How long have I been into biking?
I guess I was a born again biker at 16! I first had a bike, a yamaha TY80 trials bike, when I was seven years old, but differences with my team manager/sponsor (my dad) meant that I only got to use it for one season before a new rider (my brother) was brought into the team to replace me! In 1993, aged 17, I went on my first holiday with Mike to the Bol D'Or at Circuit Paul Ricard near Marseille on the back of his CBR600. When we got to the ferry port about 40 miles away it was the furthest I had travelled on a bike in one stretch, the next day we covered a total of 550 miles! My mum was so cool for letting me go, and I think my dad was green with envy as he had often talked about going. We spent the weekend at one of the biggest biking parties around, it was quite an eye-opener for me, but I've loved bikes, particularly sports & race bikes ever since. I did my first trackday in February 2002 and have not been able to get enough of the adrenalin buzz ever since!

What inspired you to start racing?
I probably would not have even considered racing had I not ventured across the bikegirl website during my search for some new biking stuff during summer 2005. I first attended a Bemsee race meeting, and met the girls same weekend in September of the same year. Easter 2006 I went to Valencia with Racedays, and though the races their are of a time trial format as no standing grid is allowed I got a bit of a bug for wanting to beat the person in front. There were five girls riding that weekend and I won the lady's cup! I have spent a few weekends this year with the girls, learning how things work and partying hard (I won't get to next year so I might as well make the most of it now). I also rode at the Big Bikegirl Get Together at Anglesey, where winning "rider of the day" just confirmed that I wanted to race next year.

What are your ambitions?
To not be at the back, to beat the person infront, to get on the podium during my rookie year, to be faster than Mike and most of all to have fun out there!

Who who do you look up to in racing?
All of the riders out there in the National and International championships. The trackdays I have done have just given me a greater admiration for the racers out there. There are also a lot of riders at club level who, had luck and finances been different, could have made it at national level at least, I have a huge respect for these guys and hope to learn a lot from them when I'm racing.

Who's your favourite racing hunk?
... goes all girly and doe eyed thinking of various racers...
I can't name just one as there are too many gorgeous men out there, but if I have to name names I'd say Neil Hodgson was probably my first biking hunk, Leon Haslam and James Toseland are both very pleasing to look at, and Chris Walker has a special place there too, he has a spark in his eyes and a cheeky smile, I've met him a couple of times now and he has always had time for people, he was even encouraging Mike and I to go racing when we saw him in the Valencia paddock, and yes I did have tears in my eyes when he got that win!

Access previous year's reports here: 2008 ; 2007

BMCRC Centenary meeting at Brands Hatch 18 & 19 April 2009

Well that didn’t turn out to be the start to the season that we planned!

On collecting my bike from Seton Tuning on Thursday afternoon I was pleased to hear what Phil had to say about my engine and looked forwards to getting down to Brands and getting out on track for the test day. Unfortunately for Rich there was a little more work required than anticipated to get it ready and as such he was up to the early hours working on it.  Without his help I’m not sure that I would have even made it out onto the damp track to ride like a scared novice track-day rider!! I really did not enjoy being out there, but knew that not having even ridden a bike for 6 months I was likely to be a bit rusty, so decided to just give it time for everything to settle in.  I’d never been so slow round Brands Hatch Indy circuit, but the whole thing just seemed scary and I was really struggling to relax. The various improvements that we’d made to the bike over the winter couldn’t even be properly tested with a narrow dry line (that with my nervousness felt like I was riding a tight-rope) meant I was very ginger with the new brakes – at least they would be gently bedded in. During the afternoon the rain came down, on went the wets and finally I started to relax and enjoy it – though I was still very slow.

Saturday morning came and I had to get out there and qualify – now had I had the planned training and track time before the start of the season I should have been back on my previous best of around the 55s mark by now. Best laid plans and that – instead the best I could do was so slow I can’t bear to write it here!

