Having got everything loaded up the day before, all we had to do was get up and take a leisurely drive up to Pod, which we did!! Lizzy had taken the day off to help Set up and then was going to drive down to Bracknell to collect Jake, while I stayed at the track to get scrutineered.

The weather first thing was very foggy, then the sun came out, and was great not to have to put the awning up in the rain. Got all set up, and Lizzy set off (for what was to be an epic journey road closures, M25 on a Friday, and junction closures on way back plus the joys of driving in thick fog - long story cut short… left Pod at 5 arrived back at Pod just after midnight to more fog!!)

Morning came, and fog still hanging about. Would we get 3 qualifiers today we wondered. Track finally clear to race at 11.30. Due to the Pro Fuel shootout, and other classes, our first run was at 20 to 4.

Run #1

Nothing exciting,  but was decided that as I was favouring the left hand side for the burnout and Chris had a theory, made me burnout on the right, which felt very alien to me as I had never done it that way round before. launched hard onto the bars…. Good straight no drama run. Whether the left hand burnout made any difference time would tell. 7.4124 secs @ 174.34

Back to pits, clutch checked, data downloaded all was ok, the decision was made to put the even bigger jets in!!

Then we waited, and waited, waited some more…. Top Fuel Bike were called out again for their 3^rd Qualifier, and we had only had one…. Dusk came, it was getting a bit nippy, Pro Fuel were called again.

Lizzy, was getting very twitchy about me going out again, even if we were called, Chris was a bit quiet, Ian thought I was mad to consider going out, Jake thought it was brilliant that I may be night racing!! Put my clear visor on my helmet just in case, and then we were actually called. The time was 8pm!!

In the pairing lanes I was concentrating very hard, I do enjoy night racing, but it can be nerve racking. Lizzy by this time was a nervous wreck, and was very worried about me racing in the dark, on an untried set up, she did not want me to go out, I can’t fault her, but it had to be done. After all that was why we were all here. After snapping at her (sorry honey) and telling her rather in politely to go away and take her nervousness with her, I sat on the bike and focused on the job in hand.

Run #2

Extreme Performance Bike Weekend 13/14 September 

After getting the bike loaded and collected the caravan, we duly trudged off to Santa pod in a storm.  Flooding from home to the A45 wasn’t doing a lot to make us look forward to this weekend.

Here we were again, off to sit on an airfield and do nothing but watch the rain from the shelter of the awning.

This year has been the absolute worst, as far as the weather has been concerned, and it was very tempting to just throw in the towel and go back home.  However nothing short of a miracle happened, when we got to Pod, the weather changed, and we were able to get the awning up and unload the bike without getting wet.

Went to sign on to find that Lizz had put the race folder in her bag, but brought another one….. Big thanks to Rich, Big Al’s crew, for taking her home, and fetching it.  The joys of living as close to the track (well, both tracks, these days) is not too much of a drama to “pop” home for forgotten stuff!  Jake, my boy, arrived at about 11, he had not been racing for a while, and everyone was pleased to see him.  It is quite a hike from the Isle of Wight, but is always so good to see him at the track. 

The fog that came down later on in the evening was surreal, and we then had no idea what the following day would bring. Still foggy and a bit miserable in the morning, and then the sun came out. Due to the fog and dampness in the air over night, the track took a long time to get dried.  The track crew, as always, did a sterling job, and the track was good, considering that there were no cars there to lay some serious rubber down.  We got out eventually at 12.30.

Qualifying Run #1

Shakedown run after repairing the gearbox from Hockenheim. Smooth straight run, though the gearbox nicely… Happy Bunny!! 7.6092 @ 169.78 mph - Back to pits, made a few minor adjustments for the next run.

Run #2

Another nice run, still not fast enough but a 1.11 60ft and 7.4401 @ 173mph was pleasing - Adjusted the nitrous timing for next run, and a Team Talk about the possibilities’ of a jet change for the last qualifier of the day. In the end we didn’t change the jets; the last run was at 16.40 so a bit late in the day and was getting cooler….maybe tomorrow!!

Run #3

1.12 60 ft and 7.4714 still 173mph, bit slower - a nice run never the less, but made a good call.

In the evening while the Chef extraordinaire (Ken) was setting fire to the food on the barbeque (which was situated in between two caravans, and Kens and my awning!!) and we eventually had to put it out with a fire extinguisher, we made a decision to change the jets!!  

Lack of runs this season due to the adverse weather has been very frustrating, so decided that as this is the old head, after all, it’s only the head we are planning to use for Lizzy’s motor next year!  Boom boom or bust!!!  Had a good chat, that evening with Steve French and Chris Hall. Thanks to you guys too for answering my questions, and the advice.

