Jenny's Journal
News and updates from Jenny
TT 2009
14/06/20:53pm First ever TT done!!!
I'm just sitting in the awning in the TT paddock and the internet connection is working! so just an update on my first ever TT and road race!
Well what can I say it's been Absolutely amazing!!! possibly the best fun I've ever had, also the most nerve racking at time's!!! I last updated that we were getting ready for the Supersport race, well I didn’t manage to finish it as on my third lap something was going on with the gear lever, I thought that the rod had come loose and was winding it's way undone moving the position of the gear lever as it was getting lower and lower and I could barely get my foot under it as a crossed the line to start my fourth and last lap, by the time I got to Union Mills however it was just too low and I couldn't change gear, I pulled up and saw that the bracket which the gear lever mounts onto had fractured and was just bending further down every time I changed gear, I only touched it and it broke off so it was job over at that point - gutted.
The Superstock race went much better everything was perfect except for me putting the bike into a couple of false neutrals into some fast corners which wasn't too much fun and I'm not sure to good for the gearbox as I crunch my way round trying to stamp the thing into a gear. I set a good lap on the second lap of a 114.741mph average to just nip the female lap record around the course, I pulled in for my pitstop and set off again following a Japanese rider, we were still together over the mountain section but he crashed in front of me just before the Veranda, it's not something you want to see and I'm really glad he is ok he has as far as I know just a broken leg, apparently all he kept saying was sorry for crashing the bike to his team.
I completed the lap and got my head down for the last lap which is the true flyer, I didn't know how fast I'd gone until I finished the race as it's so hard to judge if you have gone faster and by how much but I was chuffed when I found out I'd done a 116.4 MPH lap, I was really happy, the bike was great and I was still learning the course so I was hopeful there was more to come as I wanted to get up to speed with the other new comers especially the one's I new from BSB.
The second supersport race was on Wednesday, it was delayed for quite a while with rain but eventually started at I think 2pm, I decided not to go out in the race as it had only just stop raining ten minuets before and there was no way the that the areas of the track that had seen the rain would be dry so I gave it a miss, when I saw everyone setting off I was gutted, it was sunny on the start line and I felt like I'd made the wrong decision but after just one lap many riders pulled in including William Dunlop who said that the conditions where just not for him, and everyone I spoke to after said I made the right choice so I felt better about not going out
We had a much needed day off on Thursday and just got the bike ready for the last race of the TT the senior on Friday. The conditions were ok for the senior but there were a few dark clouds looming and it was expected that there may be showers later on so everyone was keen to get the 6 lap race underway. I set off pretty steady on my first lap, I just wanted to suss out the conditions and make sure there were no damp patched that were going to surprise me, but everything was good so I attempted to get my head down a bit but I have to say my concentration was all up the wall, what with it being the last race and I was so tiered! my fourth lap was really good despite my not being all that consistent around the course, I'd made a few mistakes stuck the bike into a couple of false neutrals again!!! but I made it round and in for my second pitstop faster than I'd been before with a 116.835mph average lap. The lap out of the pits is always slow as your pitstop time is counted into it so I was just building myself up for the last lap the true flyer to get in hopefully my best time but there was a bit going on my fifth lap, first off there was a major oil slick at the apex of Quater Bridge which even with the cement dust was majorly slippy, I went over it bolt upright with barely any throttle and still had a slide, there was also an accident up on the mountain later in the lap and finally it stared to rain at Brandish so I think the organizers decided to call it a day, the front runners had already finished the race and got the chequered flag and usually they would let us through to complete our last laps but they didn't and pulled us up at the end of the fith lap, I was a bit gutted not to get in that last lap but it was probably the right decision considering the conditions and I was happy to have finished my first ever TT event, to get the female lap record and to improve on my best time in the race without getting in the flyer.
I'm really looking forward to next year as I am sure there is more to come and I enjoyed myself so much it’s such a buzz!!!!!!!! there's just nothing like it at all!!!! can't wait!!!
08/06/20:40pm So far some more
Well I managed to get up to a 110 mph lap in the remaining days of practice, I made a big effort on Friday on the Fireblade and felt like I'd gone quicker but was majorly disappointed to find I'd only done a 110.5 lap, but thats what everyone keeps telling me the harder you try the slower you go it's just got to flow so you can maintain the speed to get the lap times. But I was happy I suppose to break the 110mph marker.
Racing was cancelled on Saturday as it threw it down for most of the day so Brad, Andy and June (BSB marshals and much appreciated TT help) and myself went to the animal park at Quarry bends, and it was really good, free to get in and loads to see!! then we just chilled out for the rest of the day and Sunday too. I went to bed early Sunday night but it took me 3 hours to get to sleep! and I woke up at 5am - must have been nervous!! I felt ok but every time I shut my eyes I was doing laps of the TT course!!
