Jenny's Journal
News and updates from Jenny
Oulton Park Round two British Superbike Championship 2011
30th April - 2nd May 2011
I started this weekend proper nervous I was looking forward to it but after the disaster of Brands this was going to be my first proper time out on the bike. The team had a mad rush to get and engine built between Brands and Oulton as they were less than a week apart. The bikes turned up just after 8pm on Thursday night and they needed finishing off and everything checking over so the team worked late to get the bikes ready for Friday.
1st Practice
1st Practice didn’t last long for me, my bike cut out on my out lap going down Cascades, I stopped and re started the bike and it fired up so I came back to the pits for it to be checked over, nothing was apparent with the electronics so I went back out but the bike cut out again coming out of Shell Oils Hairpin and again up over Clay Hill when I was flat out and I did a full on screen headbutt, I came straight back in and it was session over whilst the team figured out the problem.
2nd Practise
2nd practice didn’t last long either, I crashed at Lodge just four laps in after the bike got into a wobble going into the turn, normally if you get a wobble the bike will sort itself out but it just manifested into a massive wobble and threw me off, its a crash that just shouldn’t of happened, I wasn’t even pushing hard, but I did have a problem with the bike turning into the corners it was quite unstable just on tip in so something I needed to figure out with the suspension.
3rd practice
3rd practice wasn’t so great either, I still had the instability problem tipping into corners and I couldn’t stop putting the bike into neutral changing down into second, but it was inconsequential as my bike overheated after just 9 laps into practice and my session was over again so it was straight into qualifying with pretty much no clue about my bike and how fast I could go on it, gutted.
Qualifying
Needless to say Qualifying went badly I managed about 7 laps before being black flagged for the bike smoking, I came in and there was a small oil leak but nothing major so I was allowed back out for the last five minuets, I went faster but it was like trying to achieve the impossible, and I did a time 4 seconds slower than I’ve done on my 600. Gutted and pretty annoyed and frustrated too, but you always have to look on the bright side and at least I had some laps and learnt a little bit about the bike.
Brad and I asked if we could take the bike and some tyres from Oulton as I needed some track time somewhere and as the team had no testing planned, I booked and paid for myself to go on a track day and race weekend at Anglesey circuit with the Thundersport GB series, to try and at least get some time on the bike before Croft.
Brands Hatch Round one British Superbike Championship 2011
22nd - 25th April 2011
Free Test on Friday
We turned up at Brands Hatch on Thursday afternoon and knowing the bikes would probably have to be prepped as they were still being built to Superbike spec, we got there eary-ish to take a look and see what needed doing. The Superbike forks had just been fitted the day before so everything was still loose on the bike and needed finishing off and the brakes bleeding up.
Brad got the bike ready for me and I was looking forward to getting going on the bike, I was pretty nervous as this was my first time out on the bike and with all the other Superbike riders but was grateful for the extra testing hour that was on Friday before first free practice on Saturday and was hoping to use it as last ditch effort to at least get some time on the bike and get used to it a bit before being thrown it at the deep end for proper timed practice on saturday.
However my session didn’t last long as the engine in my bike expired just 15mins in and with no spare motor that was my weekend over, gutted. I had to stay for PR duties and it was gutting being on the grid for the start of the race without being on my bike. Role on Oulton Park in a weeks time!
Official BSB test days 2011, Brands Hatch Indy and Snetterton 300
12th - 13th April 2011
Day 1 at Brands Hatch
Gutted, I was hoping we were testing on these days, I was all geared up to go even loaded the truck with food and supplies, but John texted me on Sunday to say that he had cancelled the days for us as there was no point testing the bike when it was not full Superbike spec, proper gutted.
I was nervous about testing anyway as we’d had no other testing on our own so to be straight out with the Superbike boys was a bit daughting but I thought it would probably be the best place to test as they are all fast and help get us up to speed quicker, but it wasn’t to be.
I had to go down to Brands anyway for media duties for the team, which being honest I don’t really like doing but I know it is an important part of racing and important to the team, we had a film crew coming and I found out I had to do some laps on the bike and a road bike with pillion for the BBC so had to go and bring the bike too as we still had it at our workshop after the media launch.
I drove down in the morning to do the PR stuff and then drove straight back home. I was pretty gutted watching everyone else going round and could have desperately done with the track time even if the bike wasn't full superbike spec, espesh at Snetterton just to learn the new circuit lay out, bummer.
BSB Launch Day, Bedford Autodrome
6th April 2011
Brad and I only found out on Saturday at the end of the test day at Anglesey that we had to prep the bike and take it to the BSB Launch on Wednesday, I was a bit gutted as we had just preped it for the test day and I didn't even get much time on it but we did as we had too as, I guess, mine was the only bike in one bit.
It was a bit of a mad rush to fit the new carbon faring John gave us and try and tidy the bike up the best we could and get it stickered up before we left to go down to Bedford as we were flat out in work and didn't know we would have to get the bike ready, but we managed to squeeze it in and around the work and drove down to Bedford.
We turned up to the launch and did all the things BSB requires you to do as part of the Championship which includes taking the pictures of the bike for the website and Eurosport, championship riders pictures etc. I quite enjoyed the day as it was a novelty factor for me being to my first BSB launch and to see all the riders and teams altogether from a cheesy fans point of view was ace, but I was a bit gutted no one else from my team turned up, but I guess they have done it before and the novelty factor has worn off.
Anglesey Test Day
2nd April 2011
Brad and I prepped the bike which we still had hold of after the Hottrax endurance round and I was really looking forward to getting some time on it at Anglesey. I thought I would get all day on my bike and the team would take Hudsons, however John rang me to say that Hudsons bike wasn’t ready so we would have to share my bike, I kind of imagined we would alternate sessions but in the end Hudson did the lions share of testing as he had requested new links to be made for the bike and wanted to try them out, I got the first session which was damp just to wobble around and then the very last one so I was a bit gutted, but I guess it was better for the team as a whole that hudson tried the linkages, so hopefully we have made progress and we have found an improvement in suspension set up this weekend, looking forward to getting some time on the bike soon.
Hottrax Endurance Brands Hatch
11th - 13th April 2011
John (Splitlath team owner) entered Hudson and myself for the first round of the Hottrax endurance at Brands Hatch, it was a good weekend and we did well in the race winning our class despite me crashing in the wet not long before the end of the race, I managed to get the transponder back and Hudson finished the race behind the safety car which I had caused! The weather was iffy all weekend with showers so the race was interesting with us having to judge which tyres to go out on.
I really enjoyed the weekend, it was good fun and good for me to start to get to know the bike a bit even though the weather was a bit dodgy and its not quite the bike I'll be racing in the Superbikes but its a start and the track time was good. I’m looking forward to the Superbikes being built proper and getting out on them as soon as we can.