Saturday
Race 1
Riding somewhere near the back, but trying to progress through, unfortunately the clutch slipped above 12000 revs preventing the true drive getting to the track and meaning I had to ride low in the rev range, then on the last lap as I pulled out of Graham Hill Bend I heard a “tink tink tink” metallic tapping noise. Not sure what this might be and wondering whether my weekend might even be over before its really started Rich and I had a bit of a wander round the 400 paddock (it was great to have the whole class so close). A couple of people suggested it may be the rivets in the clutch basket, turned out not to be the case, but at least I understand my clutch a lot better than I did before – as I’d never seen inside it until then. The clutch slip appeared to be caused by the cable, so borrowed one in place and adjusted I was ready to go out again.  Thanks to Simon “zxr parts” Braby, Simon Exton, Phil Polden, Kev Neal and anyone else that popped by for all their help. As we put the bike back on the stand we noticed the source of the metallic noise – the sharks fin was missing a bolt, so with a new bolt inserted, and taped over for security I was ready to go out for a second race.

I enjoyed seeing the classic racing, amazing to see how close and hard fought some of their battles on very expensive, beautifully cared for old machines. Very impressive and what a fantastic sound they made. 

Race 2
Not a great start, and still struggling to relax – not that I realised that while I was on track – I rode round to a finish and was relieved that the clutch slip was gone. I was erratic with my braking, but discovered that once I learn to use my new brakes I’ll be able to dramatically reduce my braking distances, but for the moment I was braking harder than I could last year, but doing it in the same place as last year, meaning that my corner speed was compromised.

Sunday
Race 1
We’d tried to have race 1 just before lunch, but that was stopped following an incident, and though initially we were due to resume straight after the lunch break that was then rescheduled again to after the classics. So back out onto the grid for another start – not great so time to get catching others, unfortunately we’d slightly over-tightened my clutch cable in making some adjustments to the controls meaning a return of some clutch slip.

Race 2
With the clutch adjusted some more I was looking forwards to a good race to finish the weekend. I was on the back of a group that I hadn’t seen all weekend, and though I lost out to them in a couple of places I could catch back to them in others. As the race went on I started to learn the capabilities of my new breaks with the rear wheel squirming a little into Paddock, and even more at the start of lap 4, I then struggled to make it hold the line through Druids and Graham Hill Bend. Even though I knew my times must be coming down and I was relaxing and enjoying myself, as I had been keeping with that group I lost contact with them at this time. I was annoyed with myself and my amateurish riding for not being able to hold the line. As I came to Surtees there was a slippery surface flag being waved and it looked like a marshal was running to pick up debris from the track, I backed off so I wouldn’t be unseated by the obstacle yet I didn’t see anything on the track. I rolled the power on out of Clearways onto the start finish straight, short-shifting through the gears then saw the black and orange flag with my number.  Immediately I back of and then pulled off at the next safe place at the top of Paddock. As I pulled to a stop smoke engulfed me. When I was off the bike I turned around to see that above the entire track hung a blue haze, immediately I was concerned that another rider could have come off on oil spilt by my bike.  That last lap with my rear tyre covered in oil was still faster than any lap of any previous race!!

Turned out one of my oil lines had fractured, spraying oil into my belly pan and onto my exhaust (hence the smoke screen). Much of the oil lost over the time was caught by the catch tank, but inevitably with it getting onto my rear tyre it also got onto the track, so I am relieved that the riders took the decision not to restart. Apologies to those riders who wanted to complete the race to full distance and thanks to everyone that was very understanding and spared me some of their time at the end of this eventful race. I left feeling a little better and pleased to be a member of the Bemsee EDIAsia Formula 400 class.

Partly as a result of the work the Rich, assisted by me, is doing to my bike before I venture out on track again I have now rescheduled my year and am planning to be at more Bemsee races than I was. Looking forwards to returning to Snetterton, the location of some of my best races over the last couple of years, first of all for some testing to ensure that everything is as it should be after this work and then back with Bemsee in June.