Leighton Walker, Snetterton, May 10

Bike: RGV250V, Class: F400 Club: Newera SuperClub

Saturday, Round 2:

I qualified second on the grid behind Sean Carrison and in front of Matt Doughty and Dave Alsop. First impressions were that this was going to be a tough circuit for the 2 strokes .

Race 1

Got off the line 2nd and followed Sean for as long as I could, his bike was a lot quicker than mine and I seemed to have a lot to make up. Dave Alsop nudged his front wheel up the inside of me a couple of times down both the straights but nothing a bit of out braking couldn’t sort out. So held that position with no major incidents and finished second.

Race 2

Got off the line second again but a lot closer to Sean this time. Dave seemed to be having a much better race as he past me on the start finish straight and made it stick.

All three of us stayed pretty close to each other for about 3 laps then I decided to see what the bike could do as we had a huge lead over the rest of the pack.

I upped my pace and found myself level with the 400’s of Dave and Sean throughout I then made the plan for the last lap to take them both at Russells chicane. It was all going to plan with Sean leading and making a few mistakes under pressure I dived up the inside as rehearsed only to be completely shut off by Dave. Dame it! But I would have done the same myself so anyway I ended up 3rd with us all crossing the line within a second.

Enjoyed the race better than race 1 though and it showed in the lap times as I’d knocked another 0.4s off my best lap and also set the fastest lap of the race.

Sunday, Round 3:

After much taunting in the club house the previous night by Matt Doughty about how I should be doing much better lap times, I was really determined to make an impression on the club. I thought long and hard that night about how to make up time and not give in to the 400’s as is the norm here.

Race 1

I must have been the most focused I’d ever been sitting on the start line, there was no way I was going to lose out this time. Go! I was second off the line with Sean pulling a lead again down the back straight but this time I left the brakes real late going into the esses and was back up to him.

This was going to be a close race. We battled hard for three laps but I finally made a pass stick that didn’t allow him back through down the straight. 2 laps past with me in the lead I looked back and saw no one! I wondered if the race had been stopped and I was just rolling around on my own! haha. So I slowed it down a bit having had two huge moments, one of which was at Riches where I’d slid the rear so far out I ended up off the track grass tracking.

With 2 laps left on the back straight I glanced back again to see a 400 come from no where and before I looked forward again it had past me like I was standing still! This bike was seriously quick, it was Matt Barnett-Vincent on his 86hp Yamaha! This was easily 12hp up on any other bike on the circuit. I could live with him in the corners but he just left me like he was on a 600 down every straight.

On the last lap I came round Corams almost touching his back wheel, through Russells he seemed to have a problem and that was me I past him coming out and made it stick to the line! 1st. At bloody last.

Race 2

On the line before race two I looked down at my bike to see water coming from the top cylinder! It was too late so I went for it I was first off the line and tried to get away before anything went wrong. I led for 4 laps but got a couple of slides which left me thinking that water was getting on the tyres, also the gearbox jumped out of gear down both straights every lap. This wasn’t good and I’d been caught by Matt Barnett, Matt Doughty and Sean they all went past but I kept with them.

At the end of the last lap I out braked Sean into Russells and tried to keep 3rd to the line. Well due to the power advantage he past me and we finished 0.00018s apart! Gutted! If only I had taped my transponder to that stick Evan (my mechanic) was on about, I could have thrust it forward at the line and that would have been me. haha .

An excellent weekend all round that saw me stretch my championship lead further.