NG Road Racing
Pembrey
29th, 30th and 31st May 2010

Saturday;
Race 5; Round 5 Qualifier; 7 laps

The weather was wet, very wet so I fitted full wet tyres to the FJ Racer for both practise and this race.
Its not that I don’t like riding in the wet, being smooth and the FJ’s torque engine helps, its that I don’t seem to be FAST.
I was again kindly given a grid position of 11th and my main competitor Adam Jeffery (racing a 2001 R1) had position 12th. After a poor start I got trapped at the hairpin as 26 guys pile into a 180’ first bend called ‘Hatchets’ (rightly named). Adam was gone, obviously quick in the wet conditions and for once he seemed to get a good start. The race settled down and I finally caught up a few Street Stock guys, by the last lap I over took a ZX10R around Paddock bend but by the main straight he was back in front. On the final lap I went to over take him again around Paddock Bend, he had moved over to the wide line so blocking me. The answer was cut to the inside line and take him there, when I accelerated hard I
accidentally caught up the guy holding him up, so with a ‘Who Dares Win’ I went around the outside of him on his GSXR1000K6 as well. Must of looked good!
Managed to keep them both behind me across the line so giving me a 13th position while Adam had made an excellent 10th, with a time of 1:10.27

Race 14; Round 5; 7 laps

Weather? Wet! Damp! Dry!. Yes it was all of these so running scared I fitted Wet front and Race rear. It was a fair choice as Adam had the same thought and turn up to the race accordingly.
On the grid Adam was 10th, I was 13th. The main goal was to beat him. Even though we are racing amongst the Street Stock guys, the Pre-Injection is a race within this class.
Had a fair start, but not my usually ‘Stoner’ start. Managed to get behind Adam into the first hairpin and kept on his tail for a few laps, noticed that Adams R1 was wheeling out of the 2nd hairpin (Brooklands) shit his R1 is fast. But my main
problem was getting out of Hatchets, Adam would leave yards on me. The problem I sussed out later was I was taking it in 3rd gear, 2nd was found to be far better but care was need when accelerating hard not to ‘Highside’ it.
After few more laps I had a few goes at over taking Adam into the hairpin but each time I was being held up by a Street Stock guy or they simply went straight on, so spooking me. Finally had a moment out of the hairpin, the wet front was not liking the drying track, so decided to let Adam go, he was quicker than me and I was pushing too much to catch him.
The result was Adam came 11th (1st in class) and I came 12th (2nd in class) right behind him with a time of 1:5‘53.
12th out of a race of 26 modern bikes seemed a fair result, but the problem was I wanted to be first in class. There was always Mondays race!

Sunday

NG had arranged a Anniversary Race Day called the Prince of Pembrey.
The idea was to have a 15 minute qualifying session, the times would be put on a list from the fastest to slowest taking no account of bike or cc.
Then it would be broken into 5 races, the result I was put into the 2nd group with a grid position of 20th. The was two races with points for both over a massive 12 and 13 laps. The total points would be added and then the top three get a trophy and one additional tanker for a outstanding ride.

The weather was spot on with it being sunny and around 20’c. The racing was excellent, because you were racing with everyone around you with similar lap times it was a fairing bashing race.
The first race I managed to get up to position 13th and the second race I had a blinding start and managed to get into 6th place on the first lap but over the extra long race the big bikes caught me up.
I was having a big problem of my arm bumping up, this made it difficult to get full throttle and hard braking. The last few laps I backed off as it was becoming dangerous and 2 bikes passed me which I should of held off.
The result of another 13th with a time of 1:3.83, quickest time to date.
Later that evening the NG organisers presented me with a special Pembrey Anniversary Tankard, I think it was for my effort in the race with my out of the ordinary Yamaha FJ1100. Big thanks for that, made my day.

Monday;
Race 5; Round 6 Qualifier; 9 laps

 Back to my 11th starting position I had a good start and was in front of Adam for the first few laps but I soon started to worry about my arm pumping up again, so I knocked the pace off a bit and tried to relax (best you can racing with a FJ at full throttle out of every bend and standing it on its nose for the two hair pins).
To reduce the arm pump I decided to use the full four fingers on braking as I normal just use two finger as this seemed to put to much strain on my forearm.
With only a few laps to go to finish Adam passed me into Brooklands hairpin. I thought ‘I’m knocking off the pace a bit but not enough to give my spot too Adam.’ So I put the pace back up and the next time at Brooklands Adam lost drive coming out of the hairpin and I passed him on the acceleration.
As I went pass the start grid I saw the ‘last lap’ flag but as I braked into Hatchets hairpin I over braked as I wasn’t still use to using the full hand on braking. The result was the front washed away dumping me on the ground. Shit!
This meant Adam would be given 9th on grid (his time was 1:3.21) and I would be last on the grid in 22nd.

Race 14; Round 6; 10 laps

Now this would be an uphill struggle. Its bad enough starting next to Adam let alone 13 places behind. There was no other way but to put in one of my ‘Stoner’ starts.
With a fantastic start I managed to get just two places behind him as we went into Hatchets. By the time we were into Brooklands I had passed him.
This must of shocked Adam and fired him up because the next lap around into Brooklands he passed me, but because he went in hot he again had poor drive out so I passed him by the time I had changed into 4th gear.
Finally we got held up with a few Street Stock guys and Adam made a clean pass, I wasn’t far behind but Adam seem to ‘pull the pin’ and I was being care full into Hatchets so not to repeat my last performance there, so I was unable to match him and the last two laps I knocked off the pace to make a safe 2nd and was kind of hoping that Adam would buckle under pressure and make a mistake has he continued to battle with another Street Stock, but it didn‘t happen.
I finished 11th (2nd in class) with a lap time of 1:04.02 and Adam 9th (1st in class) with a super fast time of 1:03.05.