Sunday - last qualifier #4

New jets, new day, and another lovely sunny day too!!  Went out with conservative bottle pressure, just to be on the safe side.  Bike launched well, nice and smooth to the 8^th mile, started to drift to the right, kept it pinned, got to the finish line.  Run didn’t seen terrifically fast, but I had just run my PB at 7.29 @184mph!!! If I hadn’t gone the long way round, I may have got a couple of hundredths off it.   Very pleased with that one!!

Back in the pits all smiles and laughter, and still nothing broken!  Clutch checked, bottle weighed, and enough for the next run which would be the first round of eliminations.

Eliminations round #1

The most stupid thing that I think we all had over looked, is that when the jets get bigger, more nitrous will be used, and on this run, I ran out!!!  Won’t do that again!!

Very happy with the weekend, and have come home, with no damage, a PB and a happy crew too!  Well done also to the guys who also ran their PB's at the weekend, so many, and forgotten a few so won't mention any, but you know who you are!!!!

Big thanks, as always to my Crew Chief Chris, Ken, Lizzy, Ian and Lou; to Rick Naylor for the use of his video camera for the run that really mattered, to PJ, Sarah, Lisa and Seff for coming to see us, our Sponsors and last but no means least to Jake, number one son, who when he was not able to help with the bike, made endless cups of tea and coffee for the Team, without being asked, and just having you there was great. 

Nitro OlympX 15-17 August 2008 or One step forward, two back!!

After the Bulldog, where I only got a run, and gave Lizzy the chance to have a go too, we dashed home for the day to get ready, prepare the bike and reload for the Nitro OlympX at Hockenheim. We enjoy no sleep and a challenge!

Got to the docks, and the weather was appalling, the ferries were taking it in turns due to adverse weather, the last ferry had to drop anchor so it could turn safely and dock.  We were hoping that this was not an indication of how the rest of the weekend was going to be.

The journey, solely relying on the Tom Tom, and Lizz’s diverse map reading, we drove through Belgium, in the midst of the most terrific electrical storm,  skirted around Luxembourg, into a bit of Holland, and eventually got to Hockenheim, 17 hours later!!  The security guards, let us in no problem, and we abandoned caravan in middle of pits, climbed in, and went to bed.

Set up in the morning, bike sorted, and having taken our road bike too, went out and about, did some sightseeing, shopping for the crew, Chris and Ken, who were flying in the following day and generally acted the tourist! The joys of independence!!

Bike scruteenered ok, Chris and Ken arrived, and we were all ready for Friday, where it rained until late afternoon, so took the head off for something to do, and found a couple of bent valves, which Ken “modified”, and make a couple of changes.  The track crew managed to get out and dry the track, fair play and great job, and we got a run, which was wheel spin city.  (Still got number 2 qualifier.) This spin we battled with all over the weekend.  We were chipping away at the sixty foots again, and I ran my PB, only by a few hundredths, but a PB is a PB, and we were happy with the performance of the bike overall. 

We got into the semi finals, and although lost the race, it was a very honorable second, lost on the tree against Christian Jaeger, who has really upped the anti, and pulled a 0.080 reaction to my 0.180…. I didn’t see him until the second half and he came past me, at the moment my nitrous bike does not make big power at the top end, hey ho!!  The bike stayed intact, and ready to face another race meeting this weekend at Shakespeare County for an ACU round!!

The presentation evening was a super affair, and all the best to Rico who announced his retirement form the organizing of this event.  Well done also to Dave Smith, for winning Super Street for the 3^rd year in a row. The whole weekend was excellent, Lizzy, who had never been before, will certainly go again, she says with a smile “Maybe one year on a bike of my own!!” 

Packed up, went to the Hotel for breakfast, and said our goodbyes. Chris and Ken back on the Train Plane and Automobile thing, we had the long drive home – the round trip exactly 1200 miles!
To Chris and Ken; The help we got this weekend, from you guys was over and beyond the call of duty.  To fly over to Stuttgart, get a train, then taxi to the track, Ken lending me his engine in case things went horribly wrong, and Chris for being the great guy he is, thanks, and breakfast don’t seem to cut it, but thanks so much for the support.

Drove to Calais, with 15 minutes to spare but 2 hours later than the intended ferry, 14 hours later, at 2am, we abandoned the van and caravan on the High street, to be unloaded the following day.

Bike in garage in the morning, Lizzy took the clutch apart and re did, and I was going to replace an outrigger bearing …….. re assembling it, the bolt from the output shaft simply fell off, and after a lot of discussion, I have pulled my entry for Shakespeare, neither of us are too keen on another lot of sleepless nights, only 3 days to go before the meeting, would rather wait for the new motor, and be up and running for the Extreme Bike Weekend at Santa Pod in September, which will give us more time to go though the bike and make sure all is well. ….. This season I am mostly having gearbox issues!