I was going and begun to string a few faster laps together. I wasn’t really pushing due to conditions, but still attempted to put together a smooth and consistent lap.

Friday – First Qualifying

Slightly better conditions greeted us in the afternoon, and it filled me with a bit more confidence than in the morning. I wanted to get a feel for the track to begin with, an then push harder later on as the track improved further.

I got in some good early laps, and found out where the grip was and how hard I could push in certain places. The track was by no means completely dry, but it was the best we’d had so times were improving throughout the session.

I made a few adjustments in the pits to try and help the bike hold the line better mid-turn, which was proving hard on the faster parts of the track. The bike was also very light at the front end tended to wheelie easily. A few clicks solved the problems.

I managed to get a handful of good laps, but none were perfect and I knew I could have done better if I’d have clamed down and relaxed a little more, but overall I was happy, and knew what needed to be done for the following day.

Saturday – Second Practice

The track conditions were no better than the day before, which was a bit disappointing really as we’d all hoped for it to be dry so we could get in some decent fast lap times and find a good set-up.
I got into a decent rhythm early on and was just focusing on stringing together laps, relaxing and smoothing out any problems I had with the wet conditions. I was still feeling pretty anxious in the rain, and I had to focus really hard just to keep myself steady and stable.

The times weren’t too bad, and I began to feel more confident, so we gained a lot of positives from the session, mainly with the bike.

Saturday – Second Qualifying

It was lovely and sunny up until about half an hour before our session and then the heavens decided to open. Pants! I was looking forward to a dry session, and had a really good idea of what was needed from me and he bike to go quick in the good conditions.

Anyways, we set about the task at hand and decided that the same idea of consistent and constant laps was the best way to go, and would ultimately result in better lap times.

Needless to say they did improve, all be it in small chunks, but it was again a positive outcome, and everything had headed in the right direction once more.

Sunday – Race

Well it was the driest it had been all weekend come race day, and although the track wasn’t 100% it was as good as it would get, so we slung in the intermediates and just went for it.

I got a good start, only to be boxed out at turn one, leaving me further back then I had hoped to be.

This meant charging through for the next few laps, getting by people wherever I could, whilst trying to avoid hitting the wet patches and risking a fall. I had to make a few risky manoeuvres, but they all seemed t work ok, and nothing really too scary apart from a few slides occurred.

Once I’d managed to get through a few guys I focused on the group ahead, and tried to chase them down, but to no avail. The gap stayed constant no matter how hard I tried. I just stayed in my rhythm and kept pushing as hard as I could, and with two laps to go I could feel the pressure of being closed in on.

On the last lap I just held my line as best I could and then a small mistake let the rider through. To my surprise it was Gareth, and I tried my best to get back by him but there just wasn’t enough time or room, and we crossed the line side by side. And that was the end of the season!

I spent the cooling down lap reflecting back and just playing on the bike, it would have been rude not to! A few wheelies and skids for the people in the stands and then it was back to the pits and to the end of the race year!

It wasn’t that bad a way to end the season. I fought to the end of the final turn of the final lap, and gave it 100% all weekend, and we came away with our heads held high really. I’m pleased with the season overall and I’ve been able to see how I improved as a rider. Now I just can’t wait for the new season and the new bikes! Watch this space!

Friday – First Practice

To be honest with it raining, yet again, I didn’t feel overly confident, but knew that I just had to get on with it, and be smooth, precise and consistent. We had a fairly good base setting for the bike, and made only a few changes to accommodate the features of the circuit.

I began the session pretty much tip-toeing around, just getting some small amount of confidence back in the bike and my riding. It was still hard to get rid of the vagueness of Donington out of my system. After a few laps I settled in well, and put together better times lap after lap, pitting every three laps to make some adjustments to keep the bike feeling how I wanted.

By the end of the session all was fairly good, and I was just outside the theoretical qualifying time. It was a matter of 0.1secs, which I had easily obtained with my ideal best time.