Conclusion 
Great three days racing but lost 10 points against Adam in the Pre Injection class.
Adam and his 2001 R1. He is very fast and he’s going to take some beating.
Next race is June 12th and 13th at Snetterton, at a track again that I’ve never raced at and only done a few track days there, so lets hope I learn quick as Adam is giving nothing away.

over to the wide line so blocking me. The answer was cut to the inside line and take him there, when I accelerated hard I
accidentally caught up the guy holding him up, so with a ‘Who Dares Win’ I went around the outside of him on his GSXR1000K6 as well. Must of looked good!
Managed to keep them both behind me across the line so giving me a 13th position while Adam had made an excellent 10th, with a time of 1:10.27

Race 14; Round 5; 7 laps

Weather? Wet! Damp! Dry!. Yes it was all of these so running scared I fitted Wet front and Race rear. It was a fair choice as Adam had the same thought and turn up to the race accordingly.
On the grid Adam was 10th, I was 13th. The main goal was to beat him. Even though we are racing amongst the Street Stock guys, the Pre-Injection is a race within this class.
Had a fair start, but not my usually ‘Stoner’ start. Managed to get behind Adam into the first hairpin and kept on his tail for a few laps, noticed that Adams R1 was wheeling out of the 2nd hairpin (Brooklands) shit his R1 is fast. But my main
problem was getting out of Hatchets, Adam would leave yards on me. The problem I sussed out later was I was taking it in 3rd gear, 2nd was found to be far better but care was need when accelerating hard not to ‘Highside’ it.
After few more laps I had a few goes at over taking Adam into the hairpin but each time I was being held up by a Street Stock guy or they simply went straight on, so spooking me. Finally had a moment out of the hairpin, the wet front was not liking the drying track, so decided to let Adam go, he was quicker than me and I was pushing too much to catch him.
The result was Adam came 11th (1st in class) and I came 12th (2nd in class) right behind him with a time of 1:5‘53.
12th out of a race of 26 modern bikes seemed a fair result, but the problem was I wanted to be first in class. There was always Mondays race!

Sunday

NG had arranged a Anniversary Race Day called the Prince of Pembrey.
The idea was to have a 15 minute qualifying session, the times would be put on a list from the fastest to slowest taking no account of bike or cc.
Then it would be broken into 5 races, the result I was put into the 2nd group with a grid position of 20th. The was two races with points for both over a massive 12 and 13 laps. The total points would be added and then the top three get a trophy and one additional tanker for a outstanding ride.

The weather was spot on with it being sunny and around 20’c. The racing was excellent, because you were racing with everyone around you with similar lap times it was a fairing bashing race.
The first race I managed to get up to position 13th and the second race I had a blinding start and managed to get into 6th place on the first lap but over the extra long race the big bikes caught me up.
I was having a big problem of my arm bumping up, this made it difficult to get full throttle and hard braking. The last few laps I backed off as it was becoming dangerous and 2 bikes passed me which I should of held off.
The result of another 13th with a time of 1:3.83, quickest time to date.
Later that evening the NG organisers presented me with a special Pembrey Anniversary Tankard, I think it was for my effort in the race with my out of the ordinary Yamaha FJ1100. Big thanks for that, made my day.

Monday;
Race 5; Round 6 Qualifier; 9 laps

 Back to my 11th starting position I had a good start and was in front of Adam for the first few laps but I soon started to worry about my arm pumping up again, so I knocked the pace off a bit and tried to relax (best you can racing with a FJ at full throttle out of every bend and standing it on its nose for the two hair pins).
To reduce the arm pump I decided to use the full four fingers on braking as I normal just use two finger as this seemed to put to much strain on my forearm.
With only a few laps to go to finish Adam passed me into Brooklands hairpin. I thought ‘I’m knocking off the pace a bit but not enough to give my spot too Adam.’ So I put the pace back up and the next time at Brooklands Adam lost drive coming out of the hairpin and I passed him on the acceleration.
As I went pass the start grid I saw the ‘last lap’ flag but as I braked into Hatchets hairpin I over braked as I wasn’t still use to using the full hand on braking. The result was the front washed away dumping me on the ground. Shit!
This meant Adam would be given 9th on grid (his time was 1:3.21) and I would be last on the grid in 22nd.

Race 14; Round 6; 10 laps

Now this would be an uphill struggle. Its bad enough starting next to Adam let alone 13 places behind. There was no other way but to put in one of my ‘Stoner’ starts.
With a fantastic start I managed to get just two places behind him as we went into Hatchets. By the time we were into Brooklands I had passed him.
This must of shocked Adam and fired him up because the next lap around into Brooklands he passed me, but because he went in hot he again had poor drive out so I passed him by the time I had changed into 4th gear.
Finally we got held up with a few Street Stock guys and Adam made a clean pass, I wasn’t far behind but Adam seem to ‘pull the pin’ and I was being care full into Hatchets so not to repeat my last performance there, so I was unable to match him and the last two laps I knocked off the pace to make a safe 2nd and was kind of hoping that Adam would buckle under pressure and make a mistake has he continued to battle with another Street Stock, but it didn‘t happen.
I finished 11th (2nd in class) with a lap time of 1:04.02 and Adam 9th (1st in class) with a super fast time of 1:03.05.

Conclusion 
Great three days racing but lost 10 points against Adam in the Pre Injection class.
Adam and his 2001 R1. He is very fast and he’s going to take some beating.
Next race is June 12th and 13th at Snetterton, at a track again that I’ve never raced at and only done a few track days there, so lets hope I learn quick as Adam is giving nothing away.