Weekend Review, Pembrey Wales.
So this weekend I had agreed with a very very good mate to race his Honda CBR600 instead of my SV650. I knew it was going to rain at some point so decided to race it in the dry and the SV in the wet. I arrived in Pembrey on Friday morning and did the afternoon test on the SV. I had forgotten how much I love this circuit and why I love it. I did three sessions in the dry on friday and got my time down to a 1:06, my fastest around here. The grip level of this tarmac is unbelievable, I bet Silverstone wished they used the same tarmac'rs. On Saturday I went out to qualify on the CBR, I set a time of 1:08.603 on lap 10 of 11. This was my first time on track on the 600 and it was good fun. Felt quicker than the SV but I didn't push it too much as we have just finished building the bike for next year and I didn't want to bend it or me :). As I pulled in after qualy I noted the dyno was available, I pulled up and waited. While I sat patiently I noticed a pair of brake pads on the floor by my front wheel! Yes they really had just fallen out of the right front brake caliper! I carried the very hot pads back to find a replacement pad pin and refit them. My Time in Qualy meant I started the first race in 12th place. The bike felt great the brakes were good and the bike felt fast. I spent a race making some passes and finished in 9th with a best time of 1:07.107. This time meant I started the second race in 8th. The second race was just more of the same, bike worked perfectly, as it should, I built it, and the race was another fun event. I lost a few places off the start and spent the race making my way up until I finished in 10th having dropped one place over the full distance. My best time was a 1:06.081 which placed me in 9th for the next race.
Sunday was wet, it rained, a lot. The first race was the wettest and I was back on the SV now, with camera's rolling. I forgot just how grippy the circuit is, even in the wet. I usually hate the wet but this was actually very good fun and I was passing people around the outside with no problems at all. An ok start and good pace meant I completed this race in 6th. My time placed me 6th for the start of the final race. It was still raining but not as hard as earlier. I had the best start, to be honest it could of been better, and rounded the first corner in fourth place. I made my way around the first three corners too tentatively and immediately lost a place pushing me back to fifth. For the remainder of the race, and looking back at my video, I was in a battle with a 400 finally being passed when I made a mistake on the brakes, I should of tipped in but decided to wait and it cost me a place, I finally finished the race in 7th having set a time of 1:09.141.
My points tally for the weekend was 32 and it rounded of my best weekend of the season with great starts, results and good close racing with some great guys and gals on track. All in all a great place and great weekend to finish off an up and down season which started off on a slower bike then became quicker and unreliable until eventually I sorted the bike and now have performance and reliability to finish off. Now comes the plans for next year and the work on the SV.
Championship points :114
Final Championship position: 11th
Vince
Thunderbike Sport
Qualifying Time: 1:08.603
Race 1 Fastest Time: 1:07.107
Race 2 Fastest Time: 1:06.081
Race 3 Fastest Time: 1:11.619
Race 4 Fastest Time: 1:09.141
Fastest Thunderbike Sport time this weekend:1:03.349