Friday – First Qualifying

I opted for some softer spring’s front and rear in the bike, only half a kilo at both the front and rear, to help the bike squat and get some feeling mid turn and on the exit. It felt much better and took only a few laps before I’d bettered the time I done in the morning session, despite worsening conditions.

The rain was coming down hard so I pitted and made a few more tweaks to the bike, with the idea of getting more grip from the front of the bike, thus enabling higher corner speed and less need for hard acceleration mid turn.

It initially felt like a negative change, but after I changed how I was riding it felt a lot more positive and progressive and I just stayed out on track putting in laps, and making myself push small amounts everywhere. Mainly entering turns I was making myself release the brake earlier and on the exit, being more positive and aggressive with the throttle, but maintaining a smooth roll on.

It was about three minutes to go when I pitted for the final time as the rear tyre had pretty much given up and was sliding more than I was comfortable with, and not wanting to risk a fall I called it a day. I was pleased to have knocked a further four seconds off my time from the morning and had qualified, all be it in 32nd, but I was still on the grid if it was worse the following day!

Saturday – Second Practice

It looked like being a dry session, but then the heavens opened for a short time and we went back to the wet settings from the previous day, with the only change being a softer rear spring.
It took me a few laps just to get settled and I put in one flying lap before realising how quick the circuit had begun to dry. From then on we used the practice as a test session, doing one lap before pitting and making more changes.

We found a good set up by reducing some compression on the front and adding a touch of rebound, all in which helped with holding the line, especially on the faster parts.

Saturday – Second Qualifying

Finally we got some dry weather, and it was going to mean having to go hard from the start, something I had previously had problems with, but I just got my head into the zone straight away and focused on doing a couple of laps to sort reference points and from there out it was push everywhere.

I didn’t get into a good group on the first few laps so did a ride through the pits, just to get some space. I got in one clear lap before pitting and making changes to the rear of the bike and also change the rear tyre. I also made a change to the preload on the front of the bike to help with stability on the brakes.

The changes helped, making much easier to keep on line and also helped keep the spin controlled on the exits. It all meant I could get on the throttle a lot earlier. I strung together two good laps and then slowed to get a tow off Foray. I managed to stick with him through the first section really well, and only lost a bit in the second section but I made a big mistake entering the fast Nurburgring chicane, running wide and losing a good second. I had tried to brake where Foray did, and I simply couldn’t halt the bike in time.

It screwed up what was on target to be my best lap, but I was glad to know I could have gone much faster, and I was still 26th on the grid, so I was in the mix of things, and only slightly slower than when we tested earlier in the season.

We had a good idea of what changes we needed for the race, and if the weather stays good I know we are on for a great race.

Sunday – Race

Thankfully it was dry and I knew that the small changes we made to the bike would make a big difference, making it hold the line better and also more stable on turn in. It felt a lot better in morning warm up.

I got an okay start, taking the outside line at both turns one and two and also at Adelaide hairpin, at which point I just hoped, like everyone else, no-one made a kamikaze manoeuvre! Fortunately everyone made it round, unlike last year!

I settled into a good rhythm fairly early on, but by lap three was being held up by Ten Napel, and I was desperate to get by as I could see the group ahead getting away. I finally got through entering the last turns. Once through I got my head down, and was closely followed by Peter Hickman, who was doing his very best to get by, at almost every turn.

At the middle of the race I’d began to close down the group ahead, and could feel myself getting closer to them, then Hicky decided that he wanted to do the chasing, and we spent the next two laps swapping places and paintwork!

After the halfway distance our battle had allowed the group ahead to get away and Pauli Pekkannen to close in and make our dice a three way affair. It was great fun and we each took turns to lead, be middle man and tail of the group, with us being three abreast at points.

The last lap was manic, and tries as hard as I could, I simply couldn’t slot by the pair of them and make a move stick. I was gutted, but also chuffed at having a great race just on the edge of the top 20. I also started to feel back to being confident on the bike and have a really good bike set up ready for Portimao!