Re: Mansfield newby
Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2018 1:04 am
No, never did much production racing at all, just a couple of races at a meeting at Snetterton on a 250 yam in the '70's and by '83 was down to just one bike, a racing Bantam - by then I had a young son with the poverty to prove.
Reckon his birth took a second a lap off my times...... This added to an enforced break in '82 to mid '83, dealing with a "small" matter overseas (I was taking "the shilling" at the time), after which I found it difficult to get back "up to speed". The last meeting I rode in '84 I had a big off at Cadwell which took me out of circulation well into '85.
I did get to the first meeting in '85, at Lydden in Kent. when, on the line for (my) race 1, it started snowing and I thought to myself "do you really need this". Got home after the meeting, had a long chat with "herself who will be obeyed", and just stopped. Sold off the bike, trailer, van and everything pretty much, though I still have all my leathers, boots, even the helmet I last wore, (though it's well beyond its use by date now!!) plus a box file full of memorabilia, old MCN's, my old (national) racing licence etc.
Prior to my son's arrival I had & raced various bikes & classes, even a vintage Velocette for a couple of seasons. I enjoyed the smaller formulas, Bantam Club (as mentioned) BFRC and such and also the oddball aerodrome circuits. One I recall (at Debden I think) had a helicopter landing pad halfway down the main straight - I only ever clipped it once, on a 750 Dresda Triton, at well over 100 - the resulting slapper was, I was told, awesome but somehow I stayed on, though the seat had to be surgically extracted from my rectum when I got back to the pit!!!
Cadwell Park though remains my all time favourite circuit....
John
Reckon his birth took a second a lap off my times...... This added to an enforced break in '82 to mid '83, dealing with a "small" matter overseas (I was taking "the shilling" at the time), after which I found it difficult to get back "up to speed". The last meeting I rode in '84 I had a big off at Cadwell which took me out of circulation well into '85.
I did get to the first meeting in '85, at Lydden in Kent. when, on the line for (my) race 1, it started snowing and I thought to myself "do you really need this". Got home after the meeting, had a long chat with "herself who will be obeyed", and just stopped. Sold off the bike, trailer, van and everything pretty much, though I still have all my leathers, boots, even the helmet I last wore, (though it's well beyond its use by date now!!) plus a box file full of memorabilia, old MCN's, my old (national) racing licence etc.
Prior to my son's arrival I had & raced various bikes & classes, even a vintage Velocette for a couple of seasons. I enjoyed the smaller formulas, Bantam Club (as mentioned) BFRC and such and also the oddball aerodrome circuits. One I recall (at Debden I think) had a helicopter landing pad halfway down the main straight - I only ever clipped it once, on a 750 Dresda Triton, at well over 100 - the resulting slapper was, I was told, awesome but somehow I stayed on, though the seat had to be surgically extracted from my rectum when I got back to the pit!!!
Cadwell Park though remains my all time favourite circuit....
John
