Cadwell Park: BMW S1000RR MRO Stocksport 1000

Racing a 190bhp-plus superbike with race gearing, suspension and sticky Metzeler Racetec Interact tyres around Cadwell Park isn’t something I’ll forget in a hurry.

The speed of my Vari-Trac BMW Park Lane S1000RR shrink’s Cadwell’s already narrow ribbon of tarmac into the size of a garden path, so it’s a case of threading the needle with corners being relentlessly thrown at you like a computer game on fast forward. It’s a breathtaking experience.

It rained all the way through Friday practice and Saturday’s first qualifying, which wasn’t all bad because I got to try the rider aids for the first time in the wet.

Using ‘race’ mode gives you full power with a softened throttle response, a moderate level of traction control and ABS on front and rear wheels.

It’s definite peice of mind knowing that however hard you brake or accelerate in the wet, as long as you’re upright, you’re not going to come a cropper, especially good for riding on dry tyres in slippery conditions.

For Saturday’s second qualifying and sprint race it was the first time I’d ever ridden the BMW in the dry. I qualified 7th and finished 3rd in my MRO Stocksport 1000 class, but I could have done with more dry time to set the S1000RR up.

For Sunday’s two 12-lap feature races I scored a third and second (and went progressively faster each time out on the bike) but that was with a few National Superstock racers taken out of the results.

They were practicing for next weekend’s BSB round, so weren’t included in the MRO championship results, so hats off to Michael Booth, David Gowen, David Ferns and Rob Hoyles.

Thanks has to go to the team: Rick, Mike, Paul and Nick for coming to support me. The next (and final) round is at Brands on Oct 2/3, where my teammate Stef Cappella will be back out after breaking his ankle. It’s going to be a long wait.