Race one, Brands Hatch

Another iconic track. Having been to Brands Hatch to watch World Super Bikes and British Super Bikes, this was quite a thrill to ride. Rode out of the pits for untimed practice, on warm tyres on a warm dry day in March, what a difference. During timed practice you are in your class so all bikes are roughly the same speed, untimed practice tends to have mixed classes on track at the same time. Out onto the track and down paddock hill bend with images of imitating Carl Fogarty, Michael Rutter, and Shaky Burn. Illusion shattered as soon as a few faster bikes from a different class came past at a rate of knots, good lord they are fast.

Immediately became apparent that there are a few lunatics who are so gifted that they are a in a different league, not just in the 400 class, this seemed to be the case in all classes. The bulk of riders are good, very good in fact, easily as good as the expert group on a track day however those few at the front are exceptional. Then there are the tail enders and novices, like I, who again are in a different league just at the other end of the spectrum.

Needed to set some rational expectations so started off by trying to peg some of the other tail enders and slowly caught them. Next objective was to be lapped twice instead of three times. End of the first day and was in the mix with the tail enders and only being lapped twice so objectives met. Hotel, food, many deep breaths and rest.

Day two, expectations were to only be lapped once and once lapped to try to peg the leaders as long as possible to watch and learn. Times improved and by the end of the day were only being lapped once. Pegging the leaders was tricky though as one point learnt on public roads was not to ride someone else’s line. Turns out same applies on the track. Leaders went past, followed their line immediately ended up on the grass by taking a line through a corner without the ability to ride it so ended up off the track. Heart leapt into mouth as there is no grip on grass at all and steering is not going to happen. So off the gas, do not steer, let the bike wander and gently coax it back onto the track, back on the gas.

Third learning point, grass trashes tyre grip for the next few corners – be very conscious of this and slow down, couple of corners in and wind the power back on, tyres come back quickly enough but for the immediate two or three corners following an excursion tyres do not grip.

Brands meeting finished, bike and rider as they turned up, did not finish last – finished last but one – so making progress and still in one piece.