The weathers been great today so the rescheduled 6 lap Superbike race went off on time I started 74th as per my racing number and I had a really enjoyable race everything went ok and I even remembered my braking point to come into pit lane for my first ever pit stop! I finished up 44th and was chuffed to do a 114mph lap on my last lap and have an average over whole race of 110mph.
We're just getting the bikes ready for tomorrow as I'm out on the 600 first for the 4 lap supersport race and then on the Sorrymate.com Fireblade for the Superstock race - I'll keep you posted.
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29/05/1:25am So far
Well so far I've been pretty rubbish I got in three laps on Saturday the first controlled lap behind the marshal and then two others on my own and I was pretty rubbish, just sussing my way round. Monday night was ok but with a delay at the start we all only got in three laps again and once more I was pretty rubbish, on my second lap I got stuck for most of the mountain behind two other riders when really I should have squeezed passed but not knowing where I was going and knowing the two riders in front didn't know where they were going it probably wasn't a good idea anyway, then on the third lap there was a crash up on the mountain with waved yellows so as per riders brief I backed off to crawling pace passed the incident and passed the marshals running up the track! but then just couldn't concentrate at all and I even started looking at the Helicopter that was just firing up it's rotors, instead of where I was going so completely balls up going fast, so I did some pretty usless times. I was really looking forward to tonight but a part of the clutch cover gasket on the 600 popped out and the engine chucked oil all down my right side, I felt the foot peg was slippy going over Greba Bridge I looked down and saw a load of oil on my boot so pulled up at Ballacraine. Luckily enough I pulled up right where friend and sponsor Mark Cooper (Hollins Strategic Land) was watching and he gave me a lift down the back roads back to the paddock it took a while but I had just enough time to get out on the Fireblade for one lap so all was not lost and at least I'd got my first run out on the blade out of the way. But I'm still a bit gutted. Brads just finished rebuilding the 600 motor, it was making a noise like it was trying to jump into gear when in neutral, so the motors been out split and checked and is back in already for tomorrow, thats why we're up so late but it's pretty much done now so we're off to bed and hopefully we’ll have more joy tomorow – keep you posted!
Donington park Rd 3 British Supersport Championship.
25/05/09 20:57pm Monday Race day
Warm up went well with no troubles and the bike was fine and good to go for the race.
I was on row 7 on the outside so good for the inside line into the first corner but I totally hashed up the start, I wheelied away and had to shut the throttle and lost a fraction of time and so gave it another big handful to make up for it and wheelied again! and had to momentary shut of once more, I did one of those rubbish pogo stick style starts and made a right horlicks of it, I lost a lot of ground but snuck through ok into the first corner making a bit of it back. My first few laps where pretty rubbish, it’s hard when your in a pack as everyone is so tight with riders in front going loads slower than you want to but you can’t get round them as their three abreast so you have to go slow too. I got overtaken by two riders early on but caught them both back up when I got into my stride and overtook them, I was chasing 4th place in the cup man for the last four or five laps and was catching slowly but there wasn’t enough time to get on the back of him and I crossed the line in 23rd and 5th in the Cup, 3.2 seconds of 4th place cup man and just three tenth in front of the man chasing me who did a do or die manoeuvre on the last lap at the last corner, which I thought was quite funny as I knew he wasn’t going to make it and I snuck back under him to finish in front -just.
All in all it was a good weekend, It’s a bit of a mad panic now to get everything ready for the off for the TT, with just two days to squeeze everything in not only getting both bikes ready including an engine change for my 600, but also trying to fit in as much work as possible to help cover the bills while were away.
I’m going to be, hopfully, attempting to update my blog after each session whilst over at the TT to let you know how things are going - so I'll keep you posted while i'm there.
Cheers for now.
Jen
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24/05/09 20:51pm Sunday Qualifying
1st qualifying started off ok and I set a goodish time of a 1:37.971 early on but I didn't realize that the bike was overheating (I always check my temp gauge honest!!) and when I came into the pits mid session it spat out all it's water, it was a good job I came in really but it was session over at that point. Brad fixed the problem - a sticking thermostat was to blame and the bike was good to go for the next session. Second qualifying went really well and I was really chuffed to set a time of a 1:36.957 right on my last lap and I qualified in 28th, the time was good but everyone is so much quicker as well with the pole man 3 tenths under the lap record already, but 28th was ok, I did the usual of looking to see where I may have qualified in other classes with that time just to cheer myself up and I'd have been on pole for the Superstock 600, 16th in the superspock 1000's and if I'd done that time in 2006 when the bike was made I've have been 8th in the supersport - that’s not bad - I think although I'm not sure how relevant it is but goes to show how much faster everyone is going year on year and makes me wonder if a newer bike may help me?
