Silverstone round 6

With the half way point reached, the team finds itself heading towards the end of the season and our one and only visit to Silverstone for what is the shortest, but probably the most important round of the year.

We’ll call this round a 6 phase operation and spend the majority of this review skipping between them (good solid planning skills by the resident LE officer).

These are

1. Phase 1 Race Prep

2. Phase 2 Hosting

3. Phase 3 Qualifying

4. Phase 4 Lunch

5. Phase 5 The Race

6. Phase 6 The ‘Incident’

Phase 1 ‘The Race Prep’

Normally we find our way to circuits on a Thursday in good time to complete the test day and then any subsequent action that falls out of the day (normally a lot where Loz is concerned). However, this week was a single race day for the Endurance team…with restricted access (Friday 1900) due to an overrated 4 wheel festival, and a bloke called Lewis winning (anyone?????). This left the team scrambling for positions in the class paddock early on. Some of the teams took an unfamiliar look for this round for one reason or another…Loz was missing from ‘The Vets’ and Derek was filling in, Loz was however in the paddock…chasing people up with his man bag on and his awesome sock trainer set up… and was to play a major part in the weekend…but we’ll get to that later!

Team 1 was Sgt ‘Spence’ Spencer-Fleet (5 Bn REME) and Capt ”Pep” Brown (6 Bn REME), Team 2 was WO2 ‘Moggy’ Morgan (PWRR) and WO2 AQMS Iain Rowatt (6Bn REME), Vets was Derek, Darryl and Lee, Team 4 saw WO2 AQMS ‘Andy’ Day (8 Trg Bn REME) and Sgt ‘Leon’ Wilton ride as a two man team again. Team 5 was the usual team of Cpl ‘Jase’ Cooper (Sigs) and LCpl ‘Danny’ Richardson (LANCS) teamed up with Tobias George.

Phase 2 ‘The Hosting’

The “Wing” at Silverstone really is the most awesome sight in motorsport. It leaves us simple people wondering ‘what if’ for the majority of the weekend. This leads us smartly into Phase 2, ‘The Hosting’.

Moggy and Marty out front of the wing

Possibly the most important part of the weekend.  As we were utilising the best infrastructure in motorsport (arguably in the world), we thought we should do what good soldiers do and utilise this for our benefit. Having discussed various options early on with No Limits, they gratefully allowed us the access to a VIP Conference room overlooking the Start Finish straight. Now to those that know…this is a once in a lifetime opportunity…for those that don’t…these seats would have cost about 20 Grand the week before (4 Wheel racing seem a little expensive). This meant that Spence (team Manager) had a busy few hours with the team…getting the bikes into location…through scrutineering…whilst attempting to set up the pits and the conference room for our first ‘Hosting’ event ever.  With all this completed by 2200 it was an early night for the team …with their ears ringing from the Team Sgt Maj (Moggy Morgan) “Get this nipped now lads…no one goes to bed until we are ready to receive our guests and tomorrow…sort your admin out early…I do not want a mess in the pits!!!!!!!” Moggy always has a good way with words!.

So with a bright start to the day, and Pep finally getting to the circuit (A busy week in Glasgow, meant he couldn’t get to the race until Sat) and his seal of approval given (as if that’s needed), the team prepared itself to receive its visitors for the day. All the teams Commanding Officers were invited to the event and our team sponsors for 2016…. Team Army (Lt Col ret’d Tim Wakefield), SupaCat (Phil Applegarth and team) and Revision Military (Rob and Nicky). It would seem that we picked the busiest weekend in the Army Sports diary, as General Mark Gaunt (Dir Support) and General Shaun Burley (Chairman ASCB) couldn’t make it due to other sporting commitments. 0930 saw all of the teams guests in the circuit with little or no problems and the opening brief given, it was left to Sgt Maj Moggy to give the all-important safety brief….. this has some relevance for later.

A hive of activity in the garage

The plan was simple, qualify….relax…entertain…have some lunch…a few laps in the pace car…a good look around and then RACE!!!

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Many of our guests hadn’t seen bikes at the speeds we were travelling and the most common statement of the day was “wow..this is really fast, I didn’t expect it to be this quick”, I can assure you all…it feels much slower on the bike, even if the average speed at Silverstone is one of the highest in our racing calendar.

Phase 3 ‘Qualifying’

So to the track, the team sent out its riders for what can only be classed as a few sighting laps. The majority of the team didn’t race here last year…so many of the first few laps were simply trying to find their way around. This is far from ideal…and those that have ever been to a circuit before were at a distinct early advantage. Spence seemed to develop a slight issue with his gears, but for once, everyone seemed to get back to the pits without falling off (this doesn’t happen very often!) That said…the teams put in some solid qualifying laps, with the teams ending their 40 mins qualifying in respective places:

1. Team 1  11th

2. Team 2  21st

3. Team Vets 25th

4. Team 4  45th

5. Team 5  42nd

Phase 4 ‘Lunch’

Normally Lunch wouldn’t feature in a race report, but today…it does, and this is simply due to the amount of effort and preparation that went into it.

We are fortunate in our team to have some very supportive family members and friends. These all made our hosting of guests much easier and provided us with great looking and tasting food. Notable contributions go to Lorraine (Danny’s Mother in-law to be!!!) and Mrs Claire Cooper for her Cupcakes…Colonel James Sunderland (CO 27 Regt RLC) sent a text to General Mark, explaining what he was missing…I didn’t see the reply???. However…all the effort by all of our WAGs is always appreciated…so from me…on behalf of the team…thank you all (this was forgotten in the lunch time address).

Lunchtime address

Riders, family, friends, sponsors and followers all enjoying the food.

 

Phase 5 ‘The Race’ (from Team 1’s perspective)

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So, to the race. This would turn out to be a pretty interesting race. Team 1 got away well and was 5th into the first corner, with team 2 and The Vets chasing hard close by some consistent lap times and a slightly longer stint saw team 1 in  7th by the time Peps 45 minute stint was complete but also his tyre was done!. Tyre management is part of Endurance Racing, but these new Metzelers although grippy, don’t seem to last as long as last year’s tyres. Spence had had a problem during qualifying, which turned into a ‘gearbox out’ type of issue.

Spence stripping gearbox out of bike after qualifying after mechanical issue….

This meant that he was pretty much going onto the circuit with an untested gearbox assy. He realised early that he was having problems, and waved his leg once or twice at Roy (Spence’s dad) on the pit wall. Roy, took this as Spence was coming in…..shouted to Pep and he got ready, with around 13 minutes of his downtime complete (he isn’t as young as he once was) and Spence then came in…Pep went out. Peps Tyre was shot, which produced a huge vibration through his bike at speed, which meant that Pep spent more time out of his seat at each corner than on it!. After another 40 minute session Pep was called in, still running in a respectable 9th place. With our team strategy all over the place we had to think on our feet. The plan was for Spence to finish his full session (ride around his issue, which he did at a good pace), Pep do a short one whilst Spence got his bike fuelled and sorted, and then go back out to take the chequered flag. Our plan to run longer stints was finished but it meant we would have run the same as everyone else, so not a massive issue. However, endurance racing can and often does throw in a curve ball. ON rolling out to take over from Spence, Peps bike wouldn’t start…the normally solid and steady GSXR had vibrated that much, its fuel pump power lead had come off…at the exact time It was turned off to finish the last stint (what are the chances?). This meant that Spence pulled into the pits, had his bike fuelled up, got a drink and went out again to complete the last 30 minutes! By now we had lost 6 laps in the pits which we was never going to get back, but Spence rode like a man possessed to finish the race in a respectable position. Of note… Team Vets had a solid race…running in 10th until the last lap, all they had to do was complete the last lap and take the chequered flag. Again, this racing game throws in a spanner. Lee’s bike cut out with

2 corners left!!!!!!!!!!! Leaving him to get a lift from team 2 at the end of the race! The team was gutted, as its “much more hard work for the aging boys than us young pups” (their words, not ours). The whole team was gutted for them, but taking the positives from a round like this is important…and everyone got faster, stayed on, and built confidence at a tricky and very fast circuit.

Lee’s bike being recovered back to pits after last lap electrical fault

Phase 6 ‘The Incident’ 

So, as we said at the start, Loz wasn’t racing this week. He was getting twitchy when qualifying started and we could all see he wanted to be on the grid, so we all did our best to tell him that he is still fast, that he still has ‘IT’ etc etc. As previously mentioned, Sgt Maj Morgan gave a safety brief, with the most important point….”keep your eyes out for bikes, they move fast and we don’t want anyone getting hit by one in the pits or the paddock”.

An off track incident doesn’t normally make it into race reports, but this one is priceless so has to find its way in. Loz, Our founding member, our oldest, arguably the fastest (he will argue this all day), and most experienced rider in the team comes up trumps…again. When he crashes on circuit, it’s always the biggest one of the year. The last few years have seen Loz have more metal placed in his legs than Metal Micky wearing ‘Trekkies’ at a Battlestar Gallactica convention. He can’t travel abroad without a strip search, and cannot have a scan anymore in case he sticks to the sides.

So, at a period in the race, a team rider (not ours) fell off. This meant he must return to the pits ASAP. The rider, having picked himself off the floor, came into the pits, he was in pit lane and nearly didn’t make the bend into the pits, but pretty understandable as he was attempting to get back quickly to change over rider (this was noticed by several other teams not us). This is where the problems started. Loz, was crossing the pit lane, someone shouted him, but as he is slightly ‘mutton’ after all those bangs from Light guns, didn’t hear what she said so he simply stopped to turn around. I think the shout was to move…so here is the issue. The rider, probably expecting Loz to move out of the way, simply carried on at his pace (too fast or not, probably wouldn’t have mattered) and there was an incident. Without getting into the details too much, Loz was knocked out for around 3 minutes and looked in a very bad way, and seems to have a broken rib or two.  The rider broke his collar bone and has a displaced fracture in his shoulder!!!

So without racing, Loz managed to keep up his 100% record of having a serious crash every season since we started! In truth, I’ve never seen a pit lane as busy before, and this kind of thing is a close run type thing at every round, but it does highlight the fact that this racing business is truly a risky one, and even off track things can happen.

The team wishes the rider of the other team best wishes, and hopes to see him by the end of the year. And we all wish Loz a speedy recovery; he seems to bounce well for a man of 56!

Summary

Our main objective for the weekend was accomplished with great success. The racing, which was a close second, was slightly disappointing across the team, but everyone had a solid performance, we just need those lucky charms at the next round!!! Thanks everyone that attended, Special mention to Colonel James (and Team) and Colonel Tim, Phil (and team), Rob and Nicky. We will improve our hosting technique for future events, so consider this a starter for ten!

Well done team, you all handled yourselves well and raced hard. With a bit of luck and some solid effort Cadwell will be better, I’m sure!!!!

Photo credits to Wil Collins photography – https://www.facebook.com/Wilcollinsphotography

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Snetterton Round 5

The weekend of the centenary anniversary of the Battle of the Somme – 1st July 2016

“In pursuit you must always stretch possibilities to the limit. Troops having beaten the enemy will want to rest. They must be given as objectives, not those that you think they will reach, but the farthest they could possibly reach.” (Field Marshal Viscount Allenby of Meggido, Order to XXI Corps, 1917).

Moggy taking his minute to remember the fallen soldiers

The British Army Endurance Motorcycle Race Team prepared to conduct battle within the No Limits Racing Endurance Championship. The longest race to take place in the last decade, not to be contested on the Western Front, but hosted in Norfolk at the mighty fast flowing Snetterton race track

This report has been written by someone that if asked 4 months ago what kind of bike my husband had, my answer would have been ‘a red one’. However, the enthusiasm and dedication of these men to their racing is not only commendable but infectious.

On Thursday 30th June, I waved goodbye to the man I had once known as my Husband, but had in the last week prior to the race become Mr Nervous Meteorologist. As a supporting member and partner I see the attention and commitment that these men make to their racing, so much so that the vegetarian dish I had loving made for the race day turned into an extravagant Bolognese, with half a cow and the whole bottle of red left out to celebrate. Suffice to say Team 5 rode south in convoy, minus the tomato soup, and set up camp that evening.

Qualifying

Qualifying went well for the most part, Team 5 had their share of issues, with T crashing twice in the same place; like Marquez and Rossi who said lighting never strikes twice. To add insult to injury he lost his glasses in the process!

Qualifying Results:-

Team 1 – 15th

Team 2 – (Moggy was adopted by Team 1 and Iain by Team 3)

Team 3 – 20th

Team 4 – 29th

Team 5 – 35th

Race Day

Team 1 – Qualified in 15th with great anticipation of things to come. Pep fired up his bike, but it wasn’t to be, the bike stopped mid track leaving Pep praying no one would take him from behind!, After most of the grid had passed unceremoniously, Team 1 was left in 44th place. Wayne also suffered some electrical issues, but true to form Team 1 fought their way back up the field. Pep put in a 2.01 in his last session lasting  54 minutes! leaving the ‘Golden Boys’ in 10th place and 10th overall in the National ACU 1000cc Championship.

Spence exiting Coram turn

Team 3 – Poor Lee got off to a poor start, after a slight blonde moment, a Usain Bolt sprint to the bike followed by a first parade check of the bike, the team were in 32nd place. Lee and the bike continued to have communication issues, causing more checks than a NASA launch to be carried out!. Darryl had his clutch in and out more often than a Politician changes his mind, but stayed out and braved the weather. Loz had an uneventful time on track, no crashes, no rain, no safety car, just a minor senior moment regarding the location of his mobile phone charger – in the van where he left it! Iain having been adopted from Team 2 flourished in Team 3, producing a personal best under a code 80 and took the flag in 15th place.

Lee just hitting the brakes no turn one after the start finish straight

Team 4 – The starts were not the order of the day for Team Army, Leon struggled to get off the line but finished his session with a 2.08. James’s brake reservoir blew up into his visor but he stayed on and made it into the pits. Will the ‘Hoppersaurus’ stayed out in the rain while the rest of the team played the ‘Hockey Cokey’ with Andy’s wheels. Will suffered a tumble but got the bike back to the pits. Andy spluttered into the pits on the second to last lap on pure vapours, with the Team finishing 15th overall in the 600cc Championship.

This doesn’t happen often on such a big circuit… 3 teams in one photo. Clubman 600 team, National 1000 and our rookie team all sharing a small part of the track

Team 5 – After mission bifocal achieved! The race lined up on the grid with Team 5 in 35th place. Jase achieved the unthinkable, getting himself up into a top 10 place. However, the success was short lived; entering Murphy’s Corner the front end tucked under and he took a tumble. Leaving the bike he sprinted back to the pits with the transponder. T took over the challenge and was riding well until the rain started and he performed an encore of his team mates at the same corner. This left Danny out in the worst of the short torrential down pour, on slicks! Whilst the weather Gods had a bout of indecision, the boys in the pit frantically changed tyres in 5 minutes, leaving Danny and his slicks doing the “labours of Hercules”. The rookies finished in 34th place but at present still hold the lead in the Novice Championship by 1 point.

Overview

After a promising qualifying, on the race day all 4 Teams had their fair share of issues, however all the men pushed through and gained results they should be proud of.

I have written the above from quotes and anecdotes from the boys, with all their jesting and ribbing of one another it is easy to lose sight of the truth. These men are not only heroes for their country but sportsmen that share a goal, passion and determination to be the best they can be. I would like to thank, on their behalf, Revision Eye wear, Supacat group and Team Army for their support especially for this round.

New Helmets, New sponsors! Thank you!

 

To Team Army – ‘At first they will ask why you’re doing it, later they will ask how you did it’

Also a big thank you to all the team and personal sponsors:-

Bike Tyre Leeds, Country Frog, SP Quickshifter, Hill 4 Leathers, Breakin Point Motorcycle Spares, ePaton Computer Storage, Barnes Racing, Drive DeVilbliss, Autographix, R&B Motors, Hayball Motorcycles, BAMA, Metzeler, ASBO Exhaust, Direct Distribution, Goodridge, British Army Motorsport Association, Adroit.

PHOTO CREDITS to Bryant Photography for these brilliant pics.

Written by Emma, Wife of our rookie racer Tobias George.