2006 Season Review

I'd said at the outset of the season that my ambitions by going up a class into the 600's was to get used to the bike, avoid crashing and finish at least top 10 wherever possible, so if somebody had tried to tell me at the beginning of the year that on a new bike in a new class I'd take more than a dozen wins and challenge for the Derby Phoenix Formula 600 title, I'd have laughed them in the face and told them to stop eating strange fungi out the local forest!  However, that was exactly how it turned out in what has been a fantastic season for me in 2006.  Click here to see the full season results and links to race reports.

It all started back in March with the first meeting of the year at Cadwell with New Era.  I'd been out on the bike before for the the NG test day at Pembrey a few weeks previous, but at that time the bike was virtually bog standard (even had the standard road exhaust!) and the weather was that cold I couldn't really tell how I was going to get on with it.  Qualifying for that meeting was a damp affair and on a bike I'd barely ridden I struggled, but I didn't get on too bad in the races and finished with four top 10 places and a credible best of 5th.  Best of all though was the fact that as the weekend went by, I quickly got a good feel for the bike and seemed to gel with it easily.  By the time we got to Croft with Derby Phoenix and I'd had the practice day before the meeting to get more used to the bike, I was quickly bringing myself up to speed with how to ride the bike and was already starting to to think that I could regularly feature in the top 10.  That belief was reinforced with a podium position in the first Formula 600 and then my first bit of silverware on the R6 with a 3rd place in the Allcomers final (which was not without a bit of luck in fairness) on the Saturday afternoon!  I was beginning to get comfortable on the bike and was building in confidence all the time although the snow and hail coming down in between races was a bit daunting and I missed at least one race because of the wintry weather that weekend.

The weather was, of course, very changeable for a lot of 2006 and in the early part of the season, this proved my undoing for a lot of races.  Indeed, I didn't get much better on the R6 in the wet until the back end of the season and with the amount of rain we had during the year, it meant that I dropped a lot of points as I struggled with confidence.  Nowhere was this more obvious than at Mallory in April with Derby Phoenix when I got a 3rd place and the fastest lap from the back of the grid in the first (dry) race, but suffered my worst results of the season with a 12th and 14th in the wet later in the day.  The same was evident at Oulton with New Era in May when I was outside the top 10 in both races as I struggled in the wet.

After the somewhat hit and miss results early on in the season suffering with the changeable weather, things improved in late April/early May with two podium results at Donington and then my first win of the season at Cadwell, both these meetings being with NG.  The win at Cadwell is naturally a highlight of my 2006 season and I was absolutely over the moon with both the qualifying pole position and the win, as well as achieving the outright lap record for NG.  All of a sudden, my ambitions were changed and I now wanted more wins and more podiums as I proved to myself that I could ride the R6 competitively.  Next time out with Derby Phoenix was at Cadwell the week after the NG round and with my first win chalked up I was feeling very confident.  Unfortunately, the weather was damp and miserable on the Saturday and my results weren't quite up the previous weekend's standards, but that was all history on the Sunday when it dried up and I took a win in the first race after a 6 lap battle with Aaron Tilley that thrilled the crowds!  It was very close all the way to the line, with paintwork swapped on the last lap, but I kept my nerve to the end and took what was my second win on the R6.  Me and Aaron had the same battle for much of the second race, but this time Aaron got in front and came out better, with me finishing 2nd.

There was then a huge break between Donington in May and Snetterton in July, during which Lesley and me went away on holiday to France and Italy on my road bike (Honda Blackbird).  We had a great time, but the break away from racing and the change of mindset riding on the road did nothing for my racing.  I got back a week before Snetterton and although I booked the practice day, it simply wasn't enough time for me to get back my race head.  By the Sunday, I was starting to get better and even managed to get the Formula 600 fastest lap of the weekend, but I still lacked the ability to get through to the front and win, my results comprising of three thirds and a fourth.  I left the Norfolk circuit disappointed and have now vowed not to go away touring again without leaving sufficient time to get back and practice to get back up to race speed!  Before I finish with Snetterton, I should mention James Slater, who took a very nasty fall when he ran into the back of Jay Dunn on the start/finish straight and effectively put an end to his F600 title hopes, although he did come back for the last meeting of the year to take the 751-1300cc championship.....well done that man!

A couple of weeks later we were back at Mallory with Derby Phoenix and it was a different story.  I took a win in the Allcomers heat in the morning and then took two wins in the Formula 600 later in the day, together with the fastest lap of the weekend and the club F600 lap record with a time of 55:47 seconds.....fantastic!  Unfortunately, having been convinced to go out in the Allcomers Final to chase a fourth victory of the day, it all ended a little abruptly with a collision with Steve Hix at the hairpin, but I was still delighted to be back winning.  Sadly, the weekend was somewhat overshadowed by a tragic incident during one of the Allcomers heats in the morning resulting in the death of Matt Horne.  I didn't know Matt, but from what I was told then and ever since he was a good, straight talking bloke who loved his bikes and racing.  RIP Matt and my sympathies go out to his family and friends.

Just when I thought I was back on winning form, we were back at Cadwell a week later and the dreaded rain was coming down again to put me back in my place.  It was a close run thing in the championship at this stage (just 5 points in it!) so despite the damp forecast I needed to keep in touch with Mick - damage limitation was very much the idea.  I had two disastrous races on the Saturday, grass tracking in both over the top of Coppice at 100mph+ and rejoining way back down the pack, but Sunday was better with a 3rd and a 2nd, the latter being after a thrilling race long battle with Mick Daly and resulting in me getting the Derby Phoenix F600 lap record with a time of 1:35.78.  However, the championship now seemed to be slipping away with the deficit now 43 points after Mick grabbed four well deserved straight wins.  Oulton Park was next up three weeks later and I was really looking forward to it, even though this is not a circuit I've had much practice at.  However, the rain was back to plague me and it absolutely poured it down for this meeting.  I decided that come what may, being 43 points down I had to take the challenge to Mick and if I crashed trying, then at least I'd had a go.  As it was, we had a fantastic first race and the two of us were lapping at a fierce pace in the monsoon conditions!  I thought Mick had got the better of me again, but then he crashed out of the first race gifting me the win and then having to start from the back of the grid for the second race meant that I just needed to lap reasonably quickly to win again, although as it turned out he crashed in that race too and I found myself now with a 7 point advantage as we entered into the last round. 

So it was onto Cadwell in September for the 'big showdown' as it was billed around the club and both me and Micky fired up for it.  The weekend weather started a bit damp with the Friday practice being a thoroughly wet day, but it dried up Saturday morning and I took a superb win in the Allcomers in the morning.  I was buzzing and really looking forward to the weekend's races, as well as being determined to break the 1:34's.  However, it all went wrong on the first lap with 'that crash' at Park Corner, which put me out of the Saturday races and effectively ended my push for the title.  I got back out on Sunday and could have made it a bit closer with a good result in the first race (in which I got black flagged), but it was all academic really as Mick had done plenty enough the day before to wrap the title up.  So that was it, all over and done with and the championship lost in what is a terrible way to lose it.  Mick thoroughly deserved it with his speed and consistency, but I know that he would have preferred to have fought it out on circuit and won it.

The Derby Phoenix dinner and presentation evening went off with the usual flow of alcohol and a great evening was had by all.  As the top five 600 riders, there was me, Mick, Richard Gibson, Tim Harness and James Slater with our respective wives/partners all on one table and the array of silverware was very impressive!  It was also in total contrast to the very hostile Formula 600 riders result the previous year, so the club were delighted at the example in sportsmanship we set amongst ourselves! 

So that's it for another season.....and what a season it was!  I did so much better than I could have ever expected on the R6 and took to the bike like a duck to water.  Ambitions of top 10 were turned into a very real opportunity to take a Formula 600 title back to back with my 400 title in 2005 and I gave it a good go!  It was not to be, but it was a close run thing and I've made some great achievements on the way and I've really enjoyed my racing.  I've also made some great friends in the 600 class and throughout the paddock as people watched my progress, which has made it an even more special season.  Thank you to everybody I've had the pleasure of racing against and to those who've supported me.  A big thanks also to Matt Brown in particular for all his support and for being a good partner in the awning this year.....well done to you for a great Formula 400 Novice championship title this year.
 

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