I'm looking forward to tomorrow just going to try and catch the weather forecast tonight to see what’s in store for tomorrow, it's been lovely today but some are saying possible showers tomorow, we'll have to see!!! Speak soon
Jen
23/05/09 19:20pm Saturday practice
Well I'm sitting in the truck, just eaten me tea and what do you know the mobile broadband is working (many thanks to CS2U) so I thought I'd update my site as I go over the weekend if possible. Well everything is going ok so far, 1st practice was a bit rubbish as I'd used an old Zero compound tyre which was shot after just three laps so I just bimbled around and set a very average time of a 1:41. sec lap. Second practice was much better with a new set of tyres on I managed a 1:38.0 lap a full 9 tenths better than I managed last year so I was happy enough with that - going in the right direction and I can see where I'm loosing time to the front runners so just got to do my best to work on those areas tomorrow, I'll keep you posted x.
14/04/09 21:10pm The season starts - Brands Hatch Round one of the British Supersport Championship
We didn’t make it in time to get into the circuit by 8pm on Thursday night and were locked out side in the car park till the morning, so Friday was a bit of a rush!!
1st practice
After rushing around in the morning to get everything set up and sorted I just about made it out on track a few mins late but out there and I had a good first session, it was dry and the bike felt really good, I did a goodish time just 0.2 sec of my fastest round the Indy Circuit, but unfortunately it all came to an abrupt end when I lost the front at Graham Hill bend, I don’t really know what happened, I was just minding my own business then next minuet I’m on my bum!!!
I think I was just a bit deep into the corner and as soon as I went from the brake to throttle transfer bit the front just tucked – bugger!
Luckily enough I was fine but more importantly the bike was too nothing a bit of fibre glass couldn’t sort out. I ended the session in 23rd place, with a fastest lap of 49.297
2nd practice
Second practice was wet and I splashed around for half the session and did ok but to be honest I wasn’t really trying too hard as there was no point, and ended the session in 15th although there were only 19 of us out there, and I did a time of 54.743
3rd Practice
Third practice which was first thing on Saturday didn’t go so good, the bike developed a misfire, I thought it loss power at one point during second practice but it seemed to clear but it had got worse today. I came in the pits and Steve disconnected the quickshifter to eliminate that but it was still the same so the job was over for me in that session and I came back to our awning. I ended up last with a lap time of 51.721.
1st qualifying
Steve checked the bike over and we changed a few electrical parts to eliminate them and hoped for the best for first qualifying but the bike was the same, it seemed to be a bit better so I came in to disconnect the quickshifter again just to make sure. But it was the same so I did my best to put in a bit of a lap at the end although the session was damp and the forecast was dry for Sunday’s 2nd qualifying,. I ended the session in 26th with a 54.063 lap.
2nd Qualifying
It was dry on Sunday but second qualifying was also not so good as the bike was getting worse despite trying our best to cure the problem. I was losing power coming out of the corners more noticeably and the bike would sometimes kick into life and sometimes not so I just did the best I could considering and luckily enough I managed to qualify in 32nd place with what was actually a fractionally better lap time than I managed to qualify with last year! so I wasn’t too unhappy with that considering the bike wasn’t running properly. My time was a 49.182
Warm up
Our latest effort to cure the bike didn’t work in warm up so it was a bit of a waste of time.
The Race
I started the race not knowing if the bike was cured or not after we fitted another new part, I couldn’t tell during the two warm up laps because I wasn’t giving the bike full beans so I’d just have to suck it and see in the race. I made a good start and got passed a few which was good but once things settled down my mind went into concentrating on the bike to see if it was running ok, I wasn’t sure at first as it did cough a couple of times but as the race progressed the bike seemed fine so the problem was solved but I didn’t really have a good race it was more of test to make sure we’d fixed the bike, I’d not had a great qualifying and because I wasn’t sure if the bike was ok I wasn’t really concentrating on the race so much, but I’m glad it’s fixed and I finished the race and we picked up 6 points in the cup all things considered, and I even set a personal best lap time of 49.012 which was only a fraction faster than my previous but I thought that was alright considering!! I’m glad to get this weekend out of the way and the bike is ok now so I’m just really looking forward to the next round at Oulton Park!!!.
I’m off to Snetterton with my Sponsor Fergus from Sorrymate.com next weekend to get some practice in on the fireblade before the TT which I’m really looking forward to!! I’ll let you know how it goes!
All the best for now!
Jen
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