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| Mick Rudd debuts his Yamaha RD250 after a huge build effort. |
Intro
It’s a warm sunny Monday morning while I write this, a stark
contrast to the conditions yesterday that would have better suited a snorkel
and flippers rather than a motorcycle. Well the weather might not have been
100% on our side but, for those of us who made it, this final round of the 2019
season will be one to remember. For reasons good and bad.
Snetteron is normally somewhere towards the beginning of the years
program so we were all a little surprised (some dismayed) to see it as the
season finale. With two huge straights, this 2 mile long circuit doesn’t take
as long to get round as you might think and does offer some rather different
challenges in its layout.
Attending this weekend were Johnathan Brown, Gavin Heggs and Mick
Rudd. Heggs had left the VFR750 at home so he could concentrate on the Yamaha
RD250 but more excitingly, Rudd would would be fielding his own RD250 to
replace the Suzuki X7. The RD was built with the help of Andy Green, Dave
Bond and Roy Dale. It certainly looked the part but we were all interested to
see how it performed on the day.
600 Junior Production
#41 Brown
I was
quite enthusiastic to be coming to Snetteron. It looks quite different to the
other circuits I have sampled so far and I was curious to see what it had to
offer.
After both
practice sessions I came back excited to get stuck in. So much so a fresh front
tyre(no rears in stock sadly) was purchased for that extra bit of grip that the
weather conditions told me I might need.
I felt
like my pace was improving as ever and a good start saw me in front of Rudd.
Things
were going well as I closed the rider in front of me up until Murrays where my
back end stepped out on me. Before I knew it I was flicked up into a high side
and sent tumbling across the circuit. Fortunately for me the other riders
managed to avoid me (and more importantly my bike) but I had taken a
battering none the less. That was the end of the weekend for me as I was carted
off to Norwich hospital. If only they had a back tyre in stock...
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| You don't need to be a pilot to fly in the Royal Air Force |
#71 Rudd
After a tentative qualifying in damp conditions I was
pleased to have found that i had qualified 24th on the grid, not amazing but
reasonable progression on the FZ.
Race 1 saw me line up alongside Jonathan Brown which should have
made for an interesting race. The conditions had improved from qualifying but
the first lap highlighted that there are some tricky corners in changing
conditions. After an average start i set about chasing the riders ahead of me
until the race was Red Flagged. Passing the incident i could see that Brown had
come off and was in some pain. Following the restart there was a bit more
caution in the field and I finished in 21st place.
Race 2 was started in sunny dry conditions. Confidence grew
rapidly and I was able to push the FZ faster through the corners. The lap times
reflecting the growing confidence. Despite closing the rider ahead down each
lap I was unable to catch him crossing the finish line 1/10 sec behind in 24th.
Race 3 saw a return to the damp conditions with bikes running on
when braking and losing grip exiting the corners. The FZ felt very twitchy at
certain parts of the track. Then the rain began the pace slowed and everyone
was just trying to survive. Not great racing weather but i managed to finish in
17th place.
Post Classic 250 air cooled
Race 1
#71 Rudd
So i was building an RD250 to be ready for next season.
Following Mallory the conversation turned to could it be ready for Snetterton?
The reply from Andy Green was ‘Not Impossible’ after a month of continuous hard
work from myself, Roy dale and Andy Green I arrived with a shiny new RD. the
only downside was the bike had not turned a wheel in anger so was a complete
unknown. Qualifying saw me trying to adjust to the bike and get a feel
for it in testing conditions. Eventually qualifying in 30th.
Race 1 saw me trying to explore the capabilities of the RD. It
seemed quick enough with a couple of minor jetting issues and the handling was
taking a while to get used to. I managed to have a good race with some of the 4
stroke bikes around me at the time and finished in 22nd place. Definitely room
for improvement.
#74 Heggs
I
wasn’t too sure what to expect when I set off for Snetterton. It had been a
while since the last time I was here. I had a big spill then in the wet and
that undoubtedly gave my wet riding a knock. I wasn’t even sure if I liked the
circuit. I don’t dislike it but I couldn’t point at a corner and say “that’s a
great fun corner” maybe the first one at a push, if it’s dry. I was hanging
onto a 3rd place in the championship but Graham is a strong rider and I would
really need a miracle for this to work. Although we were tied for 3rd place, I
had finished all of my races where as Graham had not. The CRMC’s points system
makes you drop your 4 worst results so I would only gain a few points on any
poor results I had whereas Graham could get the full benefit of any place he
got.
Practice
had gone well in the damp with me starting each race from position 8 on the
third row next to Graham. The bike had been cutting out a lot, something that
had been happening for a few meetings now, so I had stripped and rebuilt the
wiring and carbs trying to find a fault.
I shot off
for the parade lap and ended up in front of everyone into the first corner
which I wasn’t expecting, wish I could do that on the start! Typically my
actual start was average at best. I was on the tale of Andy Guy but Graham
snuck up the inside through the hairpin. I easily drafted and passed him on the
straight but he was far more confident round a still damp Corams cleanly
passing me round the outside. I was just about holding onto him when Ian Greens
Invicta Arrow got between us and a few mistakes let them pull away. Next I had
Gilberts TD3 swapping places with me, really killing any chance of getting back
with Graham. To add further insult to injury this must have slowed us down as
Richard Cheetham and Steve hands got between us. I was able to get back passed
but was repeatedly mobbed preventing me from regaining my place. With Graham in
third and me relegated to fifth, I only really had the moral high ground left
to ride for on the next race.
Race 2
#71 Rudd
Race 3 was
a series of false starts. Called to the holding area 3 times and a red flag in
the early laps when we did eventually start. The rerun saw me making steady
progress, jetting changes had improved things coming out of the corners and
despite the conditions I was becoming more familiar with the bike. Seeing
Graeme Acott in front of me spurred me on to try and chase him down. I managed
to pass him late in the race and finish in 13th place.
#74 Heggs
Slipper
Snetterton struck and struck hard on Sunday. The earlier races of the day had a
really bad time with crashing resulting in us being summoned and returned from
the holding area 3 times due to oil on the circuit. When we finally got out the
circuit had partially dried which was not good news. I don’t mind the wet but
dry bits have a habit of making the racing a little too fast for the
conditions.
Thankfully
this didn’t happen and after a pretty good start I was on the tail of Andy guy
again as the front pack filed through Montreal hairpin in single file. After a
lap we were however red flagged and had a fairly long wait on the grid so a few
of us laid our bikes against the wall and had a sit down. The highlight here
was watching Acott get dragged across the grid by his feet by a bored Longland
and Guy.
The
restart was similar to before, I found myself along side Jerry Longland but
decided it would be silly/pointless to pass and stuck with following him
through the unpleasant combo of Brundel left hander into Nelsons. Mike Hose who
was on a mission came by with Richard Chetham who’s smooth riding is hard to
beat in the wet.
There I
remained for the rest of the race. Drawing the front riders in round Corams and
Riches but dropping back through the hairpins. So I was unable to challenge any
further. The slower pace of the wet riding was certainly flattering my very
ponderous and unscientific riding but I managed to finish in third within
sight of some far better riders.
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Race 3 Race of the year
This was
supposed to be a 10 lap race to finish off the year. The points don’t count for
the championship but it is good for winding people up all winter. Sadly the
weather got progressively worse with very heavy rain flooding the circuit. The
Race officials held out for things to dry out but as people gradually left and
the next heavy cloud headed our way, it was clear it wasn’t going to happen. We
packed up and said our goodbyes with a promise for a future egg and spoon race
to conclude the season. Jerry suggested a 3 legged race but that could end in
more injuries than this entire season!
In Closing
#41 Brown
Not the way I wanted to end the season but things could have
been far worse. I’d like to extend my thanks to the marshals for scraping me up
and convincing me to leave my bike alone, I wasn’t just winded after all. I
would also like to thank the team for their support in getting my bike and kit home
safe. I now look forward to a winter giving the Empress an
engine rebuild along side tidying up her new battle scars. All once I am recovered
of course.
#71 Rudd
A positive weekend despite the weather. I managed to finish
a 250 race for the first time this season on a bike that wasn’t supposed to be
ready until next year with only minor adjustments required. Thanks for all the
work Roy and Andy. thanks also to Dave Bond for sorting the exhausts.
The FZ ran solidly throughout the weekend and I am gaining more
confidence in it every time I ride it. It does seem to be a bit down on power
compared to the bikes around it so a good engine service is in order for the
winter. Thanks again Spen for the use of the bike.
#74 Heggs
Well it isn’t easy letting go of a
championship 3rd place but I have to find some positives here. Snetterton
wasn’t completely terrible. No race of the year wasn’t a bad thing as it
absolutely hammered it down for the rest of Sunday afternoon. Graham might have
bested me in the championship but we are only as good as our last race. Oh and
there is that little thing of being the top RAF rider in the PC250 class 2019.
Lets see if I can do it again next year when everyone shows up!
You can keep catch up with our ups and downs with these
race reviews which closely follow each race on our Blogger
account. You can also Stay up to date with our goings on as they happen on Facebook and Twitter.
The Classic Racing
Motorcycle Club (CRMC) offer live
timing and have race results going back years so if you can’t make it to come watch the
action you can still stay up to date with the help of
We race under the banner of the Royal Air Force Motorsports
Association (RAFMSA). If you are serving and wish to get involved with
motorsports you can find all the contact details you will need on the RAFMSA
website.
Finally special thanks go to the companies who
continue to support us:
and individual sponsors:
Andy Green: New Era Restorations